Blues boss Paul Jewell had no complaints about his players’ effort despite losing 2-1 to Watford at Portman Road on Saturday, their seventh successive defeat. After the previous loss, a 4-0 capitulation at Burnley, he had compared his side to a “pub team”.

Jewell said: “I think the players owe it to themselves and to the supporters to give it all they’ve got and I’ve got no complaints about anybody’s effort.

“I thought on Tuesday we were very, very poor, but against Watford I thought we gave everything we had and were very, very unlucky. I think that was the difference.

“I thought we were compact and I thought we did enough to win the game, but we didn’t, which is the bottom line.

“But there were a lot more positives to take out of the game than there were on Tuesday, but at the end of the day we’ve still got no points.”

He says there were a few jitters after Watford’s first goal, something he feels always happens during a losing run: “It’s always going to be that way when you’ve lost six on the bounce but I thought [after the first Watford goal] there was a positive reaction throughout the ground.

“The players were disappointed to concede the goal, but I don’t think we went into our shells. They gave everything they had and any other day they would have won that game.”

Jewell felt the Blues kept going after conceding the goals, which hadn't been the case in midweek: “I think we knocked in their door, we had shots off the line, we had balls going into the box. How a couple of those haven’t gone in I don’t know. But that’s what happens.

“We’ve had corners and shots going in and crosses going in, and fair play to them they defended them well, but nothing seems to drop for us in the box.”

Despite their seventh defeat on the trot, the players were applauded off at the end with Jewell feeling fans saw the match in much the same way he did: “I think the supporters aren’t silly.

“They’re disappointed but they know the players were giving everything they had today and but for a little bit of luck or a bounce of the ball we would have won the game.”

The Town manager had praise for returning winger Lee Martin even though he made an error for the second goal: “I thought Lee did well, he was involved in their second goal, but that’s what happens when it’s not going your way and they’re not going our way at the moment.

“I’ve never really blamed luck and said we were unlucky but I thought today we were blatantly unlucky not to have won the game.”

Blues goalscorer Keith Andrews says the players are firmly behind their boss: “We back the manager 100 per cent.

“It’s a transitional period," he continued. "But you can see from that performance we back the manager.”

Watford boss Sean Dyche says he’s not in a position to tell his Town counterpart how to end the losing streak, despite turning things around at Vicarage Road after a disappointing start to the campaign: “Paul Jewell will have his own way of doing things, his record is good, so it’s not for me to start telling him what he needs to do.”

He also had no explanation for Watford’s extraordinary record against the Blues, Saturday’s game was Town's 14th without a win against the Hornets: “You can never quite find the scientific equation for why it that happens with some clubs. I don’t think that was the case today.

“We knew it was a really tough game today, an awkward one because Ipswich are waiting to beat someone. Every run comes to an end.

“Ours was against Peterborough in a topsy-turvy end-to-end game in which we nicked it 3-2. That’s what stopped our [losing run] and started a [better] one. Paul will be looking to stop that run and start another one as we did.”

Meanwhile, the AGM of the PLC which owns 12.5% of the club will be held in the Sir Bobby Robson Suite at Portman Road this evening.

Photo: Action Images

TimmyH added 19:55 - Dec 5 By the way you don't get points for effort, just thought I'd point that out, it helps if you want to win games and it is a straw to clutch at and the only one at the moment. As regards to HARRY10's post - not sure what gems are going to come through in the next few years for ME to sell, the Academy is faultering maybe Carson if he rolls his sleeves up or possibly Cresswell, but if he keeps playing in a dire defense he'll lose his confidence or hand in a transfer request. I bet Roy Keane's chuckling in his Guiness at the moment!

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planetblue_2011 added 20:01 - Dec 5 Sorry i was wrong its Just a lump sum of Money - Not a big lump sum!! It's wages not transfers where his money has gone
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alfromcol added 20:23 - Dec 5 HARRY10 What a load of old tosh. You know nothing. You are making it up as you go along. Just like the media, if they don't know the facts they make the story up. Agreed we have not paid out much in transfer fees. But if you saw the books you would see that the wages paid to the signings are much higher than before and we have a large squad. WE need to get rid of load of them Priskin etc etc. But as with all employees under current laws in this country it is not simple/easy. PJ you have got to go ... and stay

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alfromcol added 20:26 - Dec 5 h32 added 19:08 - Dec 5 HARRY10 - very 'thought provoking post' - as I've said previously, post 'Olympics 2012' could be an interesting time !!!! What the F**k has this to do with ITFC and now???? Please explain as I am a simple country boy.
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h32 added 20:29 - Dec 5 alfromcol - go back to sleep.
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alfromcol added 20:39 - Dec 5 Please explain what the Olympics has to do with ITFC? This just proves my point, some people on here post all sorts of rubbish which they have no way of substantiating. Come on H32 we are all waiting for an explanation of what this has to do with the Olympics. No answer and your credibility is at stake!!!! As if it wasn't already.
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h32 added 20:45 - Dec 5 alfromcol - then my credibility is at stake - so what, I don't rate the judge. You make it obvious that any amount of explanation would not be understood. Goodnight.
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Skippy93 added 20:51 - Dec 5 After skimming through the comments I just thought I'd add my "two cents" 1) We lose Saturday he has to go, it's as simple as that. And for the record I'm a "Jewell inner", but it's a results business. 2) I don't know about anybody else, but I'd rather the manager be praising his team for three points on a Monday morning than for "effort". The words clutching and straws come to mind. 3) I couldn't give a toss about what Keith Andrews has to say quite frankly. It smacks off somebody who is simply thinking well I'll be out of here this time next month anyway. He will not be here for the "transitional period" and neither will Collins, simple as.

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brittaniaman added 20:52 - Dec 5 It is going to be a difficult job to get the crowds back to P.R.we are losing near on a thousand every game lately. they get out and find other things to do !!! I have been at P.R.when the crowds were 10,000 to11,000 and believe me it is not very good . I still think that Dave Allard had a valid point when he said that the club is in a complete muddle !!!!!
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HARRY10 added 21:08 - Dec 5 "HARRY10,What a load of old tosh. You know nothing. You are making it up as you go along." Yes We are not nearly £70m in debt We did sign more than Drury in the January transfer window PJ did not sign any freebies or older players, nor did he bring in loanees We did not sell Wickham We did not sign Richard Wright and he was not a Sheff Utd, who did not end his contract with him No player walked away last season because we could not meet their contract No player such as Leadbitter or Carson is stalling on signing a contract There are no players who are out of contract next June Our debt is not four time our annual income Attendances have not been falling Season tickets are not around 13,000 There is superb communication between Marcus Evans and the fans I can certainly see where you are correct. As you say it is me and the media who are making up our debts, the falling gates tickets etc. Also the state of the players contracts, the number of loanees and even the players ages. Together we have invented our debt and have hidden away the regular interchanges Marcus Evans has with our fans, or in your rather silly world we have. "But if you saw the books you would see that the wages paid to the signings are much higher than before" I saw the most recent accounts when they were published and the wage bill had dropped. not risen. The signings you talk of were AFTER the last set of accounts so you have no knowledge of them (or anything else it would appear) " But as with all employees under current laws in this country " No. The contracts will be European wide if not FIFA. What would you have ? Contracts that can be ignored when it doesn't suit. Wickham walking away for nothing ? No fan wants, or likes, the situation we are in but burying your head in the sand and trying to pretend that it isn't happening won't help you or the club. So I suggest you wise up a bit. Or talk to a grown up.

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alfromcol added 21:12 - Dec 5 h32 Your post sums you up. NO SUBSTANCE TO WHAT YOU SAY! Never again will anyone take any notice, if they did before, to what you post. It's 'goodnight from me and it's goodnight from him'
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h32 added 21:29 - Dec 5 alfromcol - there you go again 'talking for others' allegedly - as you do. Stew in your own juice - and ENJOY.
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alfromcol added 21:33 - Dec 5 Hi HARRY10 unlike h32, who has gone to bed as he has no facts to offer on why the Olympics 2012 has anything to do with ITFC. I am not disagreeing with a number of points you are making, but at the end of the day ME rescued the club from extinction, in financial terms. I to would like to see ME go public and not hide away. It certainly does not endure him to the supporters. You are correct in saying that I have no facts regarding the signings this season. But if highly paid players are taken on on a free transfer, they they and their agent pocket a very nice signing on fee and a good wage, ka Bullard, Bowyer et al. As we have offloaded very few players, I suspect, but don't know that the wage bill is significantly higher than last year. Falling gates do certainly have something to do with losing matches and playing poorly, however, there are several other factors, not least the recession and many people losing or fearing the loss of their jobs. Under the present dire economic times even if we went on a long winning run, crowds of 28000 + would be unlikely. I agree with other posters that there is a case for having significantly lower tickets prices to try to attract more attendees and increase the takings on Portman pies etc. At the end of the day all real supporters of ITFC want to see they winning, as I am sure SC and ME would want as well.

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alfromcol added 21:34 - Dec 5 h32 Thought u were going to bed?
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h32 added 21:35 - Dec 5 HARRY10 - spot on. Alfromcol - try picking the bones from that - before going back to sleep again that is.
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HARRY10 added 21:59 - Dec 5 Afromcol states "What a load of old tosh. You know nothing. You are making it up as you go along." - then "I am not disagreeing with a number of points you are making" ""But if you saw the books you would see that the wages paid to the signings are much higher than before" - followed by "You are correct in saying that I have no facts regarding the signings this season" "Falling gates" - I thought you said I was making it up as I went along "but don't know that the wage bill is significantly higher than last year" - or ..."that the wages paid to the signings are much higher than before" You strike me as either being barking mad, totally contradictory or not having a clue. Either way, any exchange with you would serve no point other than to reaffirm the above Goodnight

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Ipswichbusiness added 22:36 - Dec 5 If Mr Jewell thinks that the problem is not the lack of effort, what is it? He has signed most of these players. He is the one who has been organising them for a year. The basic is that a good team is based on a sound defence (we have the best keeper) and we have the worst defence in the Championship. Why can't he fix it? Why can't we produce a couple of decent Championship level defenders?

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alfromcol added 23:13 - Dec 5 HARRY10 This was your original post which I commented on: "We DON'T have money, that IS the problem. That is why we are now nearly £70m in debt, why after the sale of Walters for £3m we could only afford non league Drury, why Wickham had to be sold and PJ could only afford to bring in other clus cast offs and has beens, with the squad patched up with loanees. Why when we looked like we were going to be short of a 1st choice goalkeeper when could only afford the injury prone Plug. Someone not even wanted by 3rd tier Sheff Utd. Take a look at how many have walked away from the club because we could not afford their wages, and who still will walk away. Look how many are out of contract come next June. Or maybe the falling attendances and the drop in season tickets to around 13,000 - and you say we have money ! I would wager Greece is thanking itself it's not in our shoes (their debt is about one and a half times it annual incomer. Ours is four times our annual income). I believe the lack of money is a symptom of lack of interest from Marcus Evans. There is little or no communication from him or his idiot CEO Clegg. We are drifting, with what loks like a 'let them get on with it' attitude from the top. There is no urgency, no sense that the club is any importance to anyone. Save the long suffering fans. Whether we are eventually relegated( I don't think we will be) or not, please lets at least recognise what has lead us to this sorry state. A dramatic cost cutting exercise and a virtually complete LACK of money" Taking some of the points you make. How do you know we don't have any money? Why do you say that after the sale of Walters, we could only afford Drury. How do you know this? Why pay transfer fees when players can be signed on free transfers? Is it a fact that Wickham HAD to be sold? Its only your opinion that PJ has brought in other clubs cast offs and has beens. I wouldn't class Chopra, Sonko and JET cast offs and has beens? Plug (Pug) was taken on in an emergency as we are in a part of the season when we can't actually sign players from other clubs. ( I personally don't rate Pug as a 1st choice keeper anyway) Who do you know for a fact that has walked away from the club because we couldn't afford their wages? Your comments re ME and SC's lack of interest are only your opinion and not facts. It seems more likely that a 'winner' in life like ME is unlikely to not care that a business that he has invested a lot of money in is not being successful. What proof do you have that Clegg is an idiot? Seems quite successful individual, he has reached the position of CEO of out beloved football club. No small job, running a company with a turnover of millions of pounds and employing a large number of local people. I would be surprised if PJ is not given money in the January transfer window to further strengthen the squad. A keeper, centre half and right back would be the top priorities.

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TractorBoy666 added 00:54 - Dec 6 We are on tele on Saturday, first time to see how we are getting on since that 3-0 at home to Coventry. COYB!
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tomisamos added 02:00 - Dec 6 jas0999 you may want to look at this and tell me how the stats show so clear that we were dominated by Watford. Looks fairly even to me. Unless you think 54% to 46% really is far more possession. I suggest you make sure your stats are true next time and stop giving us a load of hype to fit your opinion. Although you are right, we lost. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/15902059.stm As for everyone else. Jewell hasn't been sacked today, so he won't be sacked tomorrow and won't be sacked until Saturday, so let's wait and see if he can lift a win out of his players then before we all get our knickers in a twist all week.

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h32 added 17:44 - Dec 6 HARRY10 - totally agree - waist of effort.
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