Keane: ‘I’m capable of turning things around at Ipswich’

IPSWICH manager Roy Keane says he’s just about surviving despite his side slumping to 17th in the Championship after losing 4-1 to local rivals Norwich on Sunday, their fourth loss on the trot.

Keane’s Blues take on West Brom at Portman Road tonight in the quarter-finals of the Carling Cup with fans increasingly turning against the former Ireland skipper, who says he’s coping with the pressure.

“I’m surviving. Just about! It’s part of the job and part of life. An old Irish friend told me not long ago, ‘some days are about surviving, you’ve just got to hang in there’.

“I’ve seen other coaches and managers going through difficult spells and it’s about hanging in there and hopefully things will turn. You might get that bit of luck, someone might score from 30 yards tonight and turn the season around.

“But, if you continue to lose matches, the pressure builds and the ultimately the manager pays the price. That’s the industry we’re in.”

Keane, whose contract is up next June, is in no doubt that he can still be a success with Ipswich: “I ask myself every day whether I’m capable of turning things round and the answer is yes.

“When I think that I’m not the one that can turn things around then I’ll sit down with the owner and we can have that conversation. But I’ve not felt it’s got to that stage.”

The ex-Manchester United skipper will again be forced to play a young side against West Brom with senior players such as Gareth McAuley injured, Irish international defender Damien Delaney suspended after his red card at Norwich and four loanees ineligible. Keane feels injuries have played a big part in his team’s drop after their good start.

“We felt when we came back for pre-season, with the young squad we have, we needed a bit of luck and needed to avoid injuries to senior players but it’s been the opposite.

“It’s been problem after problem and it’s caught up with the team, but as a manager you’ve got to be able to deal with things. Ultimately only one man will pay the price and that’s the manager.

“I think when we have a full strength team we’re not a bad Championship outfit, but when we’re missing a few, we find it difficult to win football matches.”

The Corkman had targeted getting Town back into the Premier League within two years, but now concedes that this may be too tall an order.

“When you come in and you try and do things in two years, that probably isn’t enough time. I think you need a bit longer but, of course, when you don’t get that, pressure builds.”

Keane hasn’t spoken to chairman Marcus Evans since the Norwich game, but says that’s no surprise.

“Our relationship doesn’t work like that, we don’t speak to one another on a daily basis. He lets me get on with the job.

“It’s never worked that way. It’s not in my make up, I just try and get on with it and we don’t need texts or emails or phonecalls to know how disappointed everyone at the club will have been.”

Roy hails Barca display as ‘best ever’

ROY KEANE hailed Barcelona’s 5-0 thrashing of Real Madrid in Monday’s La Liga El Clasico as the best performance he had ever seen from a side. Keane watched the game as he licked his wounds after Ipswich’s 4-1 hammering in their own Clasico the previous day at Norwich.

“It was probably the best performance I’ve ever seen. I’m still quite young, I’m only 39, but in all the years I’ve watched football — and I’ve played in some decent games and some big games — that was by far the best.”

Keane takes heart from Real and Mourinho receiving much the same treatment as his Ipswich side: “I wouldn’t say I took any great satisfaction from seeing Jose Mourinho suffer, but there’s hope for us yet. It just goes to show what can happen on any given day.”

“Big Sam Allardyce is a top manager but he lost by seven at United. It happens to some managers.”