IPSWICH TOWN: What a difference a year makes with Ipswich firing on all fronts and looking to reach the last 16 of the Carling Cup tonight.

Roy Keane’s second in the table Championship side travel to the Den to face Millwall (kick-off 7.45pm) still unbeaten away from home this season.

The Town manager is expected to make chances for this third round tie, but expectations are high that his team will come through against a side thrashed 6-1 at home by Watford at the weekend.

And it’s all in complete contrast to this time last season when Ipswich were still over a month away from their first victory and had been removed from the Carling Cup by Peterborough United.

“Our season was already dead and buried at this stage last year,” stressed Keane.

“This time around after a decent start we have a decent chance of doing something.

“Our main aim has to be to gain promotion to the Premier League, which is something Ipswich Town has come anywhere near achieving over the last few years.

“We received a boost with our previous Carling Cup wins at Exeter and Crewe and we will be looking to do the same.

“This is our focus at the moment and if you win football matches you will gain your rewards.”

Keane, who went over the Ireland on Sunday to watch his native Cork side win the national Gaelic Football Cup, has again confirmed that to have a realistic chance of success this term he needs to strengthen his squad.

A loanee right back is now on his shopping list and he added: “It is not too difficult to work out where I am looking to strengthen.

“In an ideal world I would like three new faces by the time the transfer window opens in January with the rules permitting us to use five in any one game.

“We are still confident of landing one although there is no news at the moment, while I was speaking yesterday to a manager about a player.

“I speak to Sunderland manager Steve Bruce on a regular basis and there is no news to relate on Jack Colback, who did very well on loan for us last season.”

Keane refused to comment on former skipper Jon Walters’ disclosure that he took a photograph of his vomit to prove his sickness before the game at Exeter other than to say: “Players and managers come and go and there nothing more to say.”

But he did scold striker Jason Scotland for his weekend comments that Connor Wickham will one day play for England.

“Jason should concentrate on his own game. He’s not Connor’s agent.”

Keane has confirmed that coach Ian McParland is set to be at the club for the rest of the season.

“Yes we have ‘Charlie’ here and the priority for Gary Ablett at the moment is to get well.”