IPSWICH TOWN: Brendan Rodgers brings his Swansea City side to Portman Road today (kick-off 12.45pm) singing the praises of Blues manager Roy Keane.

Rodgers has led his Welsh club to third place in the Championship after being linked with a move to Ipswich in the summer when Keane said that he was looking for a right hand man with experience to join his off the field team.

“I did my pro coaching licence with Roy and I was really impressed with one thing in particular,” said Rodgers.

“He was arguably the top midfielder in the Premier League for a number of years, and as a result he could easily have taken a short cut in his coaching career.

“But he didn’t do that.

“I remember as part of the course we had to do a report on a club abroad.

“I know a lot of coaches and managers who would not bother going abroad and try to get their information through a computer.

“But Roy went to New Zealand to study the All Blacks, and I thought that was a mark of the guy.

“He doesn’t take any short cuts, and he doesn’t want his players to take them either.”

And Rodgers is adamant Keane will move Ipswich back up the table, adding; “He will turn the corner.

“Ipswich have got through to the semi-final of the Carling Cup and his players are obviously playing for him.

“Sometimes you just need that bit of luck as a manager.

“They started the season very well, then they went on a bad run.

“Now they have beaten West Brom they will be looking to go on another run of good results, but hopefully it will come after this weekend.

“They will be fine because they have good players and in Roy they have a manager who wants the very best.”

IPSWICH’S home Carling Cup semi-final against Arsenal will be played on Wednesday January 12 with the away leg at the Emirates Stadium on Tuesday January 25. The Portman Road match will be shown live on television by Sky and the away game by the BBC.

All Blues academy training and matches set to take place at Playford Road this weekend have been cancelled.