Blues boss Roy Keane dismissed suggestions that Damien Delaney’s own goal in the 1-0 home defeat to Nottingham Forest was unlucky. The loss was the Blues seventh in nine league games and leaves Keane’s side only three points from the relegation places.

The Town manager was less than impressed with the build-up to the own goal: “A lot went on before the ball goes in. It was a minute before half-time and we had possession before that. We talk about being streetwise.

“I think we would have been disappointed at coming in 0-0 at half-time, never mind 1-0 down. But there’ll be no pity parties tonight.”

Keane felt his side again lacked quality in and around the box: “The one or two half-chances we had, the final ball let us down. David Norris got in a good position, Jason did, and Connor, but that’s been a problem for us.

“We need to be cleverer in and around the box, whether that’s playing a one-two, knowing when to cross it, knowing when to take someone on. I think we make the wrong decision too many times.”

The former Manchester United man wasn’t too unhappy with the overall performance: “I thought we played not bad. In any game when you’re up a good team there’s not going to be too much in it. They were cancelling us out, they hit us on the break once or twice in the first half and their keeper made a good save from Troy. We looked a bit dangerous from set pieces.

“In the second half we were chasing the game and Forest were always going to be decent on the break and I think it would have been the same the other way around.

“The first goal is massively important in the Championship and if we’d scored the first goal today we certainly wouldn’t have gone on to lose the game. That maybe sums up the game, we’re nearly a good team, but nearly never made it.”

Keane says he missed the tackle which led to Grant Leadbitter’s red card: “I didn’t really see it and I really should have had the best view. Because the referee initially gave the foul [to Town], I was looking forward already and thinking about getting Márton Fülöp forward for the freekick.

“I think he was trying to play some sort of advantage, but what he was playing an advantage for I don’t know because Grant’s got a lad hanging off him and there was no advantage there.

“Anyone who knows Grant knows he’s not that type of player and the boy was OK. I need to see it on video again. We certainly didn’t need Grant getting a three-game ban as Grant’s an important player for us. That rubs salt into the wounds today.”

Keane, who says no moves in or out are immediately on the cards, revealed that Gareth McAuley came off at half-time due to a hamstring injury.

Asked if he was determined to carry on as Town boss, he said: "I've not had a stupid question for a while, but well done."

Forest boss Billy Davies believed his side deserved the three points: “The goal was fortunate but I think we had some great chances.

“I was very concerned before the game that they’d had one game less than us over the Christmas period, but seven points from a possible nine we’ve got to be delighted with.

“It was scrappy, they made it difficult for us, they brought in a lot of physical presence and played a certain way. We had to defend well and at times we got the ball down and played, but it was a difficult surface, very slippy, and it was a difficult afternoon with the type of game that it was.”

Davies said he and Keane got on fine on the touchline, despite a potentially explosive incident in the first half: “I apologised to Roy when McGoldrick nearly scored from the drop and I genuinely think that it was accidental.

“I apologised straight away, it certainly wasn't what we wanted and we’d have been gutted if the ball had gone in the net. I apologised before he punched me!”

The Scot said he would have looked to have made amends had the ball gone in rather than striking the woodwork: “I would probably have asked the referee to take the drop again or done all we could to make sure the goal didn’t stand, if that were possible. Without a doubt we’d have done something about it, I don’t want him to kick my head in!”

Photo: Action Images

oddball added 19:30 - Jan 3 Yer, that was a wind up, just trying to see the fuuny side of an absurd situation, sorry, seriously Keane should go.
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1878 added 19:30 - Jan 3 My concern is that there is no fighting talk, no passion, just the same old B.S. When he was leaving the pitch he guestured back to a [town] supporter with his hand making the talking rubbish sign, nice bit of respect there! What concerns me even more is the management team behind Mr. K there doesn't seem to be one and that seems to be the case all the way to the top. In a few months time it's going to be decision time about season tickets - and I have found it really hard to find the cash for the last two years. Back inthe early 90s I was one of the 8000 who'd go and watch even though town were on the slide. But now that cash is tight I'm really going to think hard if it would be worth getting a season ticket. I'm not saying that I don't want one I love town but there comes a point where throwing cash away and not getting anything for it has to stop! There isn't even any incentive anymore to get your ticket early - the so called early bird scheme was extended last time and there is no real benefit to keep renewing straight away each year. There just does not seem to be any loyalty to being a true blue. The situation became worse today too, as fans start to come to blows - and this was in the family area!

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bluearmy4life added 19:32 - Jan 3 Oddball thank god for that!!
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sirburley added 19:33 - Jan 3 normally would dread playing quality premiership opposition for fear of getting hammered but im actually looking forward to sunday as it is a welcome break from getting beat by very average championship sides,lets see what excuses we get for the 5-0 thrashing from chelsea.RK has totally lost it now but even if we get rid of him now do you think another manager will sort this mess out in time,because lets face it,it is a huge mess.I would take finishing 4th from bottom right now

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oddball added 19:38 - Jan 3 Bigger issues than just sacking Keane for me, for example Ipswich have struggled to attract top players for some time now right back to when Magic tried to sign the left back from southamton, forgot name, but there is a long list of players that have slid through our fingers, maybe we aint paying the wages, i dont know but certainly Keane seems lost and clueless, big shame, all going wrong.

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stinkiusminkius added 19:40 - Jan 3 Is he still here? Oh...... Evans HAS to get rid, as he's not going to walk. And, no, there's no point backing keane with more money. He's not great at picking players, he's terrible at knowing where to prioritise changes, he doesn't play a balanced side even when it's possible (apart from where it's forced on him like vs WBA), anyone that plays well seems to get dropped or totally frozen out. It's SOOO depressing. And if he uses the term "streetwise" again in one more interview....... Total numpty.

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JetaimePeters added 19:43 - Jan 3 You absolute oddball!
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Keaneish added 19:44 - Jan 3 1878 - what were fans fighting over? Whether Keane should go or not?
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Back_The_Boss added 19:46 - Jan 3 We have no-one to blame but ourselves. Losing so many games proves it's not bad luck.
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tallguy6767 added 19:49 - Jan 3 I can see some cricket scores coming up against the arsenal and chelsea. we are a total embarrasment! New year same old shi*
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tractaboy added 19:50 - Jan 3 Please god end this 18 month nightmare now. I know there are far more important things in life than football but i worry about the clubs future. To some of us its just a game but the way we're dropping its going to affect the non playing staff and local area if we go down. I remember how much of a boost it gave to the area when we won protion 10 years ago. Now it's the same crap week in week out. Please Mr Evans cut your losses and put some life into this club.

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fourth added 19:51 - Jan 3 Right. That's it. A net loser at some £10 million. Depressing the whole Ipswich area. Putting rubbish football on view. Moving resolutely towards final ignominity. In the national, local, financial and aesthetic interests, Evans needs to escape the rabbit-freezing searchlight and DO something. DO SOMETHING. WHY HAS IT TAKEN SO LONG?
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wark_on_water added 19:53 - Jan 3 There's no way Keane will walk - he'll never get another job! God I'm depressed - just keep thinking it can't get any worse.....and then I remember we have Chelsea and Arsenal coming up. Anyone else worried about how embarrassing this could be for us? I don't agree with the theory that it's a great time to play chelsea (with their current form) and that we're underdogs and all the pressure is off us. With the way we are being managed and performing at the moment, we could get anialated!!

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Churchman69 added 19:54 - Jan 3 Enough is enough. I've tried to avoid jumping on the "Keane-Out" brigade for months now but the results simply aren't coming. Roy, thanks for your time- now kindly leave.
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kentblue added 20:08 - Jan 3 Churchman69 - why so polite ? Keane needs NO thanks whatsoever - he has single handedly brought the club to its present position . With other managers who have moved on, there has been something to thank them for - eg Burley ( as a player and in his early days in management )and Magilton ( esp as a player ). Keane has fallen out with many players - moved them on and more recently with Priskin has kept him out yet again .Keane is a negative influence and is ruining the club . He must GO !

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tractaboy added 20:13 - Jan 3 Any rumours of a press conference yet?
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BlooooCD added 20:14 - Jan 3 We need banners at our home games to get our message to this idiot! Evans cannot be as blind or naive as this! FORK your a bleedin' joke!!! Bloooooo for life and never been so low!
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titanicclown added 20:21 - Jan 3 Keane has many faults as a manager, 1. He fails to motivate positively 2. He has only one tactic - "go out there and work really hard" 3. Tinkers way too much 4. Upsets players so they want to leave e.g Stead, Walters (very lucky to still have Macaulay) But the most basic of all Keane's problems is he doesn't know what a good football player looks like! He has got it wrong on so many players - he didn't rate Stead, Macaulay, Garvan, R Wright, D Wright or Rhodes. These are all good players. But he did fancy Murphy (GK), D Healy, Delaney (as a left back- got lucky when he found out he could play at centre half) C Healy, Martin - there's probably loads more. Catergorically the worst manager we have ever had. I know John Duncan was bad but with the money he's had Keane takes the cake.

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Blue_Fred added 20:22 - Jan 3 i can only hope that when RK eventually goes he also gives Clegg a lift away from Ipswich, because whoever the new manager is will need someone with a football brain to help influence the business man who currently owns this club
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BlooooCD added 20:31 - Jan 3 Listening to the radio after the game scowcroft said we deserve better as fans! Evans should either back keane or sack him... I wouldn't give this petulant manager a penny more! Just a p45 and a kick up the arris! Keano get out of our club!
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poggie added 20:36 - Jan 3 OMG - it keeps getting worse! Only consolation about today's result was that Forest were a typical (lucky) Billy Davies side, and at times they made us look good!! Could Delaney actually see what he was doing, with that bandage practically covering his eyes? Didn't look like it!! Wouldn't RK just love to be Davies? Boring, negative football and winning by the odd goal ... hmm ... the Forest fans were very quiet for a team in their position that is beating a team like ours! Maybe they don't like negativity either! Keane needs to go, and he needs to go now ... but sadly I don't think it's gonna happen!! Maybe some kind of organised protest is called for ...???

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Blue_Fred added 20:39 - Jan 3 Keane is going of that I am sure - trouble I wonder what calibre of manager we will be able to attract given the mess that they will be charged with turning around.
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bluelady added 20:44 - Jan 3 Evans you faceless creep either sack him oe back him cause leave things as they Ireland we will go down......
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WarkyWonderLand added 20:46 - Jan 3 I think oddball must sit near me!! Forest fans started chanting "keano keano whats the score" so I chanted "keano keano out the door". Got told that its the players fault and I probably wanted JM sacked! The only manager I have wanted sacked was John Duncan but this is now worse than that. With what 85%+ wanting keane out we seem to be too polite at home to say what we think. No anti keane singing at all. I saw Keane pointing his finger at someone when he walked off and was held back. There were a few giving him stick. Just go now, you have ruined our club and if he stays we are in deep muck. And what with this "streetwise" line now. The mans gone mad. Was at the game early today and Billy Davies came out at circa 2.25 and applauded all the Forest fans. Something we will never see. A sad state of affairs.

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kipper added 20:48 - Jan 3 Keane is absolutely correct the goal was not bad luck there were errors made in defence in the lead up. Problem is Roy the goal was created down our right back side, a position that has been lacking all season. I really fear that if a change is not made now the rot that has set in will continue and we will end up in league 1.
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