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

Pabloisgod84 added 14:00 - Apr 24 Bluekeen, Jewell can hardly come out and say its been a good season can he? the only thing he can say is what he has, "ive made mistakes" fair play nice honesty but i wouldnt say BALLS! There is a team just up the road , think there called Norwich (we know them as scum) that have built a very good team (kills me to say that) in 2 seasons so it can be done. I know not every club can do this and it doesnt happen often but i dont see anything close to positive coming from Jewell or the club. Im passionate about the club just like you but can you honestly say we have done any rebuilding this year. Its been clear for 18 months that we havenrt had a proper No.1 or decent centre backs and this has not been addressed!!! progress?

0

muhrensleftfoot added 14:05 - Apr 24 Jewell talks too much. The more he says, the less confidence I have in him. A manager of his experience should not be making mistake after mistake. I didn't think so at the time, but I can't help thinking that if we'd stuck with Jim Magilton we would be in a better position now. I know Evans saved the club financially, but from a football point of view it's been a disaster, going from mediocrity (Magilton) to utter shambles (Keane & Jewell). Oh how lucky (or astute) Norwich and Southampton were to get lambert and Adkins.

0

TractorBoyTalk added 14:15 - Apr 24 Valid points about Simon Clegg. Having an owner and a chief exec that have no experience of running a football club was always going to be a recipe for disaster. http://tractorboytalk.wordpress.com/
0

bluekeen added 14:22 - Apr 24 Pabloisgod84, Agreed this season has been crap but when you consider a year ago we had no midfield as they were all leaving no real strike threat having had them sold no real flair players having seen them leave to mediocre championship teams and high flying league one teams. Players here who after the previous manager were seen in b&q buying rope .... because they could not see how they were going to get out of this mess.... He has rebuilt and has made progress I have seen a team turn form being scared to play (keane era) to a team now wanting to play and actually outplaying opposition, (palace, watford first half) so yes there has been an amount of rebuilding. as for the scum ... do you know what they have that we don't........ ill tell ya a LOUD LOYAL FAN BASE (25k ave gate in league one I think I am sure the stattos can correct me) and it has taken them a lot more than 2 years to rebuild to where they are now..... we can learn a lot from them yes, but the biggest thing we can learn is patients and to support our team

0

Pabloisgod84 added 14:37 - Apr 24 Bluekeen, agreed on their crowd you are 100% correct, we get 18-20k which i know isnt great but it's ok yet we are so quiet, i wish they would put away fans near the north stand, there is no reason why they cant do it for me. Also im gonna slightly agree that yes we have attacked a bit more and with more threat than under keane but why has he not done anything about the defence / GK, its embarrassing at times our defending.

0

bluekeen added 14:46 - Apr 24 Agreed we have not signed a decent central defender in about 20 years !! imo but we do have a defender with who is undefeated in the world cup finals (not to many championship teams can boast that) a great left back in cressie both of whom have come on leaps and bounds this season. We need an Alexander (went to rangers) or Kelvin Davis style keeper again, something which we should be breaking the bank for and until we do we will have to play on with the theory we can score more than you attitude, and yes our defending is pure comedy at times

0

Tiggs added 15:00 - Apr 24 There are some really sad deluded fools on this site, there really are............. Continue to enjoy the awful , vastly overpriced 'entertainment' (word used very loosely. Bring back the Burley days when football was fun to watch and vastly more entertaining and considerably less expensive.
0

Steve_ITFC_Sweden added 15:56 - Apr 24 The kind of solidarity and commitment we are looking for begins with a fine Academy! TWTD.
0

dirtydingusmagee added 16:08 - Apr 24 StowTractorBoy, with respect, the team only needed a few tweeks as you put it ,when Rk took over,same said when PJ took over, but weve had so many muddled makeovers nothing has come together in 3 years.From week to week it seems we want a new player for new position. Its like a dog chasing its tail .
0

Mark added 16:41 - 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. Is 39% so awful? OK, let's compare it to a few others: Jim Magilton: 37% Alan Curbishley: 38% Ian Holloway: 38% Joe Royle: 39% Roy Keane: 39% Sam Allardyce: 40% Nigel Pearson: 40% George Burley: 43%

0

Garv added 16:58 - Apr 24 "Bring back the Burley days when football was fun to watch and vastly more entertaining and considerably less expensive." Okay, I'll just go and get that for you. Would you like a bag?
0

Blue041273 added 17:43 - Apr 24 PJ is starting to polarise opinion among the fans into the 'keep him come what may' and the 'get rid' camps. Deja vu or what! We've been through this with both JM & RK so a depressing summer beckons. PJ does himself no favours with statements like this as we all know that things haven't worked out as anyone hoped but admitting to making mistakes tells us that his judgement in all kinds of areas may be suspect. For me this has been a season of 'one step forward - two steps back' followed by 'two steps forward - one step back'; ie a lack of consistency. The obvious conclusion is that little or no progress has been made. Everyone will have their own ideas about what is required during the summer. If PJ can't use the benefit of hindsight to develop a clever sense of foresight to keep the growing band of anti PJ fans at bay I fear we will be regurgitating the same old views and arguments for the foreseeable future.

0

Dozzells_Bobblehat added 17:48 - Apr 24 Like it Garv
0

blue_moon09 added 18:02 - Apr 24 Moan Moan Moan, How many of you actually go to watch Town? I guess you'll all be back if they start doing well again one day. Makes me sick. Support Ipswich go to the games get behind the team. Have a good summer. On the ball City
0

bluearmy4life added 18:49 - Apr 24 Talking about moaning when you complain your team have been on last on MOTD most of the season Ha ha ha. That second season syndrome will come into effect!!! Up the TOWN!
0

MichaelRockyLavelle added 19:34 - Apr 24 Wasn't everyone complaining that we were signing too many old 'experienced' players last summer?? Why has it taken him a year to work it out, when everyone else knew? ... sometimes I wonder how smart Jewell is...
0

TimmyH added 19:43 - Apr 24 He's putting the blame on the owner now lol...he's clutching at straws, and the idea of 'having to build', wasn't that mentioned a year or so back? sounds like PJ is trying to get an extension to his contract (they're all at it).
0

TimmyH added 19:52 - Apr 24 Any more comments about it 'took Burley 5 years' to build a team and I'll blow a fuse! - within a season of being relegated we were playing good attractive football with him at the helm, we missed out on numerous occasions in the play-offs but the football we were playing then was easily twice as good as what we're seeing now. Expect another 5 years to get us into the Premiership...get lost, with the right manager less!

0

Crazee added 20:01 - Apr 24 Jog on Jewell - you are a total joke!! I'd rather have Keano back quite frankly. And before anybody starts steaming, I have been following ITFC solidly since 1968/69 season, and I will be back again next season, so I think I am allowed to have an opinion even if it is a "anti-Jewell negative one". I can honestly say this is the worst Town set-up from top to bottom I have had the misfortune to witness in all those years.

0

brendanh added 20:52 - Apr 24 Sounds like a resignation speech, and why not? Like Keane, Magilton and Burley before him, Jewell has made the mistake of trying to buy success in Suffolk. Can't be done. I can't believe the leadership of this club have, for 10 years, ignored our glorious history, and what made it. It was by growing from within, having among the best youth systems in the country, and filling in any gaps by utilizing an excellent international scouting system, buying potential not pedigree. Since Evans' arrival we have ignored youth (despite having a bumper crop in 2005), and until recently, the scouting network comprised of the manager. Honestly, I think an average fan could have provided better direction and leadership than Evans and his appointments.

0

righty added 21:09 - Apr 24 Well said brendanh we need a complete overhaul from top to bottom 4 years wasted
0

Dozzells_Bobblehat added 21:32 - Apr 24 brendanh - this is what i mean about people being too obsessed with youth at the minute. Dont get me wrong i would like us to continue with our good reputation and hope that in time we can move to Cat 1. However, as you state we won the FA Youth cup in 2005 but the only players from that team that have gone onto decent careers are : Danny Haynes (sub for Charlton), Owen Garvan (sub for Palace), Shane Supple (retired) and Liam Trotter (the only one who may actually get into our side now). So its not like every year you get three or four who will progress. Its obviously worth it on a financial level cos one Wickham, Dyer or Bramble every now and then pays off, but some people at the minute seem to think every player we release is a star in the making.

0

RegencyBlue added 22:03 - Apr 24 Frankly I have no faith in those running the club on or off the pitch. There is little evidence of any medium to long term planning or indeed any planning at all on the important issues and the only thing which seems certain in the future is more of the same dross we have endured since Evans took over.
0

Lightningboy added 22:15 - Apr 24 Biggest mistake was Marcus opening his cheque book 4 years ago..things were going very nicely under Magilton up until then. It's not great is it..new season not even on the horizon and we're all at each other's throats already on here.
0

GTRKing added 22:52 - Apr 24 Look I will give Jewlle till Xmass & if we are in the top 10 then give till Jan 2013 transfer window & see where we are. I know it been a poor season but we only need players who will give 100% Like Cresswell Carson Hyam Dury Smith ALB Stevenson Jet & R.Wright & Scotland & Chopra & Lee Martin & Edwards & the rest can leave & rebuild in the summer
0

Blogs 295 bloggers

Ipswich Town Polls