IPSWICH TOWN: Win, lose or draw today’s npower Championship game against Cardiff City, Blues manager Roy Keane is predicting a decent season.

But he has warned Town fans that there could be some heart aches along the way.

His Sunderland side lost 12 games in 2006/07 and still won the title on their route to the Premier League.

Keane will send his troops out at Portman Road (kick-off 3pm) looking for them to bounce back after their midweek home 3-0 defeat by Queens Park Rangers.

And in front of a bigger than usual attendance of around 23,000 following a successful promotion scheme run by the club, Keane’s knows the importance of making a positive statement to supporters after the huge let down against Neil Warnock’s Rangers.

But he says it is early days and that Blackpool and Cardiff reached the play-off final last season after both losing 14 league matches.

“A club this season could easily go up automatically with eight, nine and 10 defeats,” said Keane.

“There will be some heart aches along the way and we are far from being a team capable of getting promoted at the moment.

“But we can bounce back from Tuesday’s defeat and go on and have a decent season.

“There’s a lot more to come from this team and this squad.

“We’ll be okay.”

Keane knows that his players have to improve on their disappointing display against Rangers if they are not to suffer the same fate today against a Cardiff side that like Ipswich has lost just one league game.

“We managed to beat Bristol City and gain a point at Portsmouth, but we were not at our best, and I could see Tuesday’s defeat coming,” added Keane.

“One thing is for sure – if we play the same way against Cardiff we will be beaten again.

“But there is a long way to go and it is some while yet before the table will take a realistic shape and the key is to keep in a position to be in contention at the business end of the campaign.”