Blues boss Roy Keane says he will have to accept the consequences if his best endeavours prove not to be good enough for Town owner Marcus Evans and chief executive Simon Clegg. The Blues are only three points away from the relegation zone after yesterday’s 1-0 home defeat to Keane’s first English club Nottingham Forest.

Asked whether he was concerned about his position the Town manager, who was involved in frank exchanges of views with Blues' fans both behind the dug-out and on the way to the tunnel at the end of the match, said: “My job is not important. What we have to do is to try and do our best for the football club.

“It’s not about me. The club is bigger, it’s had some great managers. We’ve got a manager here now, I’m trying to learn my trade, I’m doing my best and if my best isn’t good enough, then I’ll take the consequences.

“I don’t expect you to be giving me phone calls if I do lose my job. It’s the nature of the game. Managers who win football matches lose their job, let alone managers who don’t - George Burley last week, Darren Ferguson, Lawsy, Big Sam, blah, blah, blah. Don’t let my position keep you awake at night. What will be, will be.”

Keane accepts that Town’s current form is far from acceptable: “The table doesn’t lie. I’m a good one to talk about what we haven’t got in terms of options coming off the bench, but we’ve got a committed group of players, who I thought gave 100% for the club. I appreciate that that only gets you so far, but it’s a good starting place, let me tell you.”

The Blues boss again bemoaned his team's lack of quality in and around the box: “The final ball is the hardest part of football. We lacked a little bit of an aerial threat towards the end when Rory went off and we lost Gareth at half-time.

“Forest are a big, strong team and we looked more dangerous hitting them on the break and we had God knows how many corners and freekicks in decent areas, but Forest defended well.”

Keane refused to blame ill-fortune despite Damien Delaney’s own goal separating the sides: “In sport and football there are fine lines between winning and losing. I wouldn’t say we were unlucky today, I think we should have done better in terms of defending the straight ball.

“As for the own goal, you look back at the Swansea game, there was the same type of goal where it got caught under a defender’s feet. I’m always telling players not to be surprised when the ball lands at their feet, whether that’s in the attacking box or their own box. I don’t think it’s about being unlucky.”

Keane believes his side were worthy of more than a single point over the Christmas period: “We’ve got one point out of a possible six. I’m convinced we deserved more than that, but I’m sure you’re sick of me saying that, it’s been a year and a half of me saying the same old stuff.

"We need to do a little bit more. We don’t score enough goals and you’ve got to score goals to win football matches.”

Photo: Action Images

Pessimistic added 12:27 - Jan 4 I do not go with the flow. I still think that given time Roy Keane will do the business but sadly time is running out for Roy and Town. A fantastic victory against Chesea followed by a resounding win at home to Arsenal next week should ensure he survives a little longer. Failing that and he is already a gonner I fear and Ipswich Town will regret this for the rest of their football history. Mark my words.

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Surco72 added 13:05 - Jan 4 aberdeenblue agree with a number of your points but i believe we should build the team around Wickham for the future and play him regularly . As for the wingers we are not going to get a better standard or more out and out winger than we had in Townsend ,who was rarely played because it does not suit Keanes long ball ,negative contain the other team game plan .
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Lightningboy added 13:20 - Jan 4 Still don't have the dignity to do the decent thing though do you Keane.
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denhamblue added 13:22 - Jan 4 why are you lot still bothering GETTING WOUND UP.He is obviously going nowhere,ME i can i only presume is keeping keane,because he gives the club publicity,keane this keane that ect.We just have to get on with it,we obviously have a chairman ,whos mentality is100% buiseness,and not football.So its a bit like a kamakasi mission,they can see whats hapening,but wont do anything about it.

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Carrotblue added 13:24 - Jan 4 As the moody blues once sang GO NOW If Keane is manager for the rest of the season we will be in the 1st Division next season. I Live in NAAAARRRRWICH and the stick I am currently taking is not nice.
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Lightningboy added 13:47 - Jan 4 I think it's time our club shop started selling giant inflatable forks....with the enormous proceeds we could pay the clown off.
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BlackandBlue added 13:48 - Jan 4 The "don't worry about me my job is not important" line is a clever one. It's like Tony Blair's " I did what I thought was right" Both serve to disarm the question without answering it. The man's intelligent and for all his inadequacies as a manager appears to have the upper hand. Nobody else at the club, it seems, knows what to do and are too frightened to weild the knife. Like Blair it looks like he'll be allowed to choose when he goes. This weakness didn't do the Labour party any good and I fear it bodes ill for this club too.

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i8canarys added 13:56 - Jan 4 Don't worry about it Roy. Just put the lead on Triggs and take him for a nice long walk - preferably as far away from Ipswich as he can manage
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bluearmy4life added 14:02 - Jan 4 It's time to start a protest and get this to$$er out of are club. ME&SC are making matters worse they are starting to test fans patience. After Keane's gestures towards some town fans yesterday he has lost all the fans and no question some of the players. 10 defeats in 14 games is shocking league one here we come. FORK AND SACK THE BOARD
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elmswellblue added 14:24 - Jan 4 Urban Blue..... Keane is making the Duncan days look good. As for what the guys behind the dugout said to Keane was continued all the way to the dressing room. He responded by gestulating, that what more could he do and more or less if you think you could do a better job have a go. Well my answer to RK is that most fans could do a better job than him, can he not see he is not wanted at Ipswich. Or is he just another greedy manager hanging on for his pay off. Our problem as fans is that Marcus Evans and Simon Clegg are not football people, I dread to think what is going to happen to this once great club. I will always support the Badge but not Roy Keane.

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stinkiusminkius added 14:28 - Jan 4 The funniest misuse of the word "if" there has ever been.
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Dorsetblue added 15:12 - Jan 4 If you want Keane out. Dig deep and send it to ME so Keane can be paid off. If I was ME I would hold out till the end of the season and his contract is complete and no pay off is required. ME is the only bloke keeping this club afloat so he makes the calls and not us. What ever you do it is worthless, ME is the only man with the call..... Try and understand that fact.

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Lightningboy added 15:26 - Jan 4 Yeah Dorsetblue BUT the big worry is that by the summer Keane may well have got us relegated...does ME count his losses now before it's too late? As i've said over the last couple of weeks,can we not use the money from these upcoming cup games to pay him off?..it would be money seriously well spent imho.
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Wickets added 16:42 - Jan 4 Anyone know an irish joke!!
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bluelady added 16:49 - Jan 4 Wickets heard the one about the town manager its a corker!!!
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fourth added 17:09 - Jan 4 I'm starting to get a bit of spirit back. Yes I can see it. RK resigns on Saturday. O'Neil in on Monday. And we miss the drop. With good feeling for the future. a POSITIVE future.
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jas0999 added 17:37 - Jan 4 It's all up to ME. We can all state our opinions and rightly so - but unless ME says 'your fired' then Roy will stay because a) he can't afford (career wise) to walk out and b) who here would walk out on around £600K?
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Wickets added 18:05 - Jan 4 Bluelady your my kind of gaL!!
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Back_The_Boss added 18:46 - Jan 4 Well you are going to have to face the consequences soon Roy, you could well be on borrrowed time at ITFC.
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devontractorboy added 23:42 - Jan 4 Keaneo listen me old mate, you best has never been anywhere near good enough for our club, you are a disaster, be a man and admit defeat and GO NOW!!!!
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Esseeja added 15:13 - Feb 25 I don't like necroposting but this entire interview is almost a polar opposite of what Lambert has said for months, Keane admits it isn't good enough and he wasn't doing good enough whilst it took Lambert literally a year to admit we were doing awfully. I'd still take Keane over Lambert today if Lambert can't beat Doncaster.
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