Boss Paul Jewell has admitted that both he and owner Marcus Evans have got things wrong since they came to the club as the Blues come to the end of their 10th successive season in the Championship no nearer a return to the Premier League after another lower mid-table finish.

Jewell, whose side could register the club’s lowest finish for 55 years if they drop from their current position of 15th to 17th after Saturday’s final game at Doncaster, admits it’s been a poor last decade for the club: “It is a depressing record, I guess, but you have to ask why we have we been in this league for 10 years. There might be a few things.

“Obviously there’s been a lack of a winning culture, sometimes a lack of investment, sometimes too much investment, sometimes expectations have been unrealistic.”

He says that in football, historic reputations or large followings aren’t what win you promotions or trophies: “Ipswich has got a great name in the game, but, as I’ve said before, as we were getting promoted with Wigan from League One up to the Championship up to the Premiership and getting to the cup final, people kept talking about ‘traditional football clubs’.

“About how Sheffield Wednesday deserved to be in there, how Derby, Ipswich and this club and that club have got massive fan bases.

“That means a great deal but the most important product is getting it right on the pitch and for whatever reasons, we haven’t got it right on the pitch this season and for the last 10 seasons.

“We have to earn the right to be at the top end of the table,” he added. “Being a good team in the past buys you nothing.

“You only get out of this game what you put into it now and sometimes we look back too far. That’s life. It’s not all looking back, we’ve got to look forward.”

Jewell believes the foundations are in place at Town but feels mistakes have been made, both during his time at the club and beforehand: “The infrastructure is here, the owner’s been here four years now. It was a brand new project for him and I think maybe just throwing money at stuff doesn’t always work. You’ve got to have a structure, you’ve got to have a plan.

“I think this year I’ve been guilty of not planning enough by signing too many experienced players. Experienced players are important but getting the blend is vital and I’ve got the blend wrong this year.

“I will take full responsibility for that but life’s about learning from your mistakes. I’ve made a few mistakes.”

Owner Marcus Evans has spent plenty of money since he took charge in December 2007, not least last summer when Jewell brought in 13 new players, but the Town boss says a model of greater stability is what he will be looking towards in future: “Marcus is new to football and maybe he thought we’d throw money at it. When I was at Derby, no one knew who Marcus Evans was.

“Everyone thought that Ipswich were throwing serious money at it and all of a sudden players wanted to go to Ipswich because they were paying [big] wages. That hasn’t worked as yet and I think stability and structure and building is the way we want to go.

“Last year we brought in 13 players but I want to get to the situation where I’m really happy with the group of players that I’ve got and I need two or three players just to tweak it.”

Photo: Action Images

Kesgraveblue57 added 11:14 - Apr 24 We are going backwards fast that's a fact, Manager like Jewell is second class and always will be so most of his decisions on tactics,discipline are appalling. We have current players because of lack of discipline from the Manager that shame our club both on and off the pitch. As a team they very rarely put in a good in shift, this is lack of motivation from within the dressing room. We are stuck with this man for yet another season but I will continue to point out how poor Jewell is as a manager

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jas0999 added 11:27 - Apr 24 I agree - ME made a huge mistake in signing PJ. Terrible manager who has delivered a poorer season than last year. Truely dreadful. Still, at least we have lots of top heavy earners the wrong side of 30. But on the whole without ME's money we would be in a mess - so wrong to blame him. In appointing PJ he probably thought he was signing a good experienced manager. Sadly PJ has let him and the fans down.

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RaymondovicBlue added 11:44 - Apr 24 For the record, Dozzell's, I'm not out to see him sacked. I do NOT want ME to spend HIS money on a pay off (but that is of course up to him). But that does not mean he is "safe" for another contract as things stand, does it? Do YOU think he is worth another one all things being equal??
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bedsitfc added 11:44 - Apr 24 fair play everyone knows mistakes have been made but if i am being honest i think marcus has made the worst ones but with appointing paul jewell as manager he is going the right way to sorting it out. under paul jewell's management i think ipswich will be a force again.
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megamoth added 11:47 - Apr 24 Thanks to Coventry, we become the longest serving club in the Championship. Not an honour that any of us want but when you consider how bleak things looked at the turn of the year, I would have been delighted to take a lower mid table finish. At least we and others can have a cheap laugh at the budgies expense... http://www.thedailymash.co.uk/sport/sport-headlines/norwich-fan-to-be-burned-as-

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RaymondovicBlue added 11:48 - Apr 24 And let's not forget that the players have played their part in letting themselves down far too often ... are you listening Mr Bullard. Get well soon and get your playing boots on and show us what you can do ... PLEASE !!!!
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Dozzells_Bobblehat added 12:06 - Apr 24 Raymond - my comments werent particularly aimed at you, just a general comment at all the whingers. In answer to your question, no certainly not at this point. I have posted on here before that the forthcoming season will be huge for PJ and he will ultimately probably be judged from Aug to Dec. I do think there are signs of promise and think he deserves that chance. As stated he has made mistakes and lets hope he has learned from them. I will say give me PJ any day over RK (who would never have admitted being wrong by the way) , but mainly i wouldnt change managers at this point as i cant possibly see how would help us at this moment in time. We have improved as a team with a settled side since new year and i think its the same with managers, we need some stability. No doubt the usual suspects will throw scorn on this but thats my feelings on it. I agree with you that a couple of the players owe PJ (and us) a good season.

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Garv added 12:07 - Apr 24 Magilton was getting somewhere, maybe slowly, but he was showing more promise than the last two managers we've had. Giving into a short term approach and sacking him was in hindsight a big mistake, and before that giving him a £12m budget when he was only just starting out was also foolish. Then along came Keane, who I still believed sucked any life there was left at the club out of it. I'm a young fan but I've never been so depressed watching my football team when he was in charge. It really fell apart from there. Now I'm not blaming Keane for Paul Jewell's mistakes but I he had to pick us up from a very low place, which he did. Some people have short memories. It was all smiles not long after Jewell joined, we started scoring, playing half decent football which had been alien to us for 2+ years, and ultimately getting results. This season has been, in the end poor, even after it looking like we might be able to call it quite good if we'd continued on our route towards the play offs. But draws (very welcome in a way as we barely had one all season) and a couple of defeats meant that wasn't going to happen, when we probably all knew that in the first place. Now we've bumbled down to our customary 15th place, or possibly lower. So yes, a poor season. But I've seen more positives in this one season than I ever saw during 20 months of Keane. One poor season is not failure as many label the manager. You can say appointing him was a mistake, quite probably as opposed to some managers who were available - Hughton? But let's see what happens in the future eh. Frankly I can't see the play offs for us next season, but I can see improvement with some of the players we have and the fact that we now know, more or less what we need to move forward. If there is no improvement next season then sadly we'll lose ANOTHER manager by either the sack, if its as bad as it was at some periods this season position wise, or his contract will run down and he won't be offered a new one.

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SouperJim added 12:12 - Apr 24 You say the right things Jewell, but I'm yet to see some real follow through. The blend is wrong you say, yet you still dropped Hyam at the first opportunity to make way for Lee "stand in the centre circle watching the game happen around you" Bowyer. Talk is cheap, retirement contracts aren't. If life is about learning from your mistakes I would say you're pretty close to death. I'm sick and tired of people at this football club making all the right noises whilst making the same mistakes over and over again. Our transfer business this summer will either make or break our season.

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Millsey added 12:27 - Apr 24 Same old moaners on here again!!!!!!
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Mark added 12:45 - Apr 24 Jewell has made mistakes and hasn't turned us into the promotion team that we'd like to be BUT I have enjoyed the football much more since he took over the club. Remember the dour football under Keane and how we 19th in the table at that times. There has been SOME improvement, just not as much as we would like. At least we have seen 39 Ipswich goals at Portman Road (more than Reading scored at home) and we generally play attacking football. Wages aside, remember that Jewell has 'only' spent about £3M in fees, but sold Wickham for £8M, plus lost Norris and McAuley outside of his control. We won't get anywhere without quality players and it takes time to build a team.

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MathieandMarshall added 12:56 - Apr 24 Ok, lets try and be glass half full for a minute. At one point we looked destined for relegation this season. PJ has turned it around and now i think both he and Evans are holding their hands up that mistakes have been made trying to find overnight success. IF and its a big IF, they have learned from these mistakes there is no reason why we cannot push on next season and challenge again. Finding a keeper and a couple of decent defenders in the summer is crucial but as others have said, we play better, more attacking football now. Shore up at the back and why not finish top 6 next season?? COYB!

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Jon_456 added 12:57 - Apr 24 I wonder if chairmans come on this site to find their managers as it seems 99% of users appear to be a world class managers who think they could get a championship club promoted with ease. I think some people forget that its a long term plan. Yes he's made some mistakes with signing older players, but we still have some good players that will be key for us next year such as lee martin, jet, chopra, cresswell, drury, hyam, carson. With a few additions we could have a good team next year.

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Edinburgh_Blue added 13:03 - Apr 24 @Garv. Lots of people seem to have a reasonably high regard of Magilton's time in charge. Might be my memory playing tricks, but weren't there rumours he had lost the dressing room leading up to his departure?
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walberswick added 13:08 - Apr 24 13 players? Who exactly?
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walberswick added 13:10 - Apr 24 Chopra, Cresswell, Bowyer, JET, Drury, Stevenson, Murphy, Stockdale, Andrews, Collins, Bullard, Sonko, Ellington Is he talking about this lot?
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RaymondovicBlue added 13:30 - Apr 24 Next season will deffo be Make or break for a lot of folk ... Clearly PJ will need a good one for a new contract Lots of players - young and old - or reputation and livelihood will disappear ME even may call it time We have shown this year that we can play with top 6 form and not only in 6 feet of snow (slight exaggeration for effect!) ... now everyone's job (including all of the above but also us as fans) is to do it for a whole season. A massive year ahead - I may not get to many live games but I will be cheering all the way from my internet radio hoping that it is make Make MAKE all the way!

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bluearmy4life added 13:31 - Apr 24 It's good that ME & PJ have admitted they have made mistakes.It Shows there honesty. On another note they will not be given anymore time to keep making the same mistakes over and over again. It's another big season next term but how long have we been saying that for? PJ has my backing but if we start next season poorly he has to go. Fingers crossed we can make the team click. All it takes is one season just look at Scum. There not world beaters but they clicked the year they went up ****ards!

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Pabloisgod84 added 13:32 - Apr 24 we are witnessing the death of Ipswich town as we know it: *The Owner for me does'nt care about the club that much or give a s*ht about the fans! *Chief exec is a complete ****, yes man to the owner and has no idea about our once great club. *Manager - well the last 2 have been dreadful and sold or fell out with our best players, style of football has been hideous, i cant get to 10 games in the last 100 where we have been entertained. *Youth - we are constantly signing or being linked to old past it players instead of bringing youngsters through. * ticket prices - an absoulte joke in terms of what is dished up on the pitch. we need to do something soon town fans to save our great club, i cant bear to see Norwich doing so well its killing me!!!! i know there is no quick fix but i dont see any progression for us at all!!!i cant see next season being any better!!

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walberswick added 13:35 - Apr 24 It was Jewelliio's big season this year. He fluffed it.
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Tiggs added 13:41 - Apr 24 Enough is enough. Please just leave!!!! Jewell's record at the club speaks for itself; P71 W27 D14 L30 = 38% win ratio. His overall managerial career is equally impressive; P576 W225 D134 L217 = 39% win ratio. The man to move our club forward? Make-up your own minds........ My car is ready to drive him wherever he wants and I'll drop Clegg & Evans off on the way! Let the club be owned and run by somebody who understands the long traditions of our once great club.

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Sindre94 added 13:45 - Apr 24 "no sh*t sherlock" etc, what is the point of making these comments? meaningless and tiring... Good that Jewell admits his mistakes and works to make it up to us, I think he can turn it around this summer but only time will tell!
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bluekeen added 13:47 - Apr 24 a few things 1. do any of you have £100M 2. It takes BALLS to admit your mistakes, how many of us would go to the boss and say "hey I got it wrong" 3.It takes a hell of a lot of time to build a squad (Burley 5 years, Robson 8 years, Ramsey 4 years) approx..... it never goes over night 4. we do need a better chief exec no doubt, I do feel that is where the weakness is! 5. we need to support our team we support the shirt the club the BADGE not necessarily the people wearing it they I do agree have to earn us chanting there name but we can sing for our club, and when those players do become heroes then they will understand how they have earn it. so the ME doubts - put up or shut up the PJ doubters let him build support him give him the time previous great managers of this club have had to create teams capable of doing great things. it takes time for the club to be rebuilt it will never happen overnight. it begun this year lets see where we are in 2 years min!

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StowTractorBoy added 13:52 - Apr 24 Where has all this doom and gloom come from. For goodness sake be grateful for what you have. An owner who saved us from the scrapheap, a Manager who saved us from almost certain relegation last season and a team that is at least trying to play some decent football. We are in the top 6 or so of goals scored in our division this season, so for me we need just a few tweaks at the back and a couple more players in attacking roles and we'll be OK.

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Essex_Tractor added 13:56 - Apr 24 Have to agree with Sindre and Bluekeen Things have been terrible over the past couple of years but the last three months have been a definite improvement and changing it all again could just as likely make it worse as it could make it better. Jewell at least deserves the summer and lets see if he really has learnt from last season
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