ROY Keane has scoffed at suggestions that he will be weighed down by the expectations and demands of the Portman Road faithful.Although he has given himself a two-year time frame to win promotion many Blues fans are hoping for Premier League football by this time next year.

Derek Davis

ROY Keane has scoffed at suggestions that he will be weighed down by the expectations and demands of the Portman Road faithful.

Although he has given himself a two-year time frame to win promotion many Blues fans are hoping for Premier League football by this time next year.

High hopes are being pinned on Keane, who took Sunderland to the top flight in his first season, but he insists that no one will expect more than he himself.

Keane said: “The fans can demand all they want because their expectations and demands won't be as high as I have on myself.”

He insists on being realistic and warned that Town will not be all conquering every week.

He said: “It is going to be tough because the Championship is a very tough division and we are probably still short of two or three players.

“It is physically and mentally demanding and every team is capable of beating each other.

“You are going to lose games. Wolves lost 10 games, when we went up with Sunderland we lost 11, so you are going to lose but you deal with it.”

With Shane O'Connor joining Troy Brown, Lee Martin and Damien Delaney as new signing Keane is still looking for more players, and to ship some out some of the present squad.

He said: “You also deal with the 12 weeks of the season when you have three games in a week.

“Technically the Championship is not up there with the Premiership but it is physically and mentally very tough.

“That is why I need top players at this football club and I believe I already have a few.”