IPSWICH TOWN: Darren O’Dea will not be thinking about his manager’s future during today’s crunch Championship clash with Preston at Deepdale (kick-off 3pm).

Defeat against bottom-placed opponents will make it six league losses on the trot and add to the increasing calls for Roy Keane to be dismissed.

But O’Dea, who is on loan from Celtic and at 23 has been a senior member of the back four in recent games, says that self pride has to come first.

“Of course we are right behind the manager – we want him to stay,” said the Republic of Ireland international whose girlfriend gave birth to a daughter Lucia earlier in the week.

“There is no extra pressure on us and I’ll not be worried about the manager at Deepdale – I’ll be thinking about winning a football match.

“If we let anybody down the most important person is yourself – we have all got our own pride.

“I don’t bother with all the media and what is being said, but the bottom line is that we are all pulling in the right direction.

“Training is always intense as we all work hard together and strive to do better.”

O’Dea says that he now reaching full match fitness after his knee operation although he suffered a few problems with muscles around the joint towards the end of last Saturday’s home defeat by Swansea City.

And reflecting on five straight league defeats going into today’s match, O’Dea said: “It shows what the Championship is about.

“To pick up any points you need to be at your very best and we were at the start of the season.

“I’m certain we’ll get it right and the current spell shows that football is not rosy all the while.”

O’Dea, who confirmed that Norwich City striker Gareth Holt used his hand to take the ball off him in the Canaries’ recent win at Carrow Road, says he will never forget that experience.

“I’m not blaming the officials – at the end of the day we were beaten fair and square,” added O’Dea, whose loan runs out next month.

“I’ll never forget what happened and will gain from it and make sure I don’t make the same mistake again.

“I don’t know about extending my loan – it will be up to others.

“I want to concentrate on playing for Ipswich and improving myself as a player with good coaches and staff.

“My girlfriend is moving down soon and she understands that football comes first and there is plenty of time after my career has ended to go back to Glasgow to live.”