Boss Roy Keane says he is yet to work out his pre-season plans for 2010/11 or talk to chief executive Simon Clegg regarding his budget for the season ahead. Keane says he has spent the last few weeks concentrating on securing the club’s Championship status.

Keane says he’ll start to work on setting out the pre-season programme in the next few days: “We’ll probably look at it next week. There are plenty of offers there for games.

“We had an excellent training camp in Portugal last year, we’ll probably look at that again, so hopefully there’s good options for us out there. We have had different priorities over the last few weeks — getting victories.

The Blues boss will consider whether to make changes to last season’s preparations with the Blues failing to win any of their first 14 matches: “That’s something we’ll have to consider without a shadow of a doubt.

“Pre-season’s all about getting fit for the start of the season but, going back to the first few games, the Coventry match, for example, the chances we had in that game and the goals we gave away, there was no question about our fitness levels.

“I think we are the fittest team in the league and that’s a plus. You may say that that doesn’t win football matches, I know it doesn’t, but it gives you a chance.

“Pre-season last year you have to remember [fitness coach] Antonio Gomez had only just come to the club, as had myself and Tony Loughlan. It was our first pre-season and we’ve learnt a lot more about the group. There will be changes to pre-season, of course.”

Keane also says he will soon be discussing his summer transfer budget with Simon Clegg: “Again there was no point in talking about that until we had more wins under our belt.

“Two weeks ago I wasn’t going to be sitting down talking about budgets when everyone else was saying I was leaving, so I thought I’d wait until we’d won one or two! That will take care of itself over the weeks and months ahead.

“Identifying players and budgets is the easy part, it’s going and getting the players, attracting them and giving them the right deals that’s the hard part.

“I know there are clubs out there in the Championship who give particularly big, big wages and we won’t be prepared to do that, so like everybody else we’ll have to wheel and deal.”

Photo: Action Images

wiggymcbigalow added 12:55 - Apr 11 'i gave up going to portman rd a few years ago'. Good. And that means you have no valid opinion so shut you disloyal gloryhunting little face.
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osborne1nil added 13:04 - Apr 11 WadzillaBhoy, is that the same Lee Martin that can't even shine in the RESERVES? You might find a large number of people would like to take up that bet! Even Jordan Rhodes who in Keane's eyes wasn't good enough, managed to bag a large number of goals for the reserves last season and what happened to him? Also why would a GOOD manager require a whole season to work out who to play where and what his best 11 are? Don't judge a good manager by RK standards as a decent manager could use pre season to have a very good idea of who to play/buy/sell with the right assistant(s). Keane got enough assistants alright with McLoughlin and Parland shame they struggle between themselves to decide this. Still, we can all agree that the comments on here count for Jack s*** in the eyes of M.E. he probably doesn't read it, let those who support Town irrespective of who is manager (not because of who's manager) hope that he has an opinion on RK's performance and the good use of his millions!

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brogansnose added 14:03 - Apr 11 That will be the cue then for us being linked with virtually everybody and loads of lazy journalism, a bit like normal really. As for ME not reading the comments on here, its unlikely that he hasnt got someone hidden in a tiny office gleaning items relating to his companies that appear in the media ,as public perception in the corporate world is very important. Lets face it, its part of the reason why he appointed Clegg and Keane but im not suggesting for a second though that he actually gives a monkeys about what is posted on here.

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jamesy_itfc_keano added 22:06 - Apr 11 Betsitfc - you got it spot on. People need to stop moaning about Keane. Like ive said before this was a 2 year plan .. if we got it done in the 1st season then that would have been a bonus! Nect season if we hit the ground running we will have the confidence to carry it on. This season we have been playing catch up the whole way. So give Keane a chance and start supporting your club through thick and thin. COYB !!

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ITFC1985 added 12:38 - Apr 12 what happens if Keane stays and next season we blitz the league and go up as champions - what will the Keane haters be saying then?
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StowTractorBoy added 13:55 - Apr 12 I can understand the frustration of the Keane haters and I have dallied a few times over his management skills but the bottom line is that he has stamped his mark on the type of football we will be watching and it will not be pretty. However, my take is that I go to see ITFC win and in a very tough and highly competitive division pretty football will not always win the day. Even Newcastle and WBA have had to rough it up a bit this season. I am still concerned about next season but it would be silly to push Keano now and I think he will stay. If he was going he would have gone after 14 games but we could finish in the top half now and who sacks a manager that finishes there. Keane haters you need to accept that the Manager will not be sacked and to support the Club. Oh and wasn't there a poll in the papers that suggested 78% of our fans wanted Keane to stay - if so there really is a massive minority on here who want him out.

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tractorboybig added 15:47 - Apr 12 Does the size of the budget make any difference? Not if he buys the same quality as last year. Anyway no player with ambition is wanting to come to this set up. Under evans and keen, same again next year.
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