Lucky 13? Pass Roy a beach-ball
ROY Keane will take any luck that's going, even if it involves a beach-ball!
Carl Marston
By Carl Marston
ROY Keane will take any luck that's going, even if it involves a beach-ball!
Ipswich Town's under-pressure boss is hoping that No. 13 is his lucky number this evening, when his basement dwellers take on Watford at Portman Road.
Town have so far staged 12 aborted attempts to record a first league win of the season. And they cannot afford too many more failures.
Keane's old club, Sunderland, enjoyed a huge slice of fortune on Saturday, when Darren Bent's shot ricocheted off a stray beach-ball and flew past Liverpool keeper Pepe Reina to secure a 1-0 win for the Wearsiders.
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It's the sort of luck that Keane can only dream of in a so far disastrous campaign.
“Of course I saw the beach-ball incident. It's not like I live on the moon!” insisted Keane.
“Maybe we could do with a beach-ball on our pitch on Tuesday night!
“It was good for Sunderland and good for Brucey (manager Steve Bruce). Every team needs a bit of luck, though Sunderland had other chances as well,” added Keane.
Town have mustered just six draws to go with six defeats from their first 12 league fixtures, a dismal run that has left them rock bottom of the Championship, four points adrift of safety.
And they won't find it easy against a Watford side who notched an eye-catching 1-0 win at promotion candidates Middlesbrough on Saturday.
Keane continued: “Our form has not been bad, but we are in a results-run industry.
“I won't have to lift the players' spirits. They are a decent bunch. We just need a little bit of luck.
“Hopefully, it will be lucky No. 13 for us!”
Keane has also appreciated the continued support of Ipswich fans over the difficult last few weeks.
“I think the atmosphere has been good (at Portman Road). Our fans have been outstanding; there's no complaints on that score,” said Keane.
“David Wright made one or two good tackles in the first half (against Swansea) and he got a standing ovation. We need to be getting the results, but fans like to see the desire and determination as well.
“Ipswich fans want to see a winning team, and we need to turn it around.”
