Blues boss Paul Jewell joked that he wished midfielder Jimmy Bullard really wasn’t speaking to him when denying recent reports of a bust-up between the two.

Speaking at yesterday's press conference, Jewell said: “I’ve just had a laugh with Jimmy this morning, he said to me, ‘We’re not speaking, are we?’.

"I don’t know how well you know Jimmy Bullard, he could never not speak to anyone. It would actually be lovely if he was silent for a time!

“We’ve had no bust-up. I don’t know where the rumours came from but I know that when you’re losing matches people have very good sources and insiders and all that, but the source and the insider is completely wrong on this occasion. It’s no big drama, it’s just a complete untruth. “

The Liverpudlian also dismissed claims of dressing room fallouts: “I don’t see any dressing room unrest. I got loads of texts from some of the players on Sunday morning asking if I was OK, which is very nice of them.

“When André Villas-Boas picks his Chelsea team he’s going to have 11 players who think he’s picked the right team and another 20 who think he’s picked the wrong one. That’s the same from Hereford right through to Manchester City.

“There’s no player who is happy when he’s left out but Jimmy, Ívar and Arran Lee-Barrett were amongst a number of changes I made last week and I had no bust-ups with any of the players and there’s no drama.

“I don’t want players to be happy if they’re dropped," he added. "But there really isn’t a problem with Jimmy Bullard and I don’t see a dressing room which isn’t together.”

Jewell says Bullard is treated like any other member of the squad and currently his form has dipped: “He’s not playing that great but that happens, look at Frank Lampard or Fernando Torres. There are a lot of players on benches.

“The manager can only pick 11. He’s not the only player that’s been left out. He was terrific for us when he came last year, got Player of the Year, the fans loved him, they still do, I hope. We all love him.

“He didn’t have a pre-season because he was at Hull, a lot of our players are the same. I’ve just gone for Keith Andrews and Lee Bowyer in the centre of the midfield, it’s no big drama. That’s life. No one’s got a divine right to play.

“Jimmy’s no different any other player. I treat every player on their merits and try and pick a team which can win a match.”

He says his squad are determined to turn things around: “The dressing room is desperate to get results for the club, probably in a way a bit too desperate to get a result, which you can see in most of the performances where we’ve been hanging on. Once we get one, I’m sure we’ll be fine.”

The reported row with Bullard was said to relate to the 33-year-old’s refusal to move from his home in Cobham in Surrey. Jewell says he instituted a rule of players living within 25 miles when he was manager at Bradford, although this proved difficult to enforce when signing players such as Dean Saunders who were settled further away.

He says such a policy — previously introduced at Town by Roy Keane and George Burley - can’t be imposed on squad members on shorter term deals: “When you’re giving players one-year contracts it’s not really feasible to ask them to move. Most players we’ve got are well off enough to have a flat.

“Jimmy doesn’t drive, he has a driver and sometimes he stays down the A12 where one of his uncles lives. He’s never late for training.”

However, he says it’s something he’s looking at for players signing longer deals: “If someone’s on a three-year contract, I think we’re well within our rights to put something in the contract that they’ve got to move to the area. It’s something we might need to look at going forward.

“Someone like Cressy, who has signed a new deal and has told me he’s saving for a deposit on a new house, we expect someone like him to move down.”

Photo: Action Images

cooper4england added 08:17 - Dec 9 I really hope Jewel can turn this around. He does give good interviews. COYB
0

Pessimistic added 08:24 - Dec 9 Yes, the press get even more mischevious than ever when a club is struggling and any bad news - no matter how flimsy the details, will be newsworthy to popular tabloids at this time. We all like Jimmy and I genuinely hope he gets back in the team and rekindles his form of old. LIke the whole team this season he has underperformed.
0

bugblatter added 08:30 - Dec 9 I rest my case
0

KenDubZ added 08:49 - Dec 9 I love Jewell is think he is the right man and he knows what his doing it would be unfairly to sack him!! Up the Jewell!!!!
0

BROTHERBLUE1974 added 09:09 - Dec 9 KenDubZ, you think jewell is the right man. 7 games without a win, 21st in the division. Yeah he's the right man for the job. NOT. JEWELL OUT, JEWEL OUT. He hasn't got a clue any more.
0

nitroblue1970 added 09:22 - Dec 9 Cressy is saving for a deposit!!!...give him the money and take it out of his wages each week until he's repaid it... he deserves that at least for his consistent performances since he signed!
0

Knightsy added 09:31 - Dec 9 Cresswell is Saving for a Deposit.....Well he should have a enough in his monthly wages to put down a Deposit.
0

newboy added 09:39 - Dec 9 You can speak to him long distance when you are sacked - the sooner the better
0

CL4CK! added 09:40 - Dec 9 nitroblue1970 - God forbid a footballer should have to do such a thing as save for a deposit on a house...
0

rosseden added 09:44 - Dec 9 If he is on five grand a week then after tax and ni it'll be about 2400. based on the fact he has to live and they'd want 40 percent or so he would have to save. for a nice pad .. . . . . he's not gonna buy a two bed terrace on bramford road. . . . . its gonna be something a bit pricier . . . .
0

Surco72 added 09:49 - Dec 9 Judge Jewell on a season not a run of games ,the 7 game losing run added to our run before that almost equals itself out as winning one losing one whats the difference ?If we are bottom at the end of the season Jewell will go simple as ,if not lets build for next year .Get Jimmy on form and the team will win .
0

thechangingman added 10:29 - Dec 9 I really could not care any less about these 'issues'. Unless we're at the club, we've no idea whatsoever what the ACTUAL TRUTH of the matter is. I'll focus instead on what happening on the pitch, because that is clear for everyone to see and let's be honest behind all of the 'he's a great geezer' spin it just ain't pretty at the moment...
0

simplesuffolkfarmer1 added 10:34 - Dec 9 BrotherBlue- go home, get a job
0

PJ_Needs_Duncan added 11:33 - Dec 9 There is no truth in any of these bust up stories, we are doing badly purely because Jewell is useless. Jewell Out
0

jas0999 added 11:42 - Dec 9 The fact is Jimmy has been poor. I don't think anyone can argue otherwise. Hull fans warned us that with his nice contract in place we wouldn't see as much effort. So far they have been right and PJ has been wrong to sign him. Time will tell though.
0

1RWR added 11:50 - Dec 9 There are some utter berks on this site, sack Jewell?.......fine, then who comes in, more to the point who in their right mind would want to take the job on? Just give the guy until end of January & see where we are, the guy has a good track record, patience is a virtue they say.
0

cooper4england added 12:14 - Dec 9 I really hope Jewel can turn this around. He does give good interviews. COYB
0

strikalite added 12:31 - Dec 9 With the players we have in our squad, pundits were backing us a couple of months back...now, SEVEN straight loses, think about that very carefully one by one..count individually with each finger and when you get to four it starts to get very worrying! I really can't see a way forward with PJ, yeah we might win a couple and draw a couple(we can hope!)but these performances will always rear their ugly heads...playing players out of position and not safe guarding key positions at the start of the season has cost him no doubt...at what point do we switch direction - when we lose 2k more fans from PR??

0

Daleyitfc added 12:39 - Dec 9 There certainly are some berks on here : the ones who think Jewell will turn this round. I'm guessing the same people who felt Keane needed more time ... and Magilton. 3 rubbish managers ; a few rubbish supporters. Most people who have followed Town for a while (42 years in my case) can smell the decay.
0

Jeff_winger added 12:51 - Dec 9 Cresswell saving for deposit lol what the hell is he buying surely footballers in top 2 divisions have no problems with finding a deposit
0

Dog added 12:54 - Dec 9 I have just read an article on BBC Sport where Paul Jewell says he is trying to do too much in a season where "longetivity is the answer". He goes on to say, that he needs to get players in who will be here in three to four years time. For the record, Paul Jewell has my backing, but this interview is a mistake. Out of the players he has signed and loaned, i can only see one of them possibly being here in 3-4 years (Cresswell). The others are too old (not against this policy - as long as it is better than what we have/had!!). So i would suggest to Mr Jewell, that he needs to sit down, shut up and get us out of this mess. It is his team and he has got us into this mess. I cannot remember the last time we perfomed well on TV (the joke of the Leicester game apart) so I for one am expecting eight games without a win. I just hope that Town have a go and entertain me. If not , then regrettably i will be clamouring for him to go on Monday.

0

MazzaCOYB added 13:15 - Dec 9 Home to Coventry earlier in the season, very good on TV. But yes we will lose tomorrow.
0

Duly38 added 13:28 - Dec 9 @ BROTHERBLUE1974......... You haven't got a clue mate... Yeahh lets get him out and we'll be back to square 1 again... Give a new manager a short amount of time to try and turn things around and then be shouting for him to get sacked aswel.... Typical ipswich fan... Never goes to game but yet has the cheek to say get him out. Next time we win at home you'll be one of the fans that's chanting 'paul jewell's barmy army'... Enough said!!!

0

SouperJim added 13:36 - Dec 9 I found this an interesting comment:- "I got loads of texts from some of the players on Sunday morning asking if I was OK" Asking if he was OK as in still employed?
0

casanovacrow added 13:37 - Dec 9 I wouldn't want him to stay anyway. Scores a few yes, but he's part of our failing diamond in the midfield. there are hungrier players about on far less wage.
0

Blogs 295 bloggers

Ipswich Town Polls