Former Blues boss Roy Keane has admitted that Town wasn't the right club for him. The former Ireland skipper, sacked by the Blues after 20 turbulent months in January, doesn’t regret taking the manager's job at Portman Road but says it was a mistake not to have met chief executive Simon Clegg before he signed on the dotted line.

Speaking to Cork-based radio station Life FM on Saturday, Keane said that he doesn’t regret becoming Town manager in April 2009: “Hindsight’s a wonderful thing. If you don’t make mistakes, you never learn. I had my three-month break after Sunderland and Ipswich felt right.

“My only mistake really about taking the Ipswich job was that I agreed to take it before I met the chief executive. I won’t be doing that again.”

During his time in the Portman Road hotseat, the 39-year-old was frequently critical of the club’s failure to complete deals to sign the players he targeted last summer, most notably then-Crystal Palace skipper Shaun Derry, who was at Playford Road and had agreed to join on a free transfer before eventually signing for QPR and helping them to the Championship title.

Asked whether promises were broken during his time with Town, Keane refused to be drawn any further: “That’s something you can’t go into, I’d be here all night with you.

“Ipswich is a good club but sometimes the DNA doesn’t work out, it just doesn’t suit. I’ve seen it with other clubs, I’ve seen managers go ‘listen, it doesn’t seem right’.

“Even Roy Hodgson, a top, top coach, and I’m certainly not comparing myself to Roy, I look at him at Liverpool and the dynamics just didn’t seem right.

“Looking back now, Ipswich maybe wasn’t the right club for me. As I say, I made the mistake of agreeing to take the job before I met the chief executive. That’s a vital role… you’re working with somebody so closely and I won’t be doing that again.”

Keane, who dismissed claims that he is set to become the boss of Australian side the Melbourne Victory, says he has no immediate plans to get back into management: “Not today. I’ve been out for a couple of months and I’m enjoying my bit of time off. Part of my problem is that when I’m involved, I’m involved, there are no half measures.

“I think I have to step back, recharge the batteries, take stock and see what’s around the corner. Who knows? If I’m out of the game for another six months or six years, so be it. It would have to be the right club.

“As I say in hindsight, Ipswich, and I’m not being critical of the club, it just didn’t seem to sit right with either of us. And hopefully I won’t make that mistake again.”

Photo: Action Images

floridaboy added 07:01 - May 9 Blame blame blame. That is all Keane seems to be doing. Blame someone else. Evans is obviously happy with what Clegg is doing otherwise he would have gone as well Mind you Keane still took the cheque they wrote for him!!!!
0

urbanblue added 07:03 - May 9 Thanks for clearing that up Roy. So, the reason you were unable, in two years, to put together a team that could compete in the Championship was because Ipswich are the wrong type of club. .... And the reason you made bad million pound signings, that you then fell out with and/or loaned out was because you didn't meet the CEO before you signed .... ..... and there was me thinking you were just friggin useless !

0

Mark added 07:33 - May 9 I thought Keane at least went with dignity, not blaming anyone as he had promised. However, that has changed and he is now blaming Clegg! Very unprofessional. If Clegg was that bad, Keane had plenty of chance to resign during the two years he was here rather than stick it out to the bitter end when he was sacked. Good riddance to this awful manager. Is he the worse we have ever had? People talk about John Duncan, but he didn't waste £12M did he?

0

hampstead_blue added 07:40 - May 9 I recently had drinks with a very senior ex-pro. When I asked him about Keane he simply said that Keane was clueless. "He doesn't have a clue about management". I was surprised as I thought that an education under Clough, Fergie ect would have put him in a great position to manage. His explanation was very insightful. Maybe Keane should try something else. School teacher?

0

RetroBlue added 07:53 - May 9 Well the proof about Cleggs credentials as a Football CEO will be answered over the next few weeks I suspect. If he fails to tie up the managers targets, or a high proportion of them, Marcus Evans MUST act !
0

itfc1981 added 08:07 - May 9 Help Jewell, sack Clegg.
0

Surco72 added 08:23 - May 9 Keane just get over it !! You didnt improve one player in your time at the club the fundemental basics for a football manager ,blaming players ,the fans ,the area , the chief executive rather than maybe looking in the mirror and realising you are not a great manager without having more money and a much bigger squad than everyone else in the league . I for one am glad we have stood firm and not broken the wage structure and put ourselves in financial trouble .£ 4 million for Chopra who scored less than Scotland and Norris ,panic management at its best . We will see a whole different picture next season with Jewell a man who knows football that is not just from the very top standards of the game where money is the only answer

0

brittaniaman added 08:31 - May 9 OFcourse it wasnt the right club Keano !!!! YOU did not have 80 million to spend or waste did you ????? I thought you had dinner with Clegg before you took the job ??? Before you go and take another job go and get some advice from Lambert first !!!! and clean his boots.
0

exeterblu added 08:31 - May 9 This is basically Keane whining that Clegg didn't get the deals he want done i.e Chopra, Derry, et al. But you have to remember that Cleggys remit is to ME, and that remit is primarily a financial one.. But who can blame him ? Keane spent millions on v average championship players from premiership reserves, and ME will have wanted some form of return on them before continuing spending. And Keane knew we had a wage structure at this club before he signed. He knew we could afford 15-20 a week in wages for player at most, so who fault is it when the board turn down players who's wages demands are higher than this? Its the managers fault for not selecting the right targets.. no plan B, no clue ~!"

0

grumpyoldman added 08:33 - May 9 The comment "Clegg didn't get where he is today by being stupid" is very true. He got there by being friends with the owner! Previous job, chair of the British Olympic Committee, old boys network probably got him that job. So what gives anybody the idea he will come good is not based on any previous evidence
0

HolbrookBlue added 08:39 - May 9 It was obvious that, due to their backgrounds, that Clegg and Keane would have difficulty in working together. However an indicator of who is right or wrong will be the negotiations and the players added over the summer. With Mr Evans wealth increasing by over £100 million the Club should be in with a chance of attracting genuine professionals. I just hope that certain negative postings do not put some players off joining.

0

andygizmo added 09:00 - May 9 Holbrookblue. ME got to have another £100m in asset value by being a very shrewd businessman not by throwing it around hoping some of it returns. I'm sure he will spend a few bob but be honest, would you heavily invest in something which can at the best of times be a bit of alottery. Glad we have PJ rather than RK as I'm sure if the latter had stayed in charge he wouldn't be giving us tuppence halfpenny. Let the fun and games begin, with a few big earners going the wage budget will look a bit better for use in the market place and PJ has had the time to look at some good buys before he came here.

0

AFCC added 09:11 - May 9 We'll Roy I finally agree with you on something, you were not a good fit. Mind boggling team selections and at times what looked like no tactics in play whatso ever. Despite a run of poor results it still feels like a dark cloud has been lifted since your departure. However I am certainly not a Clegg fan. It is quite obvious that he is not a footballing man, whilst I'm sure that he is a very clever chap who will certainly grow into the role you have to ask how much his inexperience has already cost us. The signing of Shaun Derry (on a free!) the signing of Charlie Austin (deal couldn't be agreed, went up the road to Burnley the same day and signed!) the failure to tie down some of our most experienced players (most notibally McAuley & Norris who will now both walk for free) I find his TV & radio interviews cringeworthy. I certainly hope whatever corporate package ME gets at the Olympics is worth it.

0

Marshalls_Mullet added 09:15 - May 9 Derry may well have been at Playford Road ready to sign, but I suspect Clegg's was reluctant to pay high wages for a central midfield player after ME had forked out big wages and fee's on; 1. Priskin - £1.7m and probably £10k+ per week. 2. Martin - £1.5m and c.£12k per week. 3. Leadbitter - £2.5m and probably £15k per week. 4. Edwards - £1.5m and £10k+ per week. Thats £7.2m in transfer fee's and c.£6m in contract values on players who Keane brought in and they have all failed to provide value for money. £13.2 MILLION is a hell of a lot of money, and I'm not surprised ME and SC lost faith in Keanos player judgement.

0

Brockleyblue added 09:30 - May 9 "I won't be doing that again". You're right Roy, you won't, since I'd be amazed if anyone in football was mad enough to ever offer you another position.
0

das_bones added 10:01 - May 9 Cant believe he didnt met clegg b4 he signed, its like taking a job without meeting your new bossline manager, maddness!!!
0

naa added 10:13 - May 9 Thing is, if the complaints here are that Clegg didn't sign Roy's players then maybe that makes clegg a good CE! After all, Roy just wanted prem reject after prem reject, all on likely big wages and all likely to not give two hoots about the championship. And yes we failed to get Derry. that's one player. Get over it Roy. As Jewell has said you need mutiple targets for each position just in case. Seems Roy had one player in mind and had no idea what to do if he couldn't land them. And don't get me started on the fact that he was happy to start the season without a single recognised right-back in the entire club. Farcical management.

0

parkinshair added 10:25 - May 9 A bad workman blames his tools. Shame he didn't do the decent thing and walk if he was that unhappy. Then maybe we could have got a decent manager in a bit sooner.
0

onlybluesandhorses added 11:06 - May 9 All fairly predictable. He left us worse off than when he started but whose fault was that? Oh not K**** of course, typical of him to blame someone else. Poor judge of players, after 20 months still had no idea what his best side was, crap substitutions, no idea about tactics or formations, fans who thought we needed to sign a right back "knew nothing about football" according to him etc etc. At least we now have PJ but it will take time to repair the damage K**** caused.

0

thechangingman added 12:14 - May 9 Keane: Town wasn't the right club for me... No sh** Sherlock!!!!
0

BlueVelvet added 12:17 - May 9 If RK didn't meet Oly Clegg before he signed then it goes that OC didn't meet RK before the club agreed to take him on - I have always thought that OC doesn't know what he's doing. Any kind of management or leadership depends mainly on relationships to ensure it works, and you onlt get to know about these face to face - not over the phone OC. It goes to show that ME and OC were primarilt interested in the name of RK

0

are_these_the_days added 12:27 - May 9 62wasbest Good post - add Jordan Rhodes to that too. And blame must go also to the fanatical Keane supporters on here whose support kept him in the job for so long
0

thechangingman added 12:30 - May 9 I agree that I always found it rather embarrassing and naive to have seen so many Town fans unquestioningly accept and support a man who was so blatantly wrong for the club from day one. Of course there is a time to get behind your club come what may - there is also a time to question what is going on and actively protest against it when it flies in the face of everything the club is and stands for. And no, this is NOT merely hindsight - I questioned Keane's appointment on here (and elsewhere) from day one...

0

Berts_chin added 12:33 - May 9 Assuming it was ME who gave RK the job, whyever did he not make sure that a meeting with Clegg was arranged first? The relationship between these 2 men was always going to be crucial. Fundamental error.
0

Lightningboy added 13:18 - May 9 Keane,you just weren't up to the job..and neither is Clegg..the sooner he goes the better too.
0

Blogs 298 bloggers

Ipswich Town Polls