Blues boss Paul Jewell says his Town side are making up for their lack of physical stature with determination, desire and heart. However, it is an area the Town manager may look to address in the future.

Jewell says the team is smaller than the sides he has assembled at his previous clubs: “My teams have always been big and strong and I look at us at the minute and we’re not.

“But that doesn’t mean to say we can’t compete. I don’t know how many corners and throw-ins Portsmouth had the other night but for all their height advantage, we protected our goal fairly well.

“It’s about having good hearts. You can be as big as you want to be, but if you’ve got a heart the size of a pea it’s no good.

“At the minute we’re competing against players who are bigger and stronger than us but when we’ve got the ball we’ve been playing well.”

Generally, with certain notable exceptions, Jewell says top teams tend to be bigger than the current Town side: “If you look at most of the Premier League teams most of the best teams in English football are strong and athletic and big. I know you’re going to say that Barcelona aren’t very big.

“I’m not saying you have to be six foot tall to sign for us but it’s an area where at times we look a little bit vulnerable.”

With the Blues having been under par against Pompey, the Town boss was pleased his team ground out a win when not playing well, something decent sides have to do: “We have to be careful as we’ve got 34 games left but any team that’s going to be successful in any league in any part of the world is going to have a lot of games where they don’t play to their maximum or anywhere near their best but get a result, whether that’s a draw or that’s a win.

“That determines who is successful. Southampton are playing great at the moment but there will probably be times this season when they don't play well and are going to have to grind results out to get something out of the game.

“The same with Chelsea, Manchester United or Manchester City, there are going to be games where they will have to just dog it out, and that was what we did the other night.”

Meanwhile, Jewell has praised the way right-back Carlos Edwards has coped with his off-field issues in recent weeks: “He seems to be able to put his problems behind him when he gets on the pitch Carlos, that’s his nature.

“He’s had a traumatic week, his wife’s given birth to twins and he was in court, so it hasn’t been an easy time for him. I think he deserves a bit of credit. I think he wants to put that stuff behind him and just move forward and play his football.”

Edwards’s prematurely-born twin babies are now being cared for in Ipswich Hospital having previously been at Addenbrooke’s in Cambridge.

Photo: Action Images

hogster1970 added 09:32 - Oct 21 well done carlos i think he has been a great sineing for us, and i remeber david johnson only 5ft nothing and still out jump 6ft defenders, i think aaron does that two
0

fourth added 09:48 - Oct 21 Yes, such little babies and a very worrying time, but such good support all round
0

DutchTownFan added 10:01 - Oct 21 Carlos is a very rare good Keane signing.
0

pazelle added 10:17 - Oct 21 I.P.S.W.I.C.H.T.O.W.N. You've got more than stature and height my friend, You've got heart
0

bobble added 10:45 - Oct 21 rumour has it, an order has gone out for a dozen 4 inch platform boots to a hong kong subsidiary of reebok partly owned by tony blairs cousin.
0

baznsez04 added 12:23 - Oct 21 block-a-boots anyone???????
0

Garv added 12:28 - Oct 21 It took a while, but turning Carlos into a right wing back for me has been a stroke of genius from PJ. One game that always sticks in my memory was Southampton away in the cup January 2010, with Carlos assuming his usual right wing position. He was awful, couldn't beat a player, couldn't really cross. But now at right back he looks so solid and after all the abuse hes had he is one of the first names on the team sheet.

0

blue_em_away added 12:47 - Oct 21 IMO I thnk we would struggle against Cresswell on the right with Edwards looking after him, IF he played for the opposition, but he plays for us :) To edwards credit, he has been excellent of late considering his baggage.
0

sonian_blue added 13:12 - Oct 21 Size doesnt matter, its ability that counts....Barceloooonaaa
0

Pessimistic added 13:15 - Oct 21 Yes, under the circumstances I must give credit where credit is due and Carlos Edwards has excelled in all departments of late.
0

taylor330ci added 22:14 - Oct 21 Keep it going PJ, you have been a revolution you have worked hard and turned us around and we are looking a strong side with the belief to push for something this season i no its only October but i am enjoying watching Ipswich play football again have always renewed season tickets but there have been some shocking previous seasons. The footballs better, the fans are getting behind you and the team and everyone is enjoying this good run lets keep it going. All together now! Paul Jewells "Barmy Army" ITFC!

0

Blogs 295 bloggers

Ipswich Town Polls