Boss Roy Keane again bemoaned his side’s toothlessness in front of goal as Sheffield Wednesday left Portman Road with a point after a 0-0 draw.

Keane said: "It wasn't a great game but I think we had the better of the chances. I was pleased with the clean sheet. We're looking a bit more solid at the back, but we're obviously not scoring enough.

"Sometimes you have to give credit to the opposition goalkeeper, but I still feel we had one or two other chances.

"There was one on the line and you just need someone to have that killer instinct and put the ball in the back of the net. We're lacking that at the moment. The plus was that we kept a clean sheet, but I don't think we played particularly well.

"I always knew it was going to be pretty hard, with them playing three in the middle. I know our fans want us to play attractive, attacking football but it was hard to open them up.

"When you talk about the team scoring goals, you end up talking about the strikers, but it's not against the rules for defenders or midfielders to score either.

"And if you're going to achieve anything as a team, you need one or two of your strikers to put the ball in the back of the net on a regular basis."

Keane was pleased with Owen Garvan’s performance on his return to the team after three months out: "He's got a goal in his locker and was unlucky not to get on the scoresheet. He did well."

The Blues boss says he will look at adding a loan frontman to his squad before Thursday’s deadline as he seeks to resolve his striking problems: "We'll keep trying different combinations and see if there's a striker outside our club that might be available."

Meanwhile, midfielder Liam Trotter, who was on the bench for today’s game, has been linked with a loan move to Scunthorpe, where he spent time last season. The Iron were one of a number of clubs mentioned in connection with Owen Garvan last week.

Wednesday boss Brian Laws was happy to have got the draw: "I was pleased with the clean sheet and our second half performance. It was a solid performance from our defence.

"I was a bit nervous when three of our back four had been booked in the first 20 minutes.

"We had to be really disciplined after that, especially on a wet surface, and if one of them had made one mistimed challenge they would have been off."

Laws singled keeper Lee Grant out for praise: "Goalkeepers get you points. When your back four has been penetrated you have to rely on your goalkeeper.

"He made two or three important saves and it would have been very harsh had they scored.

"It was a very solid, workmanlike performance from us and now we've got to build on this."

Photo: Action Images

Steve_ITFC_Sweden added 08:35 - Nov 22 I thought we looked quite good for the first 20 minutes or so. As the match went on, I was convinced we wouldn't get a goal and just hoped Wednesday wouldn't nick one instead for an undeserved winner, a draw being a pretty fair result. The good points were that we defended well at the back and that we did pass the ball around midfield a bit more than vs. Reading. But we still resort to hoof-ball from the back of midfield the longer the match goes on. Can't we just calm down a bit and make the passes tell so that after breaking up an attack, we don't get the ball down our throats again in 20 seconds'time? The obvious weakness was the lack of anyone who could put the ball in the net, as has copiously been pointed out above. Not a shocking performance by any means, but still not one that is going to get us out of the hole we are fast digging ourselves into. Let's hope Roy can sort out something up front this week (pity Wickham didn't get 20 mins. imo). COYB.

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midastouch added 09:11 - Nov 22 In that case Mr Keane, why play Walters up front? He isn't a goalscorer, he is prob more effective wide. I don't like to knock Walters as he does give his all and has been a good player for the club, but when it comes to finding the net, that just isn't his strength, he doesn't get in goal scoring positions and when he does he just isn't lethal enough (remember his clear through 1 on 1 with the goalie against Norwich last season!). It is plain and simple we need a new striker, until then I'd play Counago and Stead as they prob give us the best chance of gettings perhaps the odd goal until then! I don't want to be too negative though as have to say the defence looked solid yesterday so have to commend Keane on sorting that. Also, say what you like about Garvan, but he was very committed yesterday, he gave his all in some of the 50:50 challenges he went in for, he is a much better option than Trotter. He nearly scored with a decent shot and cut back a nice ball which should have lead to a goal. As for Priskin, he seems to take better positions than Walters, but on his showing yesterday, his finishing was woeful! Just hope he comes good as 1.7 million would be an expensive flop. I really do fear Jordan Rhodes would have got us more this season than Priskin has so far! I'm not totally anti-Keane as I admire his honesty in press conferences and when you listen to what he says in such situations, or when he spoke to fans at recent forum / chat (when he made surprise appearance with Clegg) he certainly seems to speak sense and inspire confidence. However, when you look at the league table then my confidence in him begins to drain somewhat, if we are still adrift in the bottom 3 at Xmas then I will start to fear the worse and wonder if the time has come to look elsewhere, there is time between now and then though so hopefully he can put it right before then. What I don't like about Ipswich this season is apart from the Coventry game when I thought we played well (was just a wonder goal and slack defending) I never feel like we look like scoring, and any team you can say that about is in trouble as if you struggle for goals then it's always going to be an uphill struggle. I do feel short changed on this front as I thought we were going to get a 20 goal a season man that any team serious about automatic promotion needs, and instead we've got in Priskin (who may well still come good) who looks so far that he will struggle to get into double figures. But being a striker is all about confidence so hopefully when he does get his break he'll kick on! BLUE ARMY!!!

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FormerlyCGS added 10:24 - Nov 22 Warwickblue ur an idiot - like you know more than others? Looks to me as if you the one who aint got a clue considering we are still 2nd from bottom and ur only just begining to realise something is wrong!
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FormerlyCGS added 10:26 - Nov 22 ITS SIMPLE AS NOW, KEANE OUT END OF
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runaround added 11:20 - Nov 22 I'm staring to fear for us now. We just do not look like scoring enough goals which is a recipe for disaster. If Keane is unable to get a striker in before the deadline then i agree with the earlier comment that we should go for Stead and Pablo upfront as they have played together before and i believe would score a few more than any other combination of our strikers. I am still fully behind Keane but am starting to feel that a change of manager will be needed if results do not improve over next few weeks. With the money spent we should not be in the relegation zone, something has to change and soon

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svendust added 11:21 - Nov 22 Starting to worry now! Think we all agree we need a goal scorer, problem is Keane has left it too late, now we're second from bottom and no one wants to come to us! So, we have to play with what we have: Priskin - technically v good but very lazy Stead - Can't jump to save his life, scores fairly reguarly but I'm not sure how! Walters - Not a striker, a winger. Pablo - Doesn't score enough but holds the ball up and links the midfield to the attack very well. Wickham - A bit raw but maybe natural goalscorer. Martin - Rubbish and not a striker In conclusion Pablo and Wickham should be the two we stick with, don't care about Wickham's age, we're in the shiz and we need a goalscorer!

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bayblue added 11:36 - Nov 22 Svendusts striker analysis is a tad weak: Priskin is technically poor (first touch, persistent off side -Watford must be doubled up laughing) Stead - it doesn't matter how he scores - he scores! Walters - agree not a striker - wide midfield only Pablo - a great footballer but doesn't score enough - a luxury in a struggling team Wickham - if he's that good play him! Martin - wide midfield only. Need to sell all but Stead and Wickham for now and invest in a striker soon. African Nations Cup soon and the big boys will be hoovering up any talent around.

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SouperJim added 11:44 - Nov 22 My biggest problem right now is the sides Keane is picking. There isn't enough consistency and far too often we're not playing our best 11. I accept there is going to be the odd change due to form, injury, someone doing well in training etc, but if you listen to the way Keane talks its as though he starts with a blank sheet of paper every week and simply goes on who has put the most effort in in training that week. That can't be correct, and it explains why we've only just seen Owen Garvan this season, who was my man of the match and certainly the best performance alongside Leadbitter this season by a country mile. That fact is an absolute travesty and proof that Keane is short-sighted and a poor man manager. What the hell was Lee Martin doing on the pitch? Last night was as good a performance as we've seen from him and he was thoroughly average and had very little impact on the game. What a waste of money which would have been better spent elsewhere. Keane has made some good signings, but he's made some bloody awful ones too and he needs to be honest with himself about it and stop playing muppets like Martin. I'm not someone who has harped on about Jordan Rhodes and could understand why Keane took the money for him, but we paid about double that fee for Martin and I know who I'd rather have in the team! I can understand the criticism of Priskin, however, he is clearly our best striker in terms of ability and as a result he simply has to play every week in order to find his feet and some form while we're in this total mess and struggling for goals. However, I fully expect him to be dropped for the Cardiff game as Keane chops and changes looking for the magic wand. There is no magic wand. Pick the best players and play them for gods sake, then we might actually see a team start to come together, rather than a bunch of individuals who look like they've hardly played with each other. Keep Priskin in the team, play him with Pablo or Stead depending on form and the opposition and give Wickham 20 minutes or so each game to show what he can do. Do not play wingers out of position up front, Martin is utterly useless and Walters has never done anything when played anywhere other than out wide. For me these errors are there for everyone to see, yet the manager either can't spot them or has taken a third of a season to begin to do so. I really want to see Keane turn it around and think if we get some momentum he could really be the man to get us out of the division with his no-nonsense attitude, however, there are now 7 games left this year and if we're not well out of this mess by then I for one will be calling for the blokes head.

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Keaneish added 11:53 - Nov 22 Warwickblue, CGS is one of the muppets i was referring to who gives it, 'Keane out we're near the bottom but then nout else all' isn't that right CGS? I was just saying how boring and predictable you are. How was the game from your comfy sofa yesterday?
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Markie31 added 12:18 - Nov 22 Good to hear Keano.......exactly what we need.
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siralfstrackie added 12:47 - Nov 22 Is there another David Johnson or Marcus Stewart out there in the lower leagues, just waiting to bring some sunshine to PR come January? Or are there just more Sam Parkins'? If we can just bring a striker in to score a few 'til the January window opens, bring back Civelli and Norris, sign this elusive wonderboy,then maybe, maybe, Roy's job is safe. So, not much of an ask, then. COYB!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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kentblue added 13:14 - Nov 22 Keane says " I don't think we played particularly well " and " it was hard to open them up " . The blame lies with you Mr Keane ! Your team selection and tactics are woeful ! Of course it will be hard to penetrate a defence when you play with Priskin and Walters up front ! Surely you realise by now Walters is most effective out wide and that left Priskin alone outnumbered by Sheffield Wednesday defenders . You cannot decide who is in and who is out of your team . There are enough good players at the club and you seem to be making a mock of them .

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firmfoundations added 13:30 - Nov 22 First time on the forum. Getting more and more frustrated as the season develops. Like others I was not sure Keane was the right appointment for us but prepared to give him a chance. Have to say that my patience with him has now run out. If he is to stay he has to give us something and something quick. Like others have been saying we have needed a striker for well before the end of last season and the question has to be asked why did we not get someone decent, forget Priskin he is just Finidi in disguise, what worries me is that players just do not have any respect for Keane and do not want to come to a club managed by him. Being in the bottom three just compounds the issue. Delayney at full back was rubbish. At centre back looks a real find. Defends well and works on a positive distribution not just hacking it away anywhere for it to come straight back like some others I could mention. Heard a rumour that Pablo and Keane have fallen out. Anyone got anything on this rumpour?

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naa added 14:00 - Nov 22 Keanish, glad to see that you are now sounding logical and objective rather than just blindly bashing the more negative posters and defending Keane, which seems to have been the case previously. I'd like to think that I've been fairly constructive (unlike CGS) yet you've certainly criticised me before jsut for daring to be doubtful of the future. I don't know what you saw yesterday that made you suddenly change your mind. It was just more of the same - in fact slightly better than some stuff we've been subjected to. Yes we need a striker but, at the end of the day, we did OK last year with, in theory, a lesser strike force (presuming Priskin isn't rubbish, and Watford fans certainly rate him). My point being that we may need a striker to get promoted, but we shouldn't need one to get out of the bottom three. The team that started yesterday wasn't at all bad on paper (Martin was a strange decision though, but what's new?) but there's just something missing and I'm sorry, but the manager has to be held responsible if he can't get the best out of them. Garvan finally came back and in the first half he constantly came deep to receive the ball, clearly asking for it, only to see it fly over his head time and time again. We just aren't playing good football, and it seems to stem from a basic lack of tactical design. I'm not sure the players know what the gameplan is, going into a game, so they have to think for themselves too much. Never a good idea. I'm not an advocate of sacking managers, but it's looking like there's only one solution at the moment, as the great run some of you keep promising just doesn't look like coming.

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dirtydingusmagee added 14:13 - Nov 22 HEADING is half right, we need killer instinct AND A NEW MANAGER .!
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ChambersM added 14:26 - Nov 22 I want to say give Keano January, becasue if we sack him now and then dont get a new manager in quickly, then it will be even harder to get new players in. But I do want him gone, he doesn't seem to be able to motivate the team, or get them to play well, or pick the right team...where was pablo yesterday?!
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Keaneish added 14:56 - Nov 22 Naa, i think it was that we tried three attacking combinations yesterday and none of them looked or felt right. Martin-Priskin, Walters-Priskin, Stead-Priskin...maybe the problem is Priskin, although i understand why Keane left him on. He has to back him and give him a decent run now International duty is over seeing as he paid 1.7 for him. Watford fans do rate him so why isn't he doing the business here? Odd. The ones i do know here in London did say he's prone to getting caught offside as proved crucial yesterday!! If you take an in-form Stead out of our side last year where would we have ended up!? Not in much of a better state i think. Now Stead isn't firing we've got the same question that needs answering, 'who and where is the 20 goal man? - not that Stead was but maybe with a full season in the side last year. This is without doubt a better squad than we had last year and now the defence is far more together than it has been in an age. The last 4 sides who have played here have had 1 or 2 shots on target all game: Swansea, Watford, Derby and Sheff Wed and never once looked like winning the game. Good to see players throwing themselves into challenges and blocks for the cause, i can only hope we find our man, the right combo or Priskin comes good approaching the crimbo period. Maybe we start this Sunday seeing as Keane got his first win their last season...i like to believe that the romance and poetry of football will shine on us soon!

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jas0999 added 15:06 - Nov 22 Agreed - so why not go out and BUY A STRIKER!!!!! I am afraid I disagree with many - Jon Walters is not good enough - doesn't score (his strikes against Wednesday were abysmal) and creates very little. Unless we sign a decent goal scorer we may go down.
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tractorboybig added 15:27 - Nov 22 kEENE we ned a new manager.
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FormerlyCGS added 16:48 - Nov 22 Keanish ur a mug u aint got a clue!
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Ash_TJ added 17:32 - Nov 22 Overall bad performance, but it's not as bad as some people are making out. We didn't lose, and had two great chances to win the game with Priskin's offside goal and the goalmouth scramble. Get David Healy in on loan and let's crack on.
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stinkiusminkius added 17:41 - Nov 22 Marcus Evans needs a killer instinct . . . please, before its too late. I'm struggling to think of any postives of Keane being our manager. Just lots of negatives . . . Shocking man-management - D Wright, O Garvan, and now apparently Pablo, because of personal fall outs. Not to mention his motivational methods of criticising players in public, and threats of never playing again etc. Terrible transfer record - Leadbitter aside (altho at £3m he'd do well to screw that up too). Edwards and Rosenior, whilst OK, werent anywhere near a priority (with D Wright and Walters two of our better players). Martin, Healy, Trotter (effectively re-signed) truly shocking. Colback unnecessary. Priskin still yet to do it. Delaney worst left back ever, but doing well at CB (probably a fluke). And there are plenty of arguements against the selling of the likes of Rhodes, and even Haynes, Clarke, Shumi. The man is an egotistical media whore - the recent ROI France stuff, the ridiculous staring at reporters like some sort of psycho. Just get on with the job in hand (if youre capable). Does he offer anything from the bench during games???? There doesnt seem to be any attempt at communicating to the players. Far too much shuffling of players (week by week, and positionally). Tactically blank. Oh god, im depressing myself now. He has to go. PLease Santa (but before Xmas).

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bluesman added 17:46 - Nov 22 Why were we trying to play Wednesday at their own game? We were hoofing the ball up in the air and depending on Jon Walters to win it, which he often did, but hang on a minute wasn't he actually quite good at playing football too? Fair enough we could have won the game but it still wouldn't have been worth watching. We should have been playing that lot off the park. What is Kean doing to us? He is not a football man.

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MAVERICK added 18:32 - Nov 22 Everybody say Garvan.............Yao
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imafootballgod added 20:11 - Nov 22 Get jono fryatt, his young and a very good goal scorer ive watched him a few times now and his rle rle good. i think we should seriously look at him tbh!
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