Underfire Roy Keane says Town’s current run of form is the worst of his entire career as either a player or a manager. The Blues have lost their last six league games - and 10 in the last 13 - with Keane fearing that owner Marcus Evans could run out of patience if the collapse isn’t halted soon.

Looking back at his time in football, Keane says he has never known a similar spell of poor form: “I’ve never been a run like this in my life since I was eight years of age, going back to Rockmount, Cobh, Forest, United, Celtic, Sunderland or Ireland.

“You don’t like losing football matches. You’ve got your pride. You feel like you’re letting people down. The supporters want better and they demand better and we’ve got to try and do that this weekend.

“Going back to last year,” he continued, “It was the worst start in so many years and I can’t imagine the club has been on worse runs than at the moment.

“You’ve got to look at yourself and say ‘we need to improve’. I pick the team, I’ve brought certain players in, I make the substitutions.”

The 39-year-old says Town’s tradition of giving managers time was one of the reasons for him taking the job at Portman Road but he concedes that if results don’t improve soon the end will eventually come: “I’ve been a very lucky person but that patience does run out.

“I think I’ve been luckier than others in terms of my own career. But we want to win the game on Saturday and what happens Saturday night, who knows?

“Let’s go out and do our best and what will be, will be. If we’re not good enough on Saturday, then the owner might make a decision, but that’s up to the owner. I’ve just got to go out and do my best.”

Even if the Blues beat Leicester Keane accepts that that will only be the first step and won’t necessarily save him: “Managers have won matches and still lost their jobs, so I won’t think if we win on Saturday everything will be rosy in the garden again. We have to then try and win again.”

The Town boss says whether he has spoken with Evans recently is not an issue: “It’s irrelevant what contact I have with the owner, it’s about getting results, about getting one or two players back from injury.”

Keane, who spent time away from the club with non-footballing friends in Manchester earlier in the week, is clear on where his team needs to improve and is determined to see things through: “We need to do better, of course. I’m not kidding myself. I wasn’t lying on a beach somewhere, I was talking things through with one or two people whose opinions I trust. But it always goes back to your gut feeling and that is to keep battling on.

“The players are fine," he added. "Spirit’s not an issue. What we have to stop doing is conceding bad goals, which we did again last weekend, and show a bit more quality.

"First half we had decent possession and decent control of the game, but as I’ve said before that doesn’t win you football matches, you’ve got to put the ball in the back of the net and once again we didn’t do that.”

If Saturday’s game does mark the end of his time with the Blues, Keane says no one should feel sorry for him: “Don’t worry about my job. I’ve been very lucky. I have another life outside football. My life won’t crumble on Saturday night if I lose my job. I’ve got a great life, best life ever.”

Photo: Action Images

wcoote added 08:01 - Dec 17 BORING.
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Cotton_eyed_joe added 08:03 - Dec 17 blah blah blah blah
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BlueAllOver added 08:07 - Dec 17 He's resigned to getting fired then, pity he hasn't just resigned.
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dobbie73 added 08:27 - Dec 17 These are depressing times indeed! I had so much hope when Keano started - anyone learning his trade under Clough and Ferguson HAD to be a good manager, right? Wrong! I guess a great player does not always make a great manager - just look at Bryan Robson and Graeme Souness for example. I had hoped that Keano would be different but it looks like that may not be the case. He may still turn it round, but I doubt it - I think the rot has set in too deep and we have gone too far down the road. This feels like the endgame now, and I fully expect a new manager sooner rather than later. Question is - will it be before the transfer window or after? Does Keano get a chance to reshape the squad in January, or will it be a new man getting in his players then? Oh lordy, what a mess.

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brittaniaman added 08:29 - Dec 17 I still say if Marcus Evans wants to keep the high profile name of Keane (for his buisness interests) then he should get a strong experianced mentor in to assist Keano with more ideas and go from there !!!!!!!
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Legend added 08:31 - Dec 17 Just get out there and support the club and stop moaning every chance you get! jeez you lot b*tch more than a bunch of old women!
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ipsuefa added 08:36 - Dec 17 So he has the best life ever.....well jolly for him thats nice to know isn't it?? So he gets sacked and continues his best life ever and all us town fans have our football to look forward to again, now that sounds like a win-win situation to me.
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PartyDaz added 08:44 - Dec 17 COYB Keano Keano Keano!
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HartyITFC added 09:10 - Dec 17 COME ON!! Lets stuff the c**p out of the Foxes on saturday and gain back some respect and win all the matches over christmas and finish the year on a high. COYB Sure Santa could manage this for us????PLEEEASE!!!
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bobble added 09:11 - Dec 17 its going to be an exciting time when we finally get rid of mr deadwood keane i am really looking forward to the club hiring someone with a bit upstairs an we start playing good football and climbing up the table its nothing to be scared of only something to get a little excited about .its the rut that keane has had us in for 2 years that is driving the fans mental.......a slow backward slide into a boring can't score team with no style or ideas..yes indeed the thought that his time is nearly up is making me a lot more positive its all good times ahead once we get rid of this useless knob of a manager......town will rise again yahoooo

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Blue_Fred added 09:12 - Dec 17 Legend - that's 2 sensible comments in 2 days, your quota is used up, now please leave these comment sections alone to allow the mindless abuse to continue from poeple who actually think it will make a difference
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dobbie73 added 09:14 - Dec 17 Legend - with all due respect, I would have said something similar a few weeks ago. Now my eyes have opened and I don't like what I see happening at my beloved club. I do support the CLUB and the PLAYERS. It is only the MANAGER I no longer have confidence in, and I really supported him last season in his darkest hours as many Keane-outers at the time will testify! I am a season ticket holder and supporter of many years and have seen many ups and downs, but am now seriously questioning the wisdom of maintaining Keano's tenure as manager. Questioning something or somebody is not disloyal, but blind obedience is just plain stupid. You should always question, always strive for something better. To accept what we have is just self-defeating - hand over your £400 for a season ticket, sit down, shut up and enjoy it whatever, eh? Wrong - I pay my money, but in return I have the right to demand effort as a minimum, entertainment, hope, signs of progress, and preferably some good results along the way! While our style of play is not great, it probably isn't any worse than under Magilton, but that's not to say it is acceptable. Do you enjoy going to matches? Honestly? And I don't think that 18th in the Championship and having lost 10/13 league games is acceptable either. Do you?

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mickeyjb added 09:30 - Dec 17 Why is he focusing on the 6 back to back games weve lost, most of us are looking at the bigger 18 month picture to decide our oppinions
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Raedwald_625 added 09:32 - Dec 17 Looks like the writing's on the wall. Keane just hack it - shame. Blue Fred, you think you are so wise don't you? - what's it like to be so smug? Ipswich and England
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Raedwald_625 added 09:34 - Dec 17 should have been 'Keane just couldn't hack it'. Apologies
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brogansnose added 09:49 - Dec 17 With you on this one Dobbie, as i usually am. sounds to me like he is waiting for the axe to come down and he also realises that after this his cv is going to look reaaly bad. Please God dont let it be Allardyce.
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gypo added 09:54 - Dec 17 Like I've said before support the club and players Saturday and if you've got a problem with Roy keane stay after the game let him and the club know it .
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dirtydingusmagee added 10:01 - Dec 17 well said dobbie,and i for one know you dont just change your views on a whim,it has taken a lot longer than most me included[although i never had any faith in him from outset.]to rise up against Keane.
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62WasBest added 10:13 - Dec 17 I see the BBC website reports from the Daily Mail, "In a straight-talking address on English football, current Ipswich boss and Manchester United legend Roy Keane labelled Monday's Premier League clash between his former club and rivals Arsenal as "rubbish". Well, if anyone should know what rubbish football is it'd be him wouldn't it!
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Legend added 10:18 - Dec 17 Lets see how many thousand fans make stand at the end of the Leicester game. regardless of the result. Those who want to make a stand on Saturday now is your time. Live on TV with the media watching from all corners. It will be a small pocket of around 50 or so fans mostly teenagers with a few hangers on wait and see! If you really want to show the club your anger, Stay away and dont even go in the ground! Stay outside the ground or sit at home in the warm and have your views heard outside. The Sky cameras will soon pick up the empty seats!

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itfc1981 added 10:30 - Dec 17 such positivity
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nthstd added 10:31 - Dec 17 Gentlemen, I am no fan of RK, but I respect that he does not avoid the criticism or the reality of the situation. I am of the belief that he will not get sacked and if he get us a mid table finsih he might even get a new contract. Many people have said it's about time we stop slagging RK off and take all that energy into supporting the team on the pitch, so how about it lads, lets get behind the team 100% and leave RK to do what he's going to do, because he is not listening to us.

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old_and_blue added 10:32 - Dec 17 Are RK/SC/ME the only people on earth that believe things will improve!! They seem to have fallen for the Monte Carlo fallacy: 'Our luck must change soon''. They need to tell us what they have done to help assist an improvement, not dish out endless apologia.
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Lightningboy added 10:47 - Dec 17 Show some dignity Keane and just go. It's the same old story week after week. It's no coincidence that last season & this season have been total cr@p & that we've had 2 seriously poor runs in that time..it's down to you chum. What really get's me is the fact that he's making it sound like he's "doing us all a big favour" by staying on...it really has become embarrassing. We're just not that into you Roy..move on and find yourself another job.

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old_and_blue added 10:47 - Dec 17 PS: Sorry RK, you have told us what action you are taking in your morning press conference.. something along the lies of: '... Sometimes you just need to step back and recharge your batteries.” How weak is that!! Maybe we can buy him some new batteries from the pound shop if we have any money left after paying for the absurdly expensive tickets.
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