Caretaker-manager Ian ‘Charlie’ McParland says Town’s coaches and players were shocked to hear of manager Roy Keane’s sacking when they arrived at Playford Road this morning. McParland will take charge of a much-weakened Blues side in the FA Cup at Chelsea on Sunday with midfielder Jake Livermore also now ruled out of the trip to Stamford Bridge.

Speaking to the press this lunchtime, one-time Notts County manager McParland said: “I’m still a bit shocked at the minute. I didn’t really know what was going on until this morning. It’s always a shock when a manager leaves a football club.

“The coaches are disappointed, the players are disappointed , the lads were quiet to start with. They were a bit shocked, but they got on with it.”

The Scot says he talked to his former boss earlier today: “I spoke to Roy this morning. Roy’s a professional and a proud man, and he’s a human being, let’s not forget that, he’s going to be upset. If you were to get sacked from a job, you’d be upset.

“But he’s a tough cookie and he’ll go on to be a good manager. No, he’s a good manager now, he’s had success at Sunderland. He’ll be fine.”

The Blues coach, who says he has no intention of applying for the job full-time and expects to move on when a new manager is appointed, says it’s often a fine line between success and failure for managers: “In football there are very small margins. Lots of managers will say the same things — games that you could have won, small dividing lines between being successful and not so successful and climbing that table.”

McParland dismissed suggestions that Keane ruled his squad by fear: “I think a lot of people have got the wrong impression of Roy Keane. Roy Keane is a fair, fair man, a fair, honest man.

“Like any other manager you have your moments with players, but sometimes they deserve it. There’s this persona of Roy Keane, but you couldn’t meet a better man than Roy Keane.”

The 49-year-old says he will sit down and look at picking the team for Chelsea on Saturday once the shock of Keane’s departure has diminished.

Central defender Gareth McAuley looks likely to be fit after suffering a hamstring problem on Monday, but loanee midfielder Jake Livermore has a groin injury and has been ruled out, despite having been given permission to play by Spurs.

McParland says defender Darren O’Dea’s clearance from Celtic is “90% there” with the Blues now without Jack Colback, who was recalled by Sunderland yesterday.

Grant Leadbitter is suspended after being red-carded against Nottingham Forest, while Rory Fallon is cup-tied having represented Plymouth earlier in the competition. Brian Murphy (broken ankle) and Shane O’Connor (ruptured shoulder) are longer term absentees.

Photo: Action Images

choprawontcome added 17:10 - Jan 7 so much political dire hora high these days it sickens me. Id be happy with Jewell,Curbs,Oneill or Allardyce to be honest but def not SMEGSON AAAAAAAAAGHHHHH!!!!!
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Mark added 17:10 - Jan 7 This website posted news of Keane's departure at 23:20 yesterday, so how were the players shocked this morning? It was hardly a surprise after recent form, bust-ups with fans, with the local paper calling for his sacking, Colback returning and with a bookie running a book on the next Ipswich manager. It sounds to me a bit like McParland is lining himself up to work with Roy again at another club, as his very positive comments are sure to please Keane more than Clegg and Evans. If Keane was such a good manager as he says, we would not be in this mess!

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dirtydingusmagee added 17:19 - Jan 7 suppose they have to be ''shocked'' could really say ,yer we all new he was getting sacked .Its been mentioned Keane was sacked on phone,could be true M E wouldnt want to be recognised and would have looked like a member of KKK sitting in board room with carrier bag over his head .
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floridaboy added 17:21 - Jan 7 Not really sorry to see him go. As for the comment re he is a human being blah blah blah he will also walk away with a nice pay out as will those staff he brought with him. They dont live in the real world where a sacking comes with nothing. They will all walk away with a tasy cheque in the bank Next Manager. Forget Big Sam, O'Neill even Curbs. We are not a big club anymore so will never attract the big names. The best we will get is a manager who is out of work ie Jewell, Megson, Strachan, Hoddle. Time for many on here to get in the real world re the status of ITFC!

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fourth added 17:27 - Jan 7 Well, It's difficult to see where RK goes from here. I feel that he needs to look at his great playing career and accept his own strengths and weaknesses. And, on balance, accept that he is NOT a man manager but that he has been an amazing player. Enjoy a couple of years off, RK, learn to play the violin, sail to the Caribbean, enjoy sunrises over the Chamonix Aiguilles...open up a new life with the potential for joy and love of fellow human beings!

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Mark added 17:46 - Jan 7 > It's now up to ME and Clegg to appoint a better option - a manager with a better management record than Roy. That person according to the stats is certainly not Jewell. jas0999 - what stats are you looking at? Jewell got Bradford promoted to the Premier League and kept them up, before resigning. Keane did similar at Sunderland, but they had just come down with a strong squad unlike unfashionable Bradford. Later with Wigan Jewell won the old Division 2 title, and subsequently got them promoted to the Premier League, again keeping his side in the Premier League. Okay, his spells at Derby (a tough job for them in the Premier League!) and Sheff Wed did not go well, but three promotions on a manager's CV is not bad at all.

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4dy added 17:54 - Jan 7 i've been listening to wenger going on about sacking managers.roy had a go but when we had the chances to kick on he didn't take them.he had 20 months,we lost walters our talisman,stead became the most improved player under keane at town now in bristol!!!fallon was brought in to fill that gap.luke hyam what a player!dissapears...,broke up "what i thought at the time had to be argubly the best central defensive pairing in the league"macauley and smith in his haste to bring back delaney,pairs best match against leeds.just a few of the things mr wenger chose to ignore!when keane came i thought this is what we needed.along with a decent footballing side he would add a bit of steel so we could win those games witch glued us to tenth place under magilton.this last couple of seasons has been with a few exceptions has been very hard to watch.ultimatly its wwhat didnt happen on the pitch that got him the sack.though i do think some of it has to rest with the players.and then in defence of the players some of keanes team decisions must have been demoralising to players like peters ,hyam,o'connor,priskin,stead and a few others. i think this will be a learning curve for keane and will become a very good manager. good luck to him... would have liked to seen poyet get the job,he might have brought tarrico back with him to stir us up again,cyob

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onlyone added 18:00 - Jan 7 Players shocked my backside !!!!!! Players saddened my backside !!!! Why don't they just tell the truth !! It's ALL to diplomatic and touchy feely !!!! As if he would comeout and say Players over joyed as mad Irishman leaves !!
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4dy added 18:04 - Jan 7 by the way i think all the we're suprised crap was manufactured by clegg,thats what he does ,the diplomatic jibber jabber.
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Mungo added 18:09 - Jan 7 They can't be that shocked surely? This season hasn't exactly been a runaway success story has it?
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warwickblue added 18:15 - Jan 7 I'm slightly bewildered - but perhaps not surprised - that I can already see the green shoots of Keane's rehabilitation sprouting on this site...." Oh he was a lovely man".... "Oh he was kind to animals and once said hello to my Aunty by the teashop in Woodbridge..." "Oh he will be a good manager somewhere one day". As far as I'm concerned, Keane was a failure as a manager at ITFC, who, as well as very limited success on the pitch, caused harm to the club's well-established management structure, failed in the transfer market, alienated many long-standing supporters, damaged the family and community ethos of the club,presided over tumbling attendances, sold, or wasted the talents of, valuable assets and has left the club in serious danger of relegation. All delivered with barely concealed contempt for press and paying-public.I'm glad he's gone and pleased to say it. As for what he does next? We may never care...

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TractorRoyNo1 added 18:18 - Jan 7 Charlie and the rest of the backroom team will be out of a job very soon, the new manager (hopefully not Big Sam) will want / bring his own 'friends'.
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RM909 added 18:40 - Jan 7 I'm with AYACCA on this one, kamakazi time, lets go for it! (plus we only have three midfielders still standing....)
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debenturedave added 18:57 - Jan 7 Curbishley NOT Jewell !
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Dowson added 19:29 - Jan 7 so 4-0 or 10-0
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mickeyjb added 19:35 - Jan 7 When we look at what managers we want to come in I guess we need to think of the next step on what players they would want to bring in or get rid. I hope whoever it is has more than just the one club that he is able to raid for our reinforcements, ala Roy!
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jas0999 added 19:46 - Jan 7 Mark - check the win percentage record on Wikipedia. Roy's record is actually better! You seem to forget Roy also achieved a promotion (Championship to Premier League which is what we are after - not lower level promotions). Not saying Roy shouldn't have been sacked, just that Jewell's record (Wigan apart) is not that great. The standard of football Jewell has played has also been poor - just ask Derby fans. Most managers are judged (in papers, TV channels) on win percentages, and Jewell's record is no better than Roy's. In any event it's all about opinion - personally I will always support the manager, but am entitled to say I'd be very disappointed if Jewell was appointed.

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siebdykstra added 20:48 - Jan 7 Some of the comments on here make laugh. Why criticize someone for saying the coaches and staff are "shocked". What are they supposed to say? "Oh yeah we all knew it was coming, just waiting for the day". No, this is how all players and coaches react. Then in time it becomes apparent why. If Connor becomes the player we all hope and think he can be, then maybe he'll bring out an autobiography when he's 25. That's when we'll find out. On the subject of a new man, forget anyone currently in work in our division or the one below us. Simply not happening, why would they come here? Good managers from league 1 have already turned down jobs from teams above us. So we have to look at what's available. Apart from Megson, please don't look at him.

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TheCurly added 21:18 - Jan 7 Shocked!!!! What world are McParland and the player living in? Surely a blind man could see the writing on the wall
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steed added 21:20 - Jan 7 Why the hell do any one want curb as manager been out of the game for nearlly three years yer that makes sence most of the people who write on here dont even go to the games. at least i am a season ticket holder and go and no i dont want jewell ever nearlly made derby bankrupt. Go for a manager in a job and not a has been who is out of a job and also sack clegg need someone who nows football and can sort out contracts other wise same problems for new manager. Then lets look forward to div 1 football

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bobble added 21:22 - Jan 7 i think they were shocked it took so bloody long
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stephen1969 added 22:39 - Jan 7 i agree with a lot of comments. i feel sorry for keane he has no luck with inj and players. i think the priskin and martin were his downfall, that is why evans did not give anymore money. i have been embarresed with some of our supporters and i am a season ticket holder for 10 years. we sit there moaning and groaning whether we win or lose, i am sure i will get stick but get your heads out of your bums and support the team, bldy booing and cheering opposition you should be disgusted, i was, even if you feel it leave it till the end of game.

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bobble added 07:38 - Jan 8 its a free country people will do as they please when they are being charged such ridiculous prices.perhaps if you spent as much time moaning about the teams play for the last 2 years as you do whinging about consumers who pay out their hard earned on really expensive tickets then things might have been sorted earlier ,,,
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kentblue added 07:50 - Jan 8 Players " disappointed and quiet ???" . I shouldn't think so- not for long . The shock and relief before celebrating like most of the fans !
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nobrain added 09:04 - Jan 8 bobble - moaning as a method for resolving problems. Yup - that's gonna work.
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