Roy's doing a good job, insists Jones

CARDIFF City manager Dave Jones insists that his opposite number at Portman Road - Roy Keane - is doing a good job despite starting the weekend second bottom in the Championship.

Elvin King

CARDIFF City manager Dave Jones insists that his opposite number at Portman Road - Roy Keane - is doing a good job despite starting the weekend second bottom in the Championship.

Keane's takes his Ipswich Town to Wales looking to extend an unbeaten six-match run, but gain only their second victory of the season.

“The culture seems to be if you lose a couple of games people are calling for the manager to go,” said Jones. “It's sad. Roy is doing a good job and needs time to get on with it.

“Sometimes when results don't go your way there is always speculation. He's brought good players in and he's trying to mould them into the team. I hope he turns it around.”

Ipswich won 3-0 at Ninian Park in Keane's first game in charge last April, and Jones is expecting another tough match.

“I don't think it was a comprehensive Ipswich victory and I thought the scoreline flattered them a bit,” said Jones.

“Tomorrow will be another tough game. We've had our ups and downs, but it's about how you bounce back from defeat. We have not become a bad side.

“We had some misfortune losing vital players and it was difficult. You can't be the in-form side one minute and then not the next and maybe that has had something to do with us not getting the team out that we wanted.

“Maybe it was something to do with the players taking their foot of the gas a bit and not doing the good things they had been doing. We want to get back on track against Ipswich.”

Danger men Michael Chopra and Jay Bothroyd will be back in partnership up front after the former's suspension and then the latter's knee problem stopped them teaming up in the previous two matches.

Kevin McNaughton was injured in the last-minute defeat at Barnsley last weekend and since then full-back Tony Capaldi has joined League One leaders Leeds United on loan and striker Warren Feeney joined Sheffield Wednesday on a short-term basis.

Tomorrow's likely squads

Cardiff City: Marshall; Matthews, Hudson, Gyepes, Gerrard, Kennedy, Burke, Ledley, Rae, Whittingham, Boothroyd, Chopra, P Quinn, McCormack, Enckelman, Scimeca, Comminges, Magennis, Wildig.

Ipswich Town: R Wright, Lee-Barrett, Rosenior, McAuley, Delaney, D Wright, Walters, Leadbitter, Garvan, Edwards, Stead, John, Smith, A Quinn, Martin, Priskin, Peters, Wickham, Trotter, Counago, Healy.

Referee: Mr J Singh (Middlesex).