Please log in or register. Registered visitors get fewer ads.
Jewell: We Can Compete for Keith
Jewell: We Can Compete for Keith
Friday, 23rd Dec 2011 08:39

Boss Paul Jewell says Town still have a chance of keeping Keith Andrews at Portman Road beyond January, despite the Premier League interest in the midfielder. Jewell spoke to the 31-year-old at training yesterday in the wake of the Irishman’s claims that the Blues weren’t doing enough to show they wanted to keep him.

Jewell says Andrews always viewed his switch to Portman Road as a longer-term thing, preferring to be part of a developing team in the Championship rather than in a side constantly battling against relegation from the Premier League: “When I first brought him here in August we had a long chat and he said that he wants to be a club which is moving forward, that’s got ambition, that wants to go forward rather than just being part of a relegation scrap in the Premier League.

“It’s hard for players being part of that relegation scrap at times. Although they’re playing at a higher level, it’s almost no fun. You’re going into games knowing that you’re hardly going to touch the ball. They were his words, not mine.

“Even though there might be some Premier League clubs in for him, if they’re not Premier League clubs in the top half, I think we’ve got a chance to compete.

“We haven’t got a chance to compete against them in terms of money, but Keith’s not all about money, he’s about the future, which is what gives me hope that we might be able to sign him.”

Jewell admits that perhaps he should have spoken in greater depth with the 31-year-old regarding his future but says his concerns were elsewhere during the recent poor run of form: “I said to Keith [on Thursday] morning that we’d lost seven on the bounce and I was wondering whether I was going to be here, never mind Keith Andrews.

“I’ve got a terrific relationship with Keith, we’re both quite strong-minded people and I said to him that maybe I should have had a chat with him, but it’s come to a head now.

“He knows that I want to keep him, he knows the club want to keep him, it’s just whether the agent and the club can come to an agreement and whether Blackburn agree to it. There are going to be other clubs in for him, so there are a lot of factors.”

If Andrews does move on to the Premier League, the Blues boss says he has no issue with a player looking to play at a higher level: “I said to Keith I’ve no problem with people doing the best for themselves.

“When I came in last year I said that I didn’t want to go through all the contractual stuff like we did with Damien Delaney, Gareth McAuley and David Norris again, but it’s probably even worse this year.

“It’s going to be difficult for me to manage that, but that’s part of the skill of managing. There’s more to it than just doing it on the training pitch.

“I’ll never have a problem with players trying to better themselves or trying to get the best deals for their families but I also want the best deal for Ipswich.

“I’d like to keep Keith and I’d like to keep Danny Collins, but they’re Premier League players who are on Premier League money, so it’s difficult to try get the deals done.

“We’d love to keep Keith and we’d love sign Danny, but whether we can is down to a lot of things - the clubs they’re at, the fact that they’ve both got a year left on their contracts, the players themselves, us and the agents. There are a lot of factors which come into it. I do think the players know that we want to keep them, which is a good start.”

Jewell says Andrews has told him he wants to remain with the Blues and says his performances, which have so far yielded nine goals, have illustrated that: “Every player says they’d like to stay but I think Keith has come in and I think he’s shown his commitment, that he wants to stay.

“He’s a strong character and he intimated to me when he first came that he wants to be here long term and we’d like that.

“But at the end of the day what we’d like and what happens are two different things. It’s not as if his contract is up in the summer, he’s got another year to go at Blackburn and Danny has another year to go at Stoke on Premier League wages, so it’s not as easy as people might think.”

As for Collins, who returned to Stoke at the end of his loan on Monday, the Town manager says he’ll be talking to Potters boss Tony Pulis once he has spoken with the Welsh international’s agent: “I was going to ring Tony this morning but I’ll probably wait until tomorrow. I think I probably need to speak with Danny’s agent to see what Danny wants to do.

“He’s a bit similar to Keith. He’s put himself in the shop window a little bit after being out of the picture at Stoke.

“His wife’s had a baby while he’s been here, so it’s been a bit difficult. Logistically and geographically it might be more difficult but we’re hoping that we can still do something there.”


Photo: Action Images



Please report offensive, libellous or inappropriate posts by using the links provided.



JimmyJazz added 08:55 - Dec 23
Would he prefer a relegation scrap in the Championship rather than the same in the Premiership? At least he can influence play in the Championship
0

jas0999 added 09:37 - Dec 23
He will move to a PL club - lets hope PJ really does have a Plan B up his sleeve - and not a repeat of his failure to address the CB position in the Summer.
0

bigolconnor added 10:24 - Dec 23
Do you need a top up jas0999 your glass looks half empty as usual.
0

bluelady added 10:38 - Dec 23
Bring back Keane bigolcon thats the only thing that will get Jas smiling he has been on a jewell hate campaign ever since!
0

SomershamBlue added 10:58 - Dec 23
What so many people seem to fail to understand is that one of the key elements of management is control of your resources. When it comes to transfers and budgets, managers of football clubs simply do not have control. Additionally, they have to put up with agents constantly trying to exploit situations for their own personal benefit. Club managers can try to influence events (and that should be one of their attributes), but they rarely have the level of control that a manager in business has.

It's not quite as straightforward as players of FM would like to believe...


Merry Xmas!!
0

bobble added 11:17 - Dec 23
so there you non-understanding failures ....
0

rosseden added 12:03 - Dec 23
SomershamBlue..... 'It's not quite as straightforward as players of FM would like to believe....'

are you really really sure? i really thought we could fire the scouts and use FM as a scouting tool as well.... ;-)

unfortunatly some people wont see the irony in that statement and will think thats a true thought......

If PJ is really on a long plan with ME, then theres a reason why he hasnt spent any really big money last year, they want to get the current 'contract value' situation under control before adding to the problem. Theres a balance between consolidating and growth within business, ME is well aware of that, and the two cant be achieved at the same time......
0

meekreech added 12:28 - Dec 23
Also as I have said previously we cannot do anything in the way of deals until parent clubs state their intentions for the players future with them !
0

arc added 13:01 - Dec 23
Andrews' goals have been essential first half (and a real surprise to everyone, I would say). But, if signing him means tying up serious money for (say) the next two and a half years, I would rather we take a chance on the best youngster we can afford from League One or League Two: someone in the 22—24-year-old range, who is excelling for his club and ready to try the next step. It is more of a risk–Andrews is a surer bet in terms of our relegation fight–but by this time next year we may be glad of it.
0

roytheboy added 14:37 - Dec 23
Well done Paul for clearing that up with Keith, I really do hope we can keep this excellent player.
0

Texaco73 added 17:06 - Dec 23
Hold on!
I thought when KA signed on loan it was with an agreement with Blackburn for an option of a permanent switch in January if we wanted him? I was under the impression we had 'first dibs' as it were..
Is my memory failing me? Did I imagine that? Was it incorrect journalism? Or, flannel from the club at the time to subdue the fans for yet another loan signing?

Maybe a bit of all four??
0

tractorboy2434 added 18:08 - Dec 23
Texaco, Its flannel of course just like the rest of the drivel from the club, they don't want to do anything that's remotely difficult, Andrews will be gone just like Collins and welcome back to their replacements, Leadboots and Ingarinjured again, cue the 3-4 goals a game starting on Boxing Day.
0

NastyPasty added 19:05 - Dec 23
Yes i'm insane.. But I think we've got a good chance of signing Andrews. And lets face it, we would be bottom 3 if it wasn't for his contribution. Sign him up PJ.. Then sort out the Fekkin back four. COYB
0

Texaco73 added 19:09 - Dec 23
Thanks Tractorboy. Glad I'm not losing my marbles...
I am seriously disappointed with the way the club tries to feed us this endless stream of tripe and believe we are going to suck it all in.
In fact I'm not a Jewell outer but there's a fair bit of wind come out of PJ too. He likes his quote about what managers 'see' in training then it transpires Chopra's been away at a clinic, and Sonko hadn't been at training either!
Spin, waffle, hot air & distraction...
0

NastyPasty added 20:41 - Dec 23
Yes i'm insane.. But I think we've got a good chance of signing Andrews. And lets face it, we would be bottom 3 if it wasn't for his contribution. Sign him up PJ.. Then sort out the Fekkin back four. COYB
0

airliner added 07:34 - Dec 24
So wheres the ambition Paul if ME wont even pay £3 million for a good striker and also fund CB, RB, MF; we need to spend in January and get out of this division. The oldest team in here now behind Coventry. 11 years of championship football; I might pass away before we get promoted. Please marcus spend this window and save us from another year stuck in the championship.
There are obviously issues going on behind the scenes such as getting some of the deadwood out of here i.e Priskin, Leadboots, smith and others . Once this is done then we might see some movement in the transfer market. I beleive that Leadbetter is already gone as he is unlikely to sign for what hes been offered; go and join your mate at forest and enjoy . happy x mas
0


You need to login in order to post your comments

Blogs 295 bloggers

Ipswich Town Polls

About Us Contact Us Terms & Conditions Privacy Cookies Advertising
© TWTD 1995-2024