Blues boss Paul Jewell says summer signing Jay Emmanuel-Thomas is unlikely to get into his best form for a few months yet. The 20-year-old looks likely to be amongst the subs when Town travel to Blackpool, one of the midfielder or striker's former loan clubs, on Saturday after suffering an ankle injury in the victory over Leeds.

Jewell said: “He did a bit of running [for the first time on Wednesday], which was unfortunate because we would have liked to have got a really good two weeks’ hard work into him. Perhaps that’s why he’s taken so long, I don’t know!" he joked.

“He’s going to feel the benefit of intense training in a few months’ time. I think the training here has been a bit of a shock to his system.

“Not that it’s a boot camp here, but he’s got into a bit of a habit at Arsenal of not playing every Saturday.

“I know he was at Cardiff and on loan to Blackpool and Doncaster. But this is where he earns his corn now. There’s no going back to Arsenal.”

Speaking at yesterday’s pre-match press conference, the Blues boss says he has spoken to the Londoner, who cost £1.5 million rising to £2 million, about working on his fitness: “I’ve had a long chat with him and he’s aware of the fact that he’s got to get in good shape and we will get him in good shape.

“He will probably be training with the physio again this morning. We’ll see how he the injury is and he might play some part in the game.”

Jewell says no manager likes to see his players go away on international duty for a fortnight — with Carlos Edwards not due back at the club until today - but admits the break has provided an opportunity to work with some of the other players who are short on fitness: “It’s no good me moaning about it, it’s there, so we’ve got to use it as best that we possibly can.

“Thursday was the first time we’ve seen Keith Andrews, David Stockdale, Damien Delaney and Tamás Priskin since the Leeds game. But that’s what international football means, there’s nothing we can do about it, we just have to get on with it.

“In a way it’s been good because we’ve had a few players who have missed a lot of pre-season, such as Jimmy Bullard, and Lee Bowyer missed a little bit.”

Meanwhile, Bowyer has been criticised by Birmingham acting chairman Peter Pannu, along with former team-mate Cameron Jerome, who is now with Stoke.

Bowyer incurred his wrath after apparently calling his former club “unprofessional” after a pre-season trip to the Far East last summer.

Pannu says the duo played their part in his club's drop into the Championship: “Their comments are very disappointing. Both Bowyer and Jerome should take a look at themselves for the fact we went down. There were mistakes in matches and Jerome only scored three league goals last season.

“Bowyer wanted a new contract which he didn’t get. Jerome phoned me up from America in June and spent 25 minutes pleading to sell him and give in to his demands, which I refused to do.”

Bowyer left the Midlands club at the end of last season and joined the Blues in the summer on a free transfer.

Photo: Action Images

Bleedingblue added 08:54 - Sep 9 By the sounds of this, the jet is not quite ready for take off! Hope they get that engine running properly soon :)
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Blue_Fred added 09:12 - Sep 9 has the potential to be one hell of an impact sub while he proves he deserves a starting place.
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pazelle added 09:15 - Sep 9 Gotta love JET, come on Jay - give your all for the Tractor Boyz! You can do it!
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MaySixth added 09:24 - Sep 9 I detected that a lot of fans were giving Emmanuel-Thomas a lot of love early on without him playing for us. I think it was simply down to the Arsenal connection more than anything and that he has such a woeful nickname. I saw him v Wolves in the pre-season and he was poor but to be fair he improved at Bristol City. He has a lot to prove for me and I think Jewell is being clever here - 'don't get ideas above you station mate, you need to prove yourself'

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fourth added 09:32 - Sep 9 It seems rather unprofessional. Surely he knew he would be likely to be playing football? I mean, clearly, he couldn't possibly think he'd be called on to turn his hand to hairdressing.....
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TractorRoyNo1 added 09:53 - Sep 9 well that should't be too difficult given his performances for us to date
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LifeLongTownFan added 10:18 - Sep 9 jet
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banburyblue12 added 10:54 - Sep 9 agreed, if JET plays anything like he did in the 2nd half against southampton then we have a serious player. was outstanding that day in a poor performance. give him time hes still young
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algarvefan added 11:11 - Sep 9 How about we don't pay him till he is fit, that would put a rocket up his @rse..these so called footballers make me sick.... not fit a month into the season what the feck have they been doing? ......Lazy!!!!
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tractorgirls added 12:24 - Sep 9 he is a modern day footballer, no interest in the actual game, just what comes with it. Was initially excited about him joining but now realise we may have signed a dud for a lot of money.
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legoman added 12:34 - Sep 9 Priskin is way superior to Jet at the moment.
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sheepdags added 12:49 - Sep 9 Hope he proves me wrong but JET was a gamble by PJ much like Lee Martin was for Roy Keane. Arsenal let him go because they didn't think he would make the grade.
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jas0999 added 14:57 - Sep 9 'unlikely to get into his best form for a few months yet' - what a load of rubbish. For £1.5M he should be firing from day one. Otherwise why did PJ take a massive 'punt' on him? When Roy or indeed Jim bought a player people were quick to judge from day one. What makes PJ so special? So far unimpressed with a large number of PJ's signings - and don't give me that rubbish that they need time - because you are probably the same people who didn't extend that courtesy to Jim and Roys signings.

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Garv added 16:00 - Sep 9 Jas0999 - So are you saying because JET isn't fully fit yet we shouldn't have bothered signing him? You are generally one of the people campaigning strongest for 'a team for the future', saying we should be signing players in early twenties instead of early thirties. So would you rather us sign a fully fit 30 year old or a 20 year old who might need a couple of months or what?

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h32 added 17:26 - Sep 9 ...... I think everyone can already see why he is now with us - and not Arsenal. Not so much a 'jet' hey - now prove yourself, as should be expected of you at any Football Club - that is if you expect to earn a living from the game. End of. Same applies to a few others as well - the world owes no one a living for nothing.
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