Alf fancies that the Class of 2010 will be much more to Roy’s liking. In fact, they’ll be just like Roy.

Alf doesn’t do smug. It’s not in his genes. But having turned up and turned over another side with delusions of grandeur, he might just have to get used to it.

It’s not a Suffolk trait. Understatement is more our thing.

Let’s be honest, last season’s hype, when the Celtic O’Messiah was beamed down from green clouds and the insatiable lust of the mass-media turned up in a fleet of  vans, the phrase ‘Roy Keane’s Ipswich’ didn’t sit pretty in IP1.

Town choked on a mouthful of expectations. They didn’t just fail to launch, they lost the keys to the rocket.

Once again Alf showed up to find the locals queuing up round the block to buy last-minute tickets. Fair enough thought Alf, the boys of 2009 versus the current crop would be a decent draw. Think again.

Fresh out of the embarrassment of administration, the Eagles are clearly keen to fly above their station, by signing  Edgar Davids. Known more for his glasses than his team-bonding attributes, Town duly rained big-time on the local’s parade.

And the faithful 2,020 travelling fans of Ipswich loved every minute.

Town lined up minus Stoke-bound Jon Walters. As things turned out it was another absentee – one ex-Town lad Darren Ambrose who was missed most.

What do they say about pets and their owners? Come the second and most telling year in the Keane dynasty, the current boys in blue have more than a passing resemblance to one Roy Maurice Keane.

With Norris, Leadbitter and Hyam closing down, harrying and snapping at the heels of anything that moved in a Palace shirt, Sir Alex would have been purring.

With possession sorted, the up-for-it battling box has duly been ticked and used to full effect in a feisty encounter with ex-siblings Lee and Garvan anxious to prove a point. No contest.

When it comes to handbags – Keane’s class of 2010 are the new Thatcher.

Out on the flanks, Town have belatedly found their wings. With Edwards and Townsend possessing the acceleration to go round and under your bog-standard Championship defence with the turning-circle of a rhino – Town have mobility.

Balance, shape and commitment to the cause are the new mantra in Season II.

Clearly, Playford Road is the place to weed out the faint-hearted, with Counago being the latest casualty of the cull.

At the back, Town look disciplined and mobile and rarely threatened all afternoon.

On this display, Town fans will be asking why are we selling Jon Stead? He led the line, went in where it hurts and won a penalty by putting his foot down out of the slipstream of the big unit that is Claude Davis.

Leadbitter dispatched the spot-kick to cue wild celebrations from the noisy, travelling army who’d lived on starvation rations for most of the last campaign.

Town’s second was straight out the top-drawer, marked ‘fast counter’. The impressive Townsend found Leadbitter who whipped in a cross for Edwards to net.

Worthy winners. Rarely threatened. Tidy job. Too simple?

Let me introduce you to my fly.

Oh… and my jar of ointment.

Town’s squad is young, hungry but fag-paper thin. Townsend’s ban for going in high on Speroni – the keeper, not the drug, coupled with Stead’s unexplained probable exit is unsettling the natives.

It’s also affecting the not-known for his patience Keane. After last season’s long walk of shame, Messrs Clegg and Evans kept faith in the Irishman and let him carry on playing with his building blocks.

Signing up a Chopra and Scotland for a tour, which promises so much, will go a long way to reward the locals.