ROY Keane has said enough is enough and told some of his underperforming stars that they will not play for him again.

Derek Davis

By Derek Davis

ROY Keane has said enough is enough and told a trio of his underperforming stars that they will not play for him again.

The three players to be bombed out are Owen Garvan, Jon Stead and Alan Quinn, I can reveal today.

Keane met with chief executive Simon Clegg and Marcus Evans's right-hand man Martin Pitcher at Portman Road yesterday to ask for those three players to go in order to release funds to buy reinforcements.

The players have been informed and their agents are today looking to find them new clubs.

With just one point from a possible 12 so far in this campaign, Keane's patience has snapped and he is looking to make radical changes.

The Blues boss said: “There are one or two players who played at the weekend who will not play for me again.

“Eventually you have to make a decision on one or two and say, 'Listen, I don't like what I'm seeing.'

“That is not based on last Saturday but the end of last season, pre-season games. You can't keep waiting and you have to say enough is enough.

“There are players who have had enough chances. They are not doing the business. It doesn't mean they are not good players or not good characters, it just means they are not doing the business for me at the moment and that means we have to take action.

“That is professional sport - if you are not doing the business you suffer for it just like managers and supporters do in their own way.

“It is not personal. It is just time to move on. You can't keep doing the same thing every week and not get a result.”

Garvan and Stead were replaced at half time in the 2-0 loss at West Brom while Quinn has been on the periphery of the team.

Keane also dropped Gareth McAuley at the Hawthorns, but he insisted he has not had a falling-out with the club skipper and he still thinks highly of him.

He said: “Gareth has every chance to be involved at Peterborough (for tonight's Carling Cup tie).

“Gareth has been fine. He is a good lad, a good professional. He was on the bench on Saturday and probably felt he was unlucky.

“There has been no bust-up with Gareth. He is a good bloke and I have a lot of time for Gareth.”

Damien Delaney, a �700,000 buy from QPR, and Colin Healy, who signed for �60,000 from Cork City, were also dropped against West Brom but it is not likely Keane will be ditching them so soon.

He said: “Of course if you sign players you show faith in them.”

He also said that even those players on their way out could be part of tonight's 18-man party.

He said: “They could be in squad. Beggars can't be choosers.”

Keane hopes Saturday will be the turning point for the club with big changes to be made.

He said: “Saturday will be a watershed for the club. You have to draw a line at some point and say enough is enough.

“I have identified a couple of players.

“I'm hoping it is going to be a busy few days ahead.

“Sometimes you need to not win these games to confirm that we are short and we need more players.

“We are running out of time but even with the loan option we need two or three players that we know will be Ipswich Town players for the next year or two.

“We are short in the group whether that is experience or, for one or two, character but we will try and put that right over the next few days.”

Despite the early season set-backs Keane is confident things will turn around.

He added: “We are on about getting promoted but the biggest challenge for me right now is to get some wins under our belts.

The expectations have been high and I have played a part in that as an ambitious person talking about promotion.

“As bad as results have been I still think we are only two or three players away from being a good team and getting back in the mix.”

derek.davis@eadt.co.uk