Town boss Paul Jewell admitted that the Easter period couldn’t have gone any worse after the Blues lost 4-1 at Swansea in the wake of Thursday’s 5-1 home defeat to Norwich City.

Jewell said: “It couldn’t have gone any worse, results-wise. I’m just grateful that we’ve got enough points not to have to worry about the next few games affecting our league position because if we didn’t, we’d be in a bit of a sticky situation.

“When we got here, the remit was to keep us in the league and luckily the lads have done well enough to get enough points

“But, and it’s not a kneejerk reaction and they’ve said it themselves, they’re not good enough as a group to get us in the top six and that’s where we want to be next year. There are no guarantees, but we need players to come in and help what we’ve already got.”

The Town boss admitted that having Connor Wickham unavailable due to a rib injury suffered during the Norwich match and Jimmy Bullard out with knee and shoulder problems had an effect: “It was a blow and if you look at their bench and you look at ours, it shows that the lack of strength and depth at the moment .

“We’ve got to make sure that if we get a couple of key injuries next season, we’ve got almost like for like replacements. That’s ideally what we’d like to do.

“It’s difficult to sit here after you’ve lost by five and then four to try and justify it, but we’ve done OK to get here, but OK isn’t enough for me. I’ve said to the players that mid-table where they've been for the last two or three years isn’t good enough.

“This group of players isn’t good enough as a group. There are some in that group who definitely are good enough, but we need some players to help us take us forward.”

Jewell felt his side had begun the game OK before showing their frailties: “We started very well, we passed the ball very well and we were neat and tidy. But it’s synonymous with us — we concede a goal and we can’t really come back from adversity too often.

“I thought we’d got over that to a certain extent but in the cold light of day we are where we are and it’s not as if I’m going to come back on the first day of pre-season and think ‘what do we need?'. I’ve known for a while what we need and the last two games have just clarified that.

“It wasn’t a great day at the office for us. We were a bit ragged but give credit to Swansea, they’re a good team. They and Norwich have been the best teams we’ve faced since I’ve been here, two good footballing teams, and that’s where we’re aspiring to be next season.

“As a group we’re not mentally tough enough and not physically tough enough and if we can try and improve on that and add a lot more quality to the squad next season, hopefully this time next year we’ll be talking about a good Easter and looking up rather than being a bit depressed.”

The Blues boss says there have been no new developments with contracts: ”We haven’t spoken to the players about it. Maybe some of the players should hurry up and sign them.”

Jewell confirmed that Gareth McAuley suffered a groin injury and Darren O’Dea was subbed at half-time with a turned ankle.

Swansea boss Brendan Rodgers was unsurprisingly delighted with his team’s display: “We were outstanding. We took a bit of time to get going and then - apart from when we switched off on the Ipswich goal - we were absolutely magnificent today.

“It was a brilliant performance against a team who are very good away from home of late. They’ve gone away and got some terrific results at Burnley and other places, so we knew it was going to be a difficult game for us.

“But I thought we had good control of the game and both offensively and defensively we were top class.”

Rodgers revealed that on-loan Town striker Tamás Priskin has been ruled out for the season due to his knee injury and will be returning to Portman Road for treatment. The Hungarian joined the Swans on loan in March with the possibility of the move becoming permanent in the summer.

Photo: Action Images

thechangingman added 20:49 - Apr 25 OrkneyBlue - wow, total and absolute credit to you for doing all that to follow the Town - I guess you'll have humbled a lot of us on here with your dedication (especially at such a singularly uninspiring time to be following the Town...) As for Damascus or Emmaus? It depends on the point being made... Saul was on the way to Damascus to persecute Christians when he had his visitation from God (indeed his eponymous 'Damascus Road experience') and then instead of killing Christians he became one and, more than that, became one of the most influential ones EVER to have lived - re-naming himself Paul - i.e. Saint Paul... As for Emmaus... Well, Jesus had just been crucified (how seasonal!!!) and two of his followers were walking along the road and lamenting his demise. He joined them and in some way disguised himself so that they didn't know who he was. He then questioned them about this 'Jesus bloke' they were discussing and then, using the Bible as his reference, he carefully explained to them all the stuff that was going to happen to the messiah and how he would die and be raised up again... Hmmm, don't know which one you had in mind. Who'd have thought we'd be having a theological discussion on here? Although I do know that we're at least in the need of some good news if not a Real Messiah instead of all these false-starts... :)

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WickedBlue added 20:53 - Apr 25 Oh hell now your calling for PJ's head?!?!?! WTF talk about a bunch of whiny know nothing bunch of retards........thank god the powers that be know better than you lot................and you call the scum inbred..this does make me wonder............
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paulnstar added 21:39 - Apr 25 fact jewell is crap and town are crap the end we should all go and watch bury or sudbury next season happy easter everyone
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tractorblue99 added 21:47 - Apr 25 Cheers for making making my easter paulnstar. That is the biggest amount of tosh I have heard all season. If jewell was so bad we would be where preston are now. Give him a couple of seasons to build his own squad and then let the good times roll!!! COYB'S
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Ohiotractorboy added 22:00 - Apr 25 Over here, we don't have promotion/relegation. The result ends up being teams find themselves not playing for a whole lot with a couple of weeks to go so they go in the tank and basically go on break early. Our lads don't have alot to play for at this point as far as points are concerned, and it sure looks like they are doing the same. Yes there is pride to play for, but that never seems to hold much water.

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roytheboy added 22:03 - Apr 25 I'm completely behind Paul Jewell, however he did say, following the defeat to Norwich, that valuable lessons would have been learned, I don't quite know what lessons were learned as he still played Barrett instead of our first choice keeper and also continued his faith in playing Scotland again on his own up front, I appreciate that there is a shortage of Strikers at the moment and feel in retrospect that it was not a good idea to loan Priskin out, I personally would have preferred young Murray to have had a start today following the very poor displays from Scotland lately.

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StowTractorBoy added 22:38 - Apr 25 Another deadful result and terrible goals conceded. For heavens sake Jewell ALB was found out two games ago and you still play him. I just hope he is our number 3 next season otherwise we will be in trouble. In all the years I have been following Town I cannot think of a worse Easter. Nine goals conceded losing to the budgies a 4-1 stuffing today and to cap it all a 96th minute goal from the budgies on their way to the promised land. Sadly the same cannot be said for us and we now look a miilion miles away from where Norwich and Swansea are. Must admit I am worried for next season as it will require a monir miracle to turn this shambles of a squad into a promotion team. PJ thanks for keeping us up - that at one time looked unlikely so am grateful for that but my goodness you have a massive job on your hands in front of 15000 spectators every week if we are lucky. Sorry to be doom and gloom but thats how I feel after today.

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Gazelle added 22:56 - Apr 25 If anyone needs the sack its some of the so called supporters that come on here. No wonder we can't win at home with a ground full of whingers.
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scunnyblue added 23:17 - Apr 25 I think the two results against Norwich & swansea on the back of a decent run but into perspective as too what standard our squad is currently at. Hopefully this will help PJ sort out the deadwood and help him to decide what steps to take moving forward.
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bobble added 23:23 - Apr 25 if someone believes that jewel should go let them have their say.we have free speech in this country i was demonised for wanting keane to go by the rabid mob on here but i was proved right' maybe leewheel is correct who knows ? but don't be so childish to start up the blinkered mob mentality and attack anyone who thinks different..you lot are a worry !!!! and some of the people who attack the slights diffence in opinion are the ones that should go..why don't you go and join a religion thats what they are for.?

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PutYaBootsOnKeano added 23:44 - Apr 25 @gazelle: agreed. had forgotten why i don't come on twtd any more.
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chrisw2045 added 23:50 - Apr 25 Ipswich will be a force next season
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Lightningboy added 00:01 - Apr 26 Jeez...the idiots on here. A week ago we'd won 4 out of 5 and were just outside the play-offs..now Jewell's apparently worse than Keane in some people's eyes...some of you don't have much in the brain department,do you?
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moomoosereni added 00:25 - Apr 26 Lightning boy - spot on. Sheepdag - What? He'd be worth lots you mean?!?! Maybe a million? Yes he can score goals at league one, but hasn't at championship. What I'm saying is yeah he could be worth a good amount but a player in the championship that scores ten is still worth more than someone who scores double in league one! It's not fair no but it's simple mathematics! Rhodes is clearly plying his trade at a lower level but FFS can we PLEASE stop talking about how we lost him. HE'S GONE GET OVER IT!!!!!! And to all the others, give Jewell a summer, see what he does and come xmas if we are still languishing down the bottom half, point made, but have some god damn patience CHRIST!!!

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michaeldownunder added 00:51 - Apr 26 Calm down people We are a lower mid table side who were close to the bottom three a couple of months ago.We do not have a 20 goal a season,hard nosed centre forward,who can knock the s##T out of defenders and keep hold of the ball.We have an 18 year old fwd who has scored 9 goals in half a season (not a bad haul) who is learning his trade. We also have a 30 odd year old forward who is past his best, that's why he cost 750 thousand and not two million.Why did we loan out Priskin, Jewel wants to sell him,he was not scoring goals,he did not hold the ball up, nuff said. We have just played the team who are 2nd in the league and the team who have the best home record, we are what we are. A few weeks ago people were moaning that we had 21 players out of contract, well how many of them do we want to keep anyway ? according to some posts none plus get rid of a few others. Jewel knows,and most of the rest of us aswel, that we need 2/3 new strikers.and if we sign Bullard two strong midfield players to play with him, two full backs, and maybe a centre half(cannot see MacAuly staying) to make a push for top two next season. Will we get all those, prob not.so more like mid table with an outside chance of the playoffs. For all the unrealistic moaning "fans" you can always go and watch Norwich on Sky next season

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paulnstar added 05:43 - Apr 26 tractor blue 99 the only tosh is what i watch at portman (have 3 pts )road u r clearly deluded with the rest of the village idiots on here we r never goonna play top flight football again resign urself to lower half of the championship we can fight it out with brighton and orient next year
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depressed added 06:42 - Apr 26 Bobble.....Agree 100%...Very cliquey on here most of the time
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DiamondGezzer added 07:24 - Apr 26 A few weeks ago everybody was hailing Paul Jewell as god like, and all the ' just wait till he gets his own team together we'll be a force ' people are now standing in the wings with knives drawn. We ARE still in the same position as we were, just give the poor guy a chance to get HIS team together. If he were to read some of the comments on here, how on earth could he be expected to do his best for us during summer ? Would you ? So far, he and his staff have delivered exactly what they promised - to stop the drop - he didn't say 'we're going to get in the playoffs and go up ' [ even if we would have loved it ]. Please, just give him time to deliver !!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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bluelady added 07:51 - Apr 26 Paulnstar if its that bad don't go, simple as!
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Matteo_Sereni added 09:10 - Apr 26 why did ALB and Scotland start? they should have never played again after thursday night!
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brittaniaman added 09:29 - Apr 26 Why oh why did he play Albarassed again after thurs nights debacle (take his new contract off the table) I am sure Murphy could not have been so bad unfit or not, but 12 goals in 4 games conceded is something to be looked at. before easter we were within playoff shouts now that is suddenly 11pts adrift anyway that is history now !!!!!!!
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tallguy6767 added 09:32 - Apr 26 Bottom line is who the fu** is gonna want to come here!! An unreal amount has to be done to change our fortunes around next year. We just keep hitting new lows.
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chripswich added 09:49 - Apr 26 thats right cheeky scouser boy..remind everyone what the remit was..youve got two games left where you can justify that mantra..then next season its all down to you and you cant keep hinting at how bad it was when you got here...there will be no hiding place then! 9 "against" over two games.. 5 of them to our closest rivals its our ground, our town, our turf.. NO ONE!!! should come and beat us 5-1 at FPR..especially not "them" whatever the squad, whatever the players, whatever the time of season... to be gutless and without passion... is down to you roll on 2011/2012 season so we can eventually get this average Joe out of our club!

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bluelady added 10:02 - Apr 26 chripswich and which manager in the right mind would replace him? be careful what you wish for!!
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StavangerBlue added 10:12 - Apr 26 Face facts people, we secured a mid-table position with a very slim to practically no chance of getting into the playoffs two games ago...our season is well and truly over! PJ is giving players a go to let them have a say in who stays and who goes. He's letting them show how much they want to play for this club. The last two games have showed PJ who wants to stay and those who do not. The fact is Swansea and N*****h had everything to play for whereas our guys are probably mentally not up for it. Yes we need new blood but in reality how many over the hill, Irish, ex-Sunderland players are there out there that we haven't signed already? Slim pickings and if Cleggy has his way we won't sign anyone as he won't pay the market price. PJ is doing a good job but I do agree on some points...bring back the good positive football, bring back the excitement and please for the love of the game can we get a striker who can score. CW has done a fine job but we cannot put the whole expectation of the club on one young mans shoulders. We need a Mariner, Brazil or Stewart type; someone who can take half a chance and create a thing of beauty.

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