Norris: Keane Can Still Be a Top Boss
Saturday, 8th Jan 2011 10:14

Town captain David Norris says sacked manager Roy Keane could still go on to become a top boss, despite his failure at Portman Road. Keane’s 20-month spell at Town came to an end on Thursday when Marcus Evans gave him the bad news by phone.

Norris said: “I wouldn’t be surprised if he went on to another job and did really well. He said himself he’s always learning. He came from Sunderland and said he was a better manager for being there and I’m sure he’ll go on to be a better manager for being here.

“He did a great job at Sunderland and I’m sure he’s as disappointed as anyone else that it hasn’t worked out for him here.”

The 29-year-old says he heard of Keane’s departure on Friday morning: “I had a phone call from the chief exec saying that there’s going to be changes in the management and that he was coming to the training ground to speak to me and to speak to the players. He came in and elaborated on that and told us what’s going to happen over the next few days.”

According to reports the Sunderland squad celebrated Keane’s Stadium of Light exit, but Norris says this wasn’t the case at Town. The former Plymouth man believes that the players feel some responsibility for their manager’s departure, which despite the recent run still came as a shock: “It’s a sad day for us, the manager’s lost his job and us as players are accountable for that.

“We’ve got to look at ourselves as the manager will look at himself. We’ve played our part in people losing jobs, so obviously it’s a sad day.”

Norris dismissed suggestions that Keane ruled Portman Road by fear: “Any manager can have their moments where they’re pretty angry, especially if you’re not playing well, but you’ve got to be able to take that.

“For the majority of it, he’s quite calculated in what he says, he clearly thinks about it when he says it and he’ll talk it through.”

Norris says it’s difficult to speculate on whether Keane would have turned things around given more time: “It’s hard to say. I think the club will say they gave him a lot of time, but I’m sure the gaffer would say he would have liked to have been given a bit longer, maybe to see things out to the end of the season. The club made the decision and there’s nothing else we can do about that.”

The skipper says he and his team-mates should enjoy Sunday’s FA Cup trip to Chelsea, even if it’ll be a big ask to progress to the next round: “It was always going to be a tough game, one of the best teams in the world, a top Premiership team.

“But it’s something we should be looking forward to. These are almost bonus games where we can go out and test ourselves against the best players.”

Photo: Action Images

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bluechick added 10:24 - Jan 8 Stick to playing football chucky he was a disaster here
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JohnScales added 10:33 - Jan 8 Heard his interview on the BBC website yesterday and he sounded spineless to me. Keane is gone get over it!! Hopefully the new manager will change the captain also.
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brogansnose added 10:45 - Jan 8 All the players will be saaying nice things about Keane as they did while he was here, like blame us not the manager. New bloke comes in and then he is so much better. Professional footballers, a bunch of overpaid,under-performing, arrogant two faced tarts. No disrepect lads.
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Mark added 10:52 - Jan 8

Everything we've seen from Keane contradicts this. I think he will have the same problems elsewhere. I guess the "Roy Keane factor", the strong squad and the money given to spend helped his sucesss at Sunderland, but I think he'll struggle in future. Still, Keane is not our problem now and it is such a relief to be rid of him. To not end on a negative note though I am sure he worked hard and had high standards, and he did at least give youth a chance.

As for Norris, will he stay at Ipswich? It may depend who the new manager is and whether he wants to spend part of his budget on Norris's wage demands (which could be a lot now he can leave for free - we shouldn't have left it so late to leave players in this strong negotiating position!!).

itfc711 added 11:01 - Jan 8 Rubbish.
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jas0999 added 11:09 - Jan 8

Everyone's entitled to their opinion. There is no doubt that at Sunderland Roy was a success (one promotion and kept them in the PL). It clearly didn't work out here, but of course he could be successful elsewhere. Or he may not.

What's important for us is to move on. Roy's now gone. Garvan/Rhodes and others have gone. We can't go back - so best to draw a line and move forward.

Mark - agree with the fact we shouldn;t have left contract negotiations so late. Even our ex-manager spoke about this last week. Said the deals should have been done 2-months ago. I agree. Clegg at fault.

ozzydog added 11:35 - Jan 8 hahahahahaha beano was at his best when attempting to kick fellow pros of the park he nearly destroyed ITFC, it needs careful looking after from now on
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yorksblue added 11:43 - Jan 8 Well said, John Scales. IMO, Norris is garbage and the worst captain since Geraint Williams. I won't lose any sleep if he goes too.
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Lightningboy added 11:51 - Jan 8 He'll be a top boss one day...just has to get Football Manager on his PC though to do it.
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ITFCKeano added 11:57 - Jan 8 Shame we cant sack some of the fans too!
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Mark added 12:09 - Jan 8

The contracts of Norris, McAuley, Delaney and anyone worth over about £750K should be sorted out at least a year in advance in my opinion, or 0the player should be sold the summer before their contract expires. This is the policy we used to have to protect our assets. This summer around £4M of talent could walk away for free, and even if they do stay we might have to pay them high wages as we will be competing against rival clubs who can offer these players lucrative deals on free transfers. It would appear to be Clegg's fault, although we don't know how much say Evans had too.

Karlosfandangal added 12:12 - Jan 8 Hodgson has been sacked by Liverpool Maybe just Maybe
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depressed added 12:31 - Jan 8 Can't defend,can't score goals,can't pass, no composure on the ball,....Yeh bl@@dy right you and the players need to look at yourselves!!
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Keaneish added 12:31 - Jan 8 I'd like to see Mcauley skipper again.
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oldegold added 12:31 - Jan 8 Thanks RK and sorry it didn't work out. Bad time for it to happen and no doubt some foul-mouthed Town supporters will be happy but it's step back for us. 5 managers in almost 8 years says it all. Good luck Roy and thanks.
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Berts_chin added 12:39 - Jan 8 Just shows how little Norris knows about 'the beautiful game'. Agree 100% with depressed. Let's hope 'Handcuffs' Norris' wages are a saving we can make soon.
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Radlett_blue added 12:43 - Jan 8 Does anyone in the country, except footballers, still refer to their boss as "gaffer"?
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Somersetractor added 13:14 - Jan 8 It has made me laugh how some fans on here over the last couple of months, think that they know better than the players and staff over the situation at PR. Never mind here's to some fresh inspiration and hope that the change will produce some renewed confidence in our boys. COYB!
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WREXHAM_BLUE added 13:24 - Jan 8 Why are people getting on Norris' case? Can't we just stick together and get on with it!? I suppose that might be asking a bit much given the standard of support from the terraces since BFJ left.
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itfc1981 added 13:56 - Jan 8 About as good as his post Norwich comments. George Burley used to make sure we had all round good guys.
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WickedBlue added 13:57 - Jan 8

See the morons have turned into vultures.....The fact they still have to slag show how little they know about football....Time and time again Managers go from jobs where they have been a disaster i.e Bobby Robson at Fulham....to go do something great at another club. Norris is right Keane could well go on to be a huge success somewhere else. Unfortunately it wasn't for us. As for these tw@ts opinions of Norris I shall give them as much consideration as they deserve.....NEXT!!!!!!!!!!

Blue041273 added 14:00 - Jan 8

He might well make it elsewhere. He may have too many opinions on matters which don't really concern him but he's not alone in that but he has principles and has stuck to his guns over the 20 months here. He may have walked out on Sunderland but he he has shown here that he is not a quitter.

There will no doubt many inquests as to why he failed here and the catalogue of his mistakes (real or just perceived) is long but in football you never know.

One thing he can point out to any future employer is that he had to work in an impossible environment. The executive management of the the club is an absolute shambles and a disgrace to the history and traditions of the club. We are now a joke in the football community. To sack two managers now on the phone and not having the balls to tell them to their face is so sad to those of us who remember how the Cobbolds used to run the club. I know times are different know but it is just so depressing.