IPSWICH TOWN: Roy Keane has revealed that he spotted within 20 seconds of Saturday’s league game at Scunthorpe that all was not right with his side.

IPSWICH TOWN: Roy Keane has revealed that he spotted within 20 seconds of Saturday’s league game at Scunthorpe that all was not right with his side.

And in typical blunt fashion he has called reports that Ipswich and Tottenham are hatching a deal that will see the promising young striker Connor Wickham move to White Hart Lane as nonsense.

Keane will be looking for a better start to tonight’s Championship game at Reading (kick-off 8pm) after his team were under the cosh for 30 minutes at Glanford Park.

“In the end we had enough chances to have won the game,” said Keane, who switched his formation after Luke Hyam replaced Connor Wickham after 31 minutes.

“I’m not having a go at my players as they are all doing well, but after 20 seconds on Saturday I could see that all was not right.

“Perhaps I should have made a change earlier and I did think about it after five minutes.

“I was looking at the bigger picture and not just at dragging players off.

“Our shape was wrong and it could have been a number of players who could have come off.

“Our substitutes were chomping at the bit to go on and Luke and Jamie Peters did well.

“The players responded well over the weekend, and top teams cannot play well for 90 minutes every week.

“But they manage a high percentage of wins and we are nearly there.

“Queens Park rangers, Watford and Cardiff wins football matches. Okay they will lose some, but they will enough to stand a good chance of finishing in the top six.

“We had the chances to have won on Saturday, and as we saw last season drawing too many games results in a mid-table position,”

And answering reports that Ipswich and Tottenham are working in harmony with the Premier League side taking Wickham in January, Keane stormed:

“People who think that way clearly do not know me.

“There is no need for us to work that way.

“There is no sense in that – it is all absolute nonsense.”

Looking ahead to the battle that faces his side tonight, Keane went on: “It will be a real test for us.

“They are a forward minded side that scores plenty of goals and they have anumber of good players including Ian Harte.

“I spoke to the Carlisle manager about Ian and other players when Ian was with the Cumbrian club. I had Ian at Sunderland and he has a good attitude. It’s good to se him back at this level.

“His goal record from full back is great and it is set up to be a very good game.”

Ipswich have confirmed that their fourth round Carling Cup game against Northampton Town at Portman Road will take place on Tuesday October 26.