About two weeks ago I was all set to sit down and write a blog titled 'Jewell's Greatest Strength Has Become His Greatest Weakness'.

He had slipped into what is known by footballing doctors as the Keane Syndrome, where every week he felt compelled to change the side. A tweak here or a tweak there, he had to do it. For some managers it becomes quite a debilitating disease and for Keane it led to his eventual dismissal.

The second half of last season, after ITV's favourite new pundit had been sacked, was one of the best in recent ITFC memory and why was that? Consistency. We all knew what the side would be when we turned up on the Saturday and the results flowed.

Indeed squad harmony is, I believe, improved when the team is the same almost every week because the club is a happy place, the side is shooting up the league and when players get their opportunity they know there is a chance to stay in the side for a long stretch. When you are in one week and out the next, the uncertainty over your starting berth can't help your football.

Jewell appears to have visited rehab recently though, naming an unchanged side four games in a row and surprise surprise... We win all four. All this talk of 4-3-3, 4-3-1-2, 4-4-2 is all nonsense - what matters is selection consistency. The squad Jewell has built at considerable expense is easily good enough to make the top six, but they had to be given time to gel; that has happened now and we are arguably at the precipice of a superb season for our Ipswich, playing our way.

I actually disagree with people claiming the system is a diamond - I see it more as a 4-3-1-2, with Leadbitter in the hole and Andrews, Bullard and Bowyer playing as quite a compact three. But, it doesn't matter - it's working.

The only slight issue I have with the club at the moment is this huge squad we have, seemingly built as Jewell strived to find a winning formula - the signings of Daryl Murphy, Ivar Ingimarsson, Nathan Ellington et al all look a bit pointless now, although I suppose it is easy with hindsight to criticise this. However, I would like to see a lot more outgoing loans than we have.

As long as Jewell remains consistent with his selection though, then for me there is only one way this club is going - up, in far more ways than one.

alfromcol added 21:11 - Oct 1 As PJ said in his interview after the game today, this is a squad game and not just the 11 who take the field at the start of the game. Murphy, Inge and the Duke will be important components in the push for promotion, they can't all get on the pitch at the same time. To prove the point, the Duke looked in good shape when he came on as a sub today. You failed to mention Priskin.

0

nosamp added 21:56 - Oct 1 "I actually disagree with people claiming the system is a diamond" i think its a raspberry system bordering on an oxtail .............
0

PimsOclock added 23:17 - Oct 1 The pointless signings as you put it will play an important role in the season. It is far easier to be a player on the fringes of a winning team than it Iis that of a losing one!!
0

Jewell_do added 23:55 - Oct 1 Firstly since when have we won all 4? Secondly when winter is here and we have no International breaks the likes of Scotland, Bullard, Bowyer etc wont be able to play twice a week. You need at least 16 decent players to go up, other than cover at left back we look quite decent. It's 12 months from now I'm more worried about.
0

Len_Brennan added 07:58 - Oct 2 I'm not really sure what you expected in terms of consistency of selection earlier in the season when the squad still wasn't complete, Inge was injured and the team of many new players had not been 'gelled'. Okay, you can argue that much of that should have been in place before the opening game, but with so many players out of contract in the summer and with the reality of transfer window activities, brinkmanship last day signings etc. that was never going to happen for PJ. Anyway, that's not what you're argeing here. As others have said above, the squad will be needed. Inge is an excellent centre half and you'll be damn glad he's here if Sonko gets injured (as long as he's fit himself). We saw what happened when we played young inexperienced or left sided centre halves on the right early on. Inge and Delaney would be a decent backup partnership. Also Ellington showed yesterday what he can do. Scotland has done very well up to now, but form dips at times and that's why Duke's introduction proved so important. Murphy will offer something different when needed. Early season tweaking is an absolute neccessity in order to identify your best side and set up. Your comparison with the previous manager, who bewilderingly used to change winning sides by playing players out of position at any time of the season, is unfair.

0

irishtim added 12:22 - Oct 2 we need back up players cause we all know injuries & poor form hits every player at some stage. lets enjoy & not be 2 critical
0

wesleyITFC added 13:45 - Oct 2 Well I agree with the signing of Daryl Murphy, The Duke I'm all for though, Ingimarsson was a good signing but I doubt he'll ever be in the plans now, hopefully we'll have more than 17000 home fans turning up now though
0

Blogs 295 bloggers