ENGLISH LEAGUE CHAMPIONSHIP:ROY KEANE is set to lose his job as Ipswich Town manager this week. The Guardianunderstands that the club's board has lost patience with Keane less than a year after taking charge at Portman Road and will announce his departure in the coming days.

Ipswich’s goalless draw at Swansea City on Saturday lifted them nine points above the Championship relegation zone but the failure to make it into the play-offs after a season spent battling for survival appears finally to have taken its toll.

Keane is being linked with a return to Celtic next season after the Scottish club ended Tony Mowbray’s reign as manager last Wednesday after defeat to St Mirren.

It will hardly come as a surprise to Keane, though, when the curtain does fall 11 months after taking over from Jim Magilton, considering his comments after this weekend’s result.

“There’s speculation about my job, but there are much better managers than me who have lost their jobs,” the former Manchester United and Republic of Ireland midfielder said.

“If the club wants to move me on, then they’ll move me on and there’s very little I can do about it. This sort of talk doesn’t keep me awake at night and my players shouldn’t take any notice of it, either.

“If I lose my job, I lose my job. There’s always speculation about lots of managers in the Premier League and Championship so it’s nothing new.

“If you think Im fearful of that, don’t kid yourself.

‘I’ve got a good wife and five good kids so I’ll be okay whatever happens.”

Guardian Service