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Keane Hits Out at Critics
Keane Hits Out at Critics
Tuesday, 19th Oct 2010 07:00

Town manager Roy Keane says some of those criticising his tactics in the wake of Saturday’s 2-1 home loss to Coventry know nothing about football. The Blues boss was disappointed with the lack of support given to his players, particularly the younger members of his side, during the weekend defeat.

Keane feels a lot of the criticism of his tactical approach of employing only one central striker has come from those who know little about the game: “I’ve no problem with people’s opinions, but a lot of people do not have a clue what they’re talking about in terms of football.

“I think a lot of people, particularly in this area and our supporters, are probably set in their ways. Instead of worrying about tactics and systems and moaning and groaning, I’d say get behind the players, particularly the younger boys.

“Not many of teams in the Championship are playing with two or three players from last year’s youth team. Get behind them and don’t get bogged down by tactics and systems, that’s up to me to sort out.”

Keane believes that there are fans throughout the country who don’t know what they’re on about: “A lot of supporters out there, not just at this club, don’t know too much about the game. They come and pay their money, they come in and they watch, but they get brainwashed by the ‘experts’ out there.

“They’ll all have their favourite players that they think should be playing or they think we should be playing with two strikers, whatever it might be, which is no problem. But the players we’ve been putting out every week have been doing a good job.”

Keane sees no problem with the formation he used against the Sky Blues with Jason Scotland as the lone striker: “The system’s OK, but you’ve heard the saying ‘tactics and systems don’t win you games, players do’. For some reason this weekend it’s come to the forefront about systems and midfielders or whatever.

“I think it’s worked OK for us, but having said that it doesn’t mean we’re set in our ways and we’re not prepared to change or that me and my staff don’t discuss what might be the best way to approach a game, and also that if we get it wrong we don’t discuss why we’re getting it wrong.”

The Town manager is unconcerned if fans take their frustrations out on him, as long as they back the players: “I don’t mind them having a go at me, that doesn’t matter.

“Get behind the bloody team. Moan and groan at the manager all you want. Don’t worry about tactics or systems, that’s my job. If I don’t get it right, I’ve got six months left of my contract and I’ll be gone anyway.”

The Irishman, who admits that like any manager he’s made mistakes, says fans have been quick to laud the achievements of other teams this season but have been harsh on their own side, despite the promising start: “We’re praising every other club in the top six, but with ourselves everyone seems to be saying it’s doom and gloom, even though we’ve managed to get through three rounds of the cup as well.

“There’s no doom and gloom coming from the players and the staff. Sometimes it comes from outside the club. Our supporters and the media will not really play a part in us getting promoted, that will come down to the players, the staff and myself.

“What we have to worry about is what we’re in control of. Football’s all about opinions, and as you know I’m quite happy to give mine.

“We can all see when the team is playing badly,” Keane continued, “but sometimes you’ve got to read the situation [and get behind the players] when it’s not quite happening. Maybe they were doing that earlier in the season and maybe it’s just me having my little tantrum today. Let’s get it out there and move on.”

Keane will be hoping that fans - clued up or otherwise - will be getting behind his team at Watford this evening as they look to get back to winning ways against the Hornets.


Photo: Action Images



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tractorgirls added 07:03 - Oct 19
<<Our supporters and the media will not really play a part in us getting promoted>>

he is a strange lad.
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Back_The_Boss added 07:05 - Oct 19
Keane has done himself no favours by saying this. The support the players recieve is phenomenal, you have to look at how many fans Town bring to away matches for example. Thats what you call support Mr. Keane.
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wcoote added 07:08 - Oct 19
Well said.
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Blue_Balls added 07:11 - Oct 19
You only have to listen to Radio Suffolk after the game to see that Keane is spot on. I'm no Keane fan but our support is laughable at times. Silent for eighty minutes and Section Six (where have they been recently?).

Thank God for away days.
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rayman_10 added 07:28 - Oct 19
Haha I do love keano!
Again he is dead right, we've always had the boo boys even before magilton, anyway we lose against coventry when we didn't even play THAT badly and some people act like we've lost 8-0! It's one loss!
Tbh I don't care how we play as long as we get out (going up of course) of this division. We can worry about the fancy stuff later. Were sixth in the league yet some of us are still acting like were bottom. Get a grip! We have beaten some hard teams and played quite proffesionaly.
Support the blues or don't bother coming if all you do is moan :)
COYB!!! Keano!
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Pessimistic added 07:38 - Oct 19
Keane is absolutely right. the frickle fraternity that is the modern day football supporter is obsessed by one thing and one thing only and that is negativity! Look at Liverpool for example. Now the fans want Hodgson out and yet he has not even had the time to blow his nose. Keane will succeed here if only supporters do the supporting and back the team to the full. It is a tribute to this club that the away supporters do exactly that and they cannot be included in this damning assessment of the modern day football fan, who quit frankly is never satisfied.
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Cr0wman added 07:40 - Oct 19
Quote .... "I've got six months left of my contract and I'll be gone anyway.”

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itfc1981 added 07:51 - Oct 19
I like Phil's last sentence

'Keane will be hoping that fans - clued up or otherwise - will be getting behind his team at Watford this evening as they look to get back to winning ways against the Hornets'.

Its about as close as Phil can get to pooring scorn over the utter drivel he has just heard.
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Bluecynic added 07:53 - Oct 19
I like it!!! I think Keane is spot-on. It is fantastic listening to the grumbling "experts" around me when things are going wrong and we dont win every match. Agree things were poor during the first half on Saturday but the second half was good. Keane is SO right- all these fans who think they know better than him. Get a grip - he may have his faults but one of them isnt being a bad footballer - the guy is light years ahead of any of us in that department so Keep the Faith!
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Suffolk_n_Good added 07:58 - Oct 19
You have had amazing support from the Town fans Roy, you could have so easily found yoursef out of a job last year, I find this difficult to take, is he trying to cause friction between himself & the fans? Keane himself has caused any negative fan reaction, it was him that said "I will have this club promoted in 2 years" well, naturally that causes expectation, so it's no good then blaming the fans when you don't achieve. (except that promotion could still happen, but you get my point!)
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BurleyForever added 08:01 - Oct 19
A bit worrying about that statement: "Don't worry about tactics or systems, that's my job. If I don't get it right, I've got six months left of my contract and I'll be gone anyway.”"
Is he going anyway??
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blrmy added 08:04 - Oct 19
It might be hard to hear, but the truth hurts. You've only got to listen to the cr@p people spout around you to know he's right. Robson called our fans zombies once when he first arrived. Not much has changed! It's not just an Ipswich thing, but we do ourselves no favours. We only sing when we're winning......
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callmeted added 08:18 - Oct 19
He has got it right. This booing element that has crept into the game ( not just PR but heard it on MOTD all Old trafford on saturday!!) is not going to help the players. Saturday was like a morgue at the ground. Outsung by 529 Coventry fans. Get behind the team instead of moaning and groaning. Yes what he said may p..s a few off but get over it and get behind them . We are 6th not bottom!! Also it is easy to pick a staement and analyse it. What he is saying that he realises that if doesn't get it right the board will look at their options to get rid of him. Now, Can anyone shed some light on section 6 as the North stand is bloody quiet without them. Maybe the middle lower section should take note.
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Karlosfandangal added 08:21 - Oct 19
Well said Keane. You only have to read the comments from this page. if we lose its moan and groan if we win it prem football next year.
in the 30 years i have watched Ipswich it has been no different. my only worry is the fact that if Keane walks at the end of his contract we will have a new manager in and he will start to re build the squad with his players and that will set us back 2 years . Keane is starting to get the club in to the positions that we should be. this time last year our season was over now we have a top six place a posibility
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SammyT added 08:23 - Oct 19
Agree with blrmy totally.
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AYACCA added 08:31 - Oct 19
Norwich get much better support than we give our team! maybe because people are happier in Norwich as their city is not so much a dump as Ipswich has become.... or it could be ever since Mr Evans took over expectation has been so high and we've not improved since Magilton got us to 9th and fans are just fed up.
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Blueknight85 added 08:34 - Oct 19
hes not wrong our home support has been awfull for ages never used to stop singing for the whole match now you just hear a load of football manager wanna be's shouting rediculous opinnions as if someone is going to hear iv been hoping that the home derby will be a turning point for the crowd but i wont be suprised if it only lasts for one match and the next game after the derby is dull and quiet with only patches of chanting again.
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Guthrum added 08:36 - Oct 19
Standard tactic. By attracting the criticism onto himself (he has a thick skin), Keane can keep some of the pressure from the 'boo-boys' off his players, particularly the younger ones.

People have no patience or endurance any more (and not just in football).
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boltzak added 08:40 - Oct 19
Mr Keane lots of those supporters were watching Ipswich Town before you were born and know a bit more than you!!!!!!!!!!!
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CaughtInTheBrambles added 08:45 - Oct 19
If anyone wonders why section 6 was formed partly it was to provide non-conditional continulus vocal support for the team. There is too much whinging at football, maybe we have been down for so long many fans just whinge for the sake of it, when the whinging is louder than the singing it negatively affects the team.

It annoys me that we can have games like the Leeds game where the atmosphere was, at times, superb and then pretty much nothing in the next game. The Leeds game shows what can be done, why can't it be like that all game, every game.

This is Roy Keane paraphrasing his famous Prawn Sandwich comment btw.
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Vexorg added 08:47 - Oct 19
There are lots of manager who think that just because they chased a ball around for 20 years they know everything. Keane's already shown cr@p judgement with the Ireland 2002 fiasco and statements like this. Sure, get the right players and we'll win every game 1-0 but that ain't going to keep me coming
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PartyDaz added 08:48 - Oct 19
Agree 100% Keano. To be brutally honest, over all the years I've watched Town home & away, it is true to say that we have more than our fair share of dim-wit supporters who don't know what their talking about (many of whom come on here and spout their drivel by the way).

The simple fact is that at the moment, we're not playing well - simple as that. Too many morons immediately blame Keane as soon as we have a bad result. With the system we play, at times we should have two wide men attacking, plus one of the central midfielders bombing forward. That's not negative. Regardless of system, there'll be good days and bad days. Some of you should remember we've had more good days than bad so far this season - you have very short memories!

COYB

Keano Keano Keano!
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tomo added 08:52 - Oct 19
Spot on, Couldn't have put it better myself.
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Keaneish added 08:57 - Oct 19
Yep, completely agree Keane. Sick of reading some of the utter litter on this message board. Its not good enough being a fan just turning up, paying your money and expecting a show. Take the ups and the downs, that's what being a football fan is, not moaning every week at every given occasion win or lose. 2 big games in a week. Thankfully they're away and it's October so the arm chair supporters won't be within ear shot.

Maybe it's time to start lambasting posts on here that are ridiculous so people think before they post. Someone explain to me how supporters and the media would help us get promoted!? It's the manager, the chairman, the players and the backroom staff that help get us promoted, not us or the media. 'Supporters are the 12th man' - Not at PR we're not. At clubs up north you can argue that's the case but definitely not here.

Blrmy, never realised Robson said that, but he's largely right.
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muhrensleftfoot added 08:59 - Oct 19
All good stuff from Keane. He's so refreshingly honest. I don't always agree with what he says though. Not all supporters are clueless, and you don't need to be a genius to deduce that Scotland up front on his own at home doesn't work. You can see it with your own eyes! Not for the first time this season has it proved to be the wrong tactic.
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