IPSWICH Town manager Roy Keane acknowledges that his 'gut' feeling to move on strikers Jordan Rhodes, Kevin Lisbie and Jon Stead might put him out of work.

Elvin King

IPSWICH Town manager Roy Keane acknowledges that his 'gut' feeling to move on strikers Jordan Rhodes, Kevin Lisbie and Jon Stead might put him out of work.

“I'll stick by my decisions even if it costs me my job,” said Keane.

The Blues manager takes his side into Championship action against Sheffield Wednesday at Hillsborough today (kick-off 3pm) under considerable pressure having dropped into the bottom three following the midweek 3-1 defeat at bottom club Peterborough.

Both Rhodes and Lisbie have scored heavily in League One having been sold and loaned respectively to Huddersfield Town and Colchester United.

And fans were left surprised again considering the lack of goals this term when joint leading scorer Stead was allowed to join fellow Championship club Coventry on loan until the end of the season.

“I decided to let Jordan Rhodes, Kevin Lisbie and Jon Stead go on gut feelings that I felt were right,” said Keane.

“If it doesn't work out there will be one man who will pay for that and that's me.

“I have principles and will stick to them even if it costs me my job.

“These are taken into account when I select my teams, and it is in my mentality when dealing with players.

“If they fall short they will find it hard to get into one of my sides.

“Time keeping, the way my staff are spoken to and how players treat canteen staff all come into the equation.”

Keane, who says anybody can look back in hindsight and think they could have done better, says that he had 20 minutes sleep after the Peterborough game.

“I was analysing the decisions I made and what could have been done differently.

“At the time I felt I was making the right ones.”

And Keane says that he is not above changing his mind - citing Owen Garvan as an example of this.

“Owen was out of the reckoning in the autumn as I felt he needed to work at his game. He has done that and has come back into the side.”