WORRIED Ipswich Town players have been assured by new manager Roy Keane that he will not be making any snap decisions about their futures.

Derek Davis

By Derek Davis

WORRIED Ipswich Town players have been assured by new manager Roy Keane that he will not be making any snap decisions about their futures.

He has even told them that while the remaining two games will give him an idea of what changes he needs to make in the summer it is not make or break time for them.

He said: “It is going to be busy few months and I will be bringing in new players although nothing will be happening

“We will take stock of what we have got and take it from there.

“There are a lot of injuries and a lot of players' contracts are up and that might suit me.”

The Blues go to Cardiff City on Saturday looking to spoil their play-off party and Keane is keen to seek advice from the likes of Bryan Klug and Steve Foley about players who have been playing, and that are on the fringes.

He said: “I will speak to staff about players and previous games but it would be unfair on players whose contracts are up to say you have two games to prove yourself.”

“The changes I have to make will come into place over the next few weeks and months.

“It is hard from the outside to see what is needed. It was great being in the club in the morning and getting a feel for what is going on.

“The timing is good for me.”

Keane and his number two Ian Loughlan trained with the players yesterday morning and kept his demands pretty simple.

He said: “I have put demands on my players and the players look up for it.

“All I ask is that they turn up on time for training and give 100%. If they are not up for that then it will be a brief relationship.”

Sounds simple and certainly easier than Keane's key objective - the Premier League inside two years.

He said: “It is a massive challenge in getting this club back into the Premiership. I'm excited and looking forward to it.

“I have had a good break but when the opportunity came I was ready for it.

“The reason I came is the ambition of the club and the history of the club. It is a proper football club and feel I'm luck to get the opportunity.

“I have signed a two year contract but I would like to do it in one year.

“It is a big ask. But that is what challenges are. If I was not up for challenges I would be out walking my dog and my dog needs a break.”

Keane expects his success at Sunderland in getting them to the top flight will help.

He said: “When I took over at Sunderland that was a very good football club and I knew I could turn things around there and it is the same here.

“I'm more than confident that they can get into the Premiership. Hopefully the experience at Sunderland and will hold me in good stead.

“At Sunderland we had a great spirit and a great never say die attitude. We scored a lot of late goals and showed great desire and while that does not always win you football games I want that from the Ipswich players.

“I don't have a problem with people making mistakes as long as they have a desire to do well day in day out not just two or three days a week. That is up to me to get that out of them. I feel the players will enjoy working with me.”

So while most other people are ready for the summer break Keane comes in invigorated and refreshed after nearly five months in between managerial posts.

He said: “I have been enjoying myself. I have been walking my dogs and took an Easter holiday, which I had not done before. I went skiing which I had not done before.

“It felt good to have four and half months out of he game but I was ready to come back.”

Town will be without full back Ben Thatcher who has damaged knee ligaments.