Keane: This can still be a good season
Last updated: 11/5/2009 7:00:00 AM
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| Town supporters at the AGM last night |
MANAGER Roy Keane was a surprise speaker at the Ipswich Town Supporters' club's annual general meeting at the Legends Bar, Portman Road last night.
He took his place beside chief executive Simon Clegg and did not pull any punches when answering questions from the floor for 75 minutes.
Keane revealed that he has no regrets about taking the job, that he is sure despite being currently bottom of the table it will end up being a good season and that he may have to release players before he can bring new ones in.
He also admitted that selling Jordan Rhodes and loaning out Kevin Lisbie left him open to criticism and that gaining a top two place would be very difficult now, but he still held out hopes of qualifying for the play-offs.
And he invited fans to watch his players training at the club's Playford Road complex.
“I'm delighted I took this job,” said Keane, whose side are bottom of the Championship with one win in 15 games. “It was absolutely the right decision.
“I met owner Marcus Evans and was impressed and this is one reason I took the job.
“I tend to go on my gut feelings rather than make decisions after asking around.
“I like being left alone and to be treated with respect and this is what I've got.
“Some people prefer their privacy and I respect the owner for that.
“There was talk of a three-year contract but I felt more comfortable with two years as it would give me more of an edge. I like having an edge, and who knows perhaps there will be a contract extension at some time.
“If we are not in the Premier League in two years I will have failed, but I have set my heart on taking this club to promotion.
“It is a great club with wonderful fans and I want to be a top manager. I have made mistakes but judge me down the road.”
And talking about strengthening his squad, Keane said: “There are no imminent loan signings and I may look to the transfer window opening in January now.
“I have no complaints with the owner and chief executive over the backing they are giving me, but I made a mistake at Sunderland in overloading my squad.
“Having two or three unhappy players I okay, but seven or eight ganging up can have its problems.
“And I have to be realistic and perhaps look to letting players go before I can bring some in.”
Keane says that he is not shocked when he sees Rhodes and Lisbie scoring regularly and he confirmed that he intends to consider playing Lisbie on the striker's return from Colchester in January.
“Those decisions may not look like good decisions now but they may in the future,” said Keane.
“Good luck to Jordan and it was a chance I took to let him go after receiving a good offer and watching him in pre-season.
“Some players can make the jump from one division to a higher one, but others struggle to make an impact in a division above.
“I am not ruling out anything but we have made it very difficult for ourselves to gain automatic promotion this season.
“With a bit more luck we could be seven or eight points better off, but despite the poor start I still believe it will be a good season.
Keane said that he had nothing to hide and that fans can visit the club's training ground whenever they wish except Fridays.
“Ipswich are a family club and anybody can watch our practice games. The owner was over last week and we have nothing to hide.”
Keane is still keeping tabs on Senegalese international defender Ibrahima Faye who impressed in a reserve game against Norwich last week but there has been no further recent progress.
Clegg, who confirmed that the financial implications involved in any player Keane wanted to sign would be looked at sympathetically by himself and the owner, confirmed that a number of potential signings had been written off by the manager because of the price.
“There is only two more weeks for emergency loan signings and there is nothing imminent.”
And Clegg also revealed that Keane's unpublicised attendance at last night's meeting of the club's diehard supporters was to ensure that the rank and file benefited.