Town boss Paul Jewell says he now expects the Blues’ contract saga to drag on until after the end of the 2010/11 campaign. Central defender Damien Delaney is still the only senior player whose current terms are up at the end of the season to have signed a new deal.

Jewell said: “I think that it’s got so late now that it’s going to go on until after to the end of the season.

“We’ve made the offer, the players are mulling it over, I guess, but at the end of the day I can’t fault their efforts, the lads who are out of contract as well as those who are in contract.

“We have spoken to [David Norris and Gareth McAuley],” he added. “They know the situation, we’ve made them offers.

“The main concern now is that a week isn’t going to make a lot of difference to anybody. We do have contingency plans, we have to have contingency plans, and we’ve told the players that.

“You’ve got to always have other irons in the fire. I’m not sitting here biting my nails, waiting for the news. I’ve got one plan if they sign, which is great, another if they don’t.

“That’s life. If any player leaves here this club will continue and the most important thing is the club. If we lose good players, we have to replace them.”

Last week Jewell said that terms had been agreed with McAuley but the Northern Irishman — who has recently been linked with SPL giants Rangers - is still to put pen to paper: “I think the club have agreed to what Gareth’s agent wants but it’s a big decision for Gareth and I think everything will probably be resolved very quickly after the end of the season. Hopefully Gareth will stay, but if not I wish him well.

“What his people have asked for, we’ve agreed to and we’re just waiting on an answer now. Maybe he has something else, that’s his prerogative, I don’t know.

“It’s a little bit different with David Norris, there’s a bit of toing and froing with Chuck but it’s not my place to discuss it and I don’t really want to discuss it.”

Town had set deadlines for the agents representing Colin Healy and Brian Murphy to get back to them regarding their deals but Jewell admits these timescales have now moved: “A little bit, yes. We’ve offered what we think they want but it’s certainly not going to be resolved before the Leicester game.”

More than anything, the Blues boss is determined to avoid the same thing happening again: “We don’t want to be in a situation next season or in future seasons where we let our better players run out of contract.

“It’s been tough here with so many players out of contract at one given time. I’ve had more questions to deal with about contracts than games.

“Protracted negotiations have been going on for a while now and I’m really fed up of talking about it, although I know you guys [the media] have to ask about it.”

Jewell says those negotiations continue, as do conversations with his summer targets: “There are always talks [with current players], but my main concern now is to talk to players that I’m trying to bring in."

Photo: Action Images

cobbold added 17:09 - Apr 28 All I want is simple really a team that want to play for this great club. If they dont want to be here, then goodbye. We as fans have suffered enough recently. Lets look forward to next season with the manager who can Iam sure due the job. Got to sign Jimmy first and build from there. Hopefully we can have something to cheer and get behind then.
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Daleyitfc added 17:18 - Apr 28 I agree with many on here : tell them all that the offers are withdrawn and they can s0d 0ff. None of our players are good enough for a promotion challenge and we need to get all new ones in.
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MarkITFC added 17:18 - Apr 28 lets norris go , sign up Macca if he doesnt sign its not end of the world nethier are qulity players , i reckon we could sign better . I hope Macca signs though as i rate him . clear the rest out and sign 6 new players
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gypo added 17:19 - Apr 28 David Norris and Gareth McAuley you`ve had the contracts on the table long enough now so sign or feck off.
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Lennyboy added 17:28 - Apr 28 Makaloon..I agree with you totally. McAuley was being slated big time when he first joined the club and everyone wanted him out. Along comes another ordinary player in the shape of Delaney, who is even worse. Somehow the two have got together and made a reasonable partnership, but nothing to write home about. To qualify this statement, look at who has been culpable for the goals during our last two games; I have never seen a ball so well sliced and so frequently. I say let them all go and let PJ start afresh. I know many of the team do try their best for the blues, but it simply isn't good enough. This team reminds me more of an old combination second string, keep them for back up if you want, but lets have some quality please. LET EM GO!!!!!!

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corunnaviking1759 added 17:33 - Apr 28 Mag to Grid-Get Rid!!!! Sod em!
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jas0999 added 17:34 - Apr 28 This doesn't sound promosing. McAuley and Norris will I suspect leave. Poor business by ITFC - allowing 4M pounds worth of players leave for nothing. Glad to hear PJ has a Plan B - but will Clegg do the deals? Can ME justify losing so much money on players and splashing out again. One things for sure this summer will be interesting - possibly more so than the league season!!

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Lennyboy added 17:41 - Apr 28 I wonder how much we could get for Clegg? Lets put him on the transfer market, offer him to Seb Coe and then sign a good Chief Exec.
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bluelady added 18:05 - Apr 28 Jas are you having a laugh Mac and Norris worth 4 million??
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Karlosfandangal added 18:20 - Apr 28 I have said it before and will say it again we have let in 70 odd goals this season and the same last year, plus McAuley was in a leicester side who did the same. Delaney and McAuley are not the answer for us long term, If we went up next season we would have to replace them as they are not prem class. They can do a job for us but feel we should say take it or leave it and start looking to build for the Prem

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East_of_England added 18:22 - Apr 28 Tragic losing both without compensation because it will cost a lot to replace them. Would have preferred Tommy Smith rather than Delaney to partner McA instead. Now Smith will probably leave too and we have to find a new partner to Delaney. (Never been a big fan of Delaney.) St. Ledger possibly...
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fourth added 18:26 - Apr 28 Well it looks that 4 youngsters need to come in, 4 existing players and 3 new purchases. 2 full backs 1 goalscorer to work in tandem with Wickham. Spending about 4 million. How much will we get for Scotland, Priskin, Fulop, the penalty taker?
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floridaboy added 18:30 - Apr 28 At the end of the day McAuley and Norris are probably the highest earners at the club. Them leaving will free up an awful of lot wages for PJ to play with especially if he can get a few in who dont cost anything For what its worth dont rate either of them. Think it is a disgrace that Norris is even captain but then that was thanks to Keane and look what he did!!! Personally I would get rid of Leadbitter as well and bring in a completely new midfield. Still think Drury has something to offer.There were signs against Norwich that the boy has something. Time will tell I suppose

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Bergholtblue added 18:30 - Apr 28 The last thing we need is protracted contract negotiations. All this will he? won't he? Then if they don't sign all the players earmarked as replacements would be snapped up by other clubs. I agree with the other posts, particularly with Macca. Just point out that we have met all of his demands so sign or pack your bags. If we need a repalcement we need him at the start of summer not wait until September to panic buy another has-been jouneyman.

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Lennyboy added 19:21 - Apr 28 Have faith in PJ, he knows what he's doing. I have seen posts on here before asking why he's (PJ) looking at Defenders, Midfielders, Goalkeepers and not forgetting the all important strikers we need; since he's been here. It shows the mark of the Man that he knew from the off that he needed to totally rebuild this team, and having stated before on this very subject; he needed to keep the enthusiasm going with the rubbish players he has until the end of the season.

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brittaniaman added 19:42 - Apr 28 We keep talking about spending a lot of money for replacements??, We have spent loadsa money and got us no where. Norwich assemble a team on a shoe string as we all know they are absolutely flying. Enlighten me have they spent a million on a player ????? I just could not believe my eyes when they were queing up to score there last goal at P.R. last week Albarassed did not know which way to go, he was ambushed !!!!!

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hadleighboyblue added 19:53 - Apr 28 they have both had long enough to decide - the longer we wait , the less chance of getting our first choice of replacements . drop them both from the team and if they haven't signed by end of season , withdraw the offers .........that will reduce their bargaining power with others .......and replace norris as skipper whatever happens ........if bullard is fit for saturday , give it to him

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bluearmy89 added 19:58 - Apr 28 Lets let the players who dont want to be here leave! I hate the fact that they have a contract on the table and they dont sign it straight away which tells me they dont want to be here I know they need to look after themselves but they are not bigger than the club! Clear out the crap from this season and start a fresh PJ, I have faith in you! Get Jimmy on board then we can start looking in the right direction!

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HolbrookBlue added 20:05 - Apr 28 Sadly no player has performed particulalrly well this season and the club must look forward and plan the next. Surely the club can put deadlines on these negotiations - it is making the club look weak yet again. Whilst respecting the rights of players what about us the supporters who have been made to renew season tickets without knowing the make up of the team. Bad management by ITFC again.

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SonOfSpock added 20:09 - Apr 28 If they don't want to sign let them jog on. The world does not revolve around them.
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fourth added 20:40 - Apr 28 Floidaboy Agreed with a lot of that
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roytheboy added 20:58 - Apr 28 Let them go, there's very few of them worth keeping anyway, keep the committed players with good attitudes, make a real effort to sign Jimmy Bullard and let's get some quality back at Portman Road, some of us are getting really fed up with the same old lines at the end of each Season, incidentally, I understood Paul Jewell to say that he would be giving the players a deadline in which time to commit themselves or otherwise, has he changed his mind ??

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budgieplucker added 21:06 - Apr 28 I think most fans have had sympathy with the out of contract players an appalling situation that Clegg presided over. PJ has constantly praised their professionalism over recent weeks in how they have handled the situation, however, there are no more excuses. They either want to play for the club next year or not and on recent performances need to show their fans their loyalty. The deals are either good enough for them now or not. If not we move on. Our new 2011/12 campaign starts now, I wouldn't play any player for the final two matches who are definitely not contracted to us for next season (that even includes a fit Jimmy Bullard) The club be-moan the quality of opposition in the reserve league, so now is the time to give some turf time to the patient young players who have been on the bench, O'Connor, Peters, Hyam etc. It will benefit them and the club.

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hollywoodginge added 21:08 - Apr 28 Bluelady - on behalf of jas that's roughly what we paid out in transfer fee's for them so to not recoup any transfer fees in return, as they leave for free, is not good business, especially as we will probably have to fork out again to replace them and in today's inflated Market will will have to pay shed loads. Norris is going, i trust my sources on that, big mac is waiting for another offer and will probably be off. I know that players that are stalling on contracts and players in contract are not happy at the moment. Infact they are "fuming" as per a previous story on here and all because of the certain person involved in said story.

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broomfield123 added 21:23 - Apr 28 this is getting really quite boreing. Let the tits go. Clearly not good enough.Got footballers egos.They aint that good.So they are settled in the area with kids making friends and starting/going school.It shows how selfish they are.God bless tgeir kids with parents like that. If the kids are settled in an area etc why uproot them. They are mre important than any amount of money. They only care for themselves. To be honest who cares if these players stay or go. If we have matched their terms and still stalling to sign then they have doubts about wanting to stay. If you have doubts then go. The club and world moves on. There are better and a lot better players out there to sign. These guys are showing their true colours. It showed it last week against norwich and swansea. They have and show nothing towards the club. mac , chuck ,murphy, healy , lee barrett and co you can be and will be replaced

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