[Blog] Is Keane's Time Running Out?
Written by apm_77 on Friday, 11th Dec 2009 20:09

On the drive home from Tuesday night's match, with the same voices on the Radio Suffolk phone-in making their post-match points as every week, I found myself having to admit that my personal pre- season optimism was ever so quickly beginning to be replaced by an impending sense of doom.

After a 0-0 draw with a woeful Peterborough side, who looked every bit the relegation certainties that I had suspected they would be, I had to ask myself how much more time can we afford to give Roy Keane. While undeafeated since Barnsley's late winner on October 3rd, I am struggling to see any real progress. Yes, we are defending better, but results like Tuesday's will soon become the best we can hope for if our problems at the other end of the pitch are not soon dealt with.

While Stern John has been a useful addition, bringing some composure and experience to our attack, Keane's reluctance to settle on a front pair and allow them to gel would seem to be widely agreed to be the root of our problems.

In the same way that many of us have been saying Keane needs time, surely a front pair need the same thing to work out an understanding. Priskin looks not only a young man being weighed down by his over-inflated price tag (not his fault) but one devoid of all confidence in the ability that saw him bought to the club in the first place.

Stead looks the same as he was last season, in that he's hot and cold, brilliant one game, anonymous the next. Walters gives 100% every game but was never the 20-goal-a-year man everyone wants to see, and poor old Pablo CouÃ±ago, arguably our best footballer, seems to be further down the pecking order with each game, having looked back to his best when returning to the side in October. The return of David Norris cannot come soon enough, and sitting him at the top of the midfield with the excellent Leadbitter behind him should see us become more of a threat. Add to that Luca Civelli's return, to give us the balance on the left side that the disappointing Lee Martin has not (and in all probability will not) been able to provide, and things begin to look a little more positive. These problems being solved should see us claw our way away from the relegation trapdoor and give the fans something to cheer, but the question is, does Keane have the time to solve these issues? How long will Evans and Clegg allow gradually growing apathy, falling attendances and the very real threat of a visit to League One to cast a shadow over Portman Road?

I for one hope Keane finds the solution very soon, before we become another victim of the desperate desire to be a member of the elite, yet falling short and joining a very different group of fans wondering where it all went wrong.

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bjc added 09:42 - Dec 12 back again........having supported the club longer than uufaa wharts is name and having the fortune/ misfortune of having been born in the town i would like yo say that om really tired now goodnight u brainwash imbeciles/.///.///./././//..//./[[[[===================0[[[[[[[[0-[98[[[y]uybu
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Mark added 11:29 - Dec 12

Yes, the defence has been looking very solid recently and yes Leadbitter is a really good midfielder. Are we making progress under Keane? I would love to think so and the unbeaten run is a positive after the appalling start to the season. The lack of goals scored and rarity of wins (2 wins - it's a joke!) is the side of that coin. However we analyse the team, players and tactics, the facts are we finished last season 9th, we invested about 8m improving the team and now we are 22nd. If that doesn't change soon, Keane will have to go for three very important reasons: failure to get promoted as was the objective (ok, in 2 seasons), risk of relegation to League 1 and the big dip in season ticket renewals when the forms go out in the New Year.