Blues boss Paul Jewell has reiterated his commitment to bringing younger players to Portman Road as he looks to build a squad for the future. Last year, the Town manager added senior ex-Premier League players such as Lee Bowyer and Jimmy Bullard but after that approach failed to ignite a promotion challenge, the focus changed.

Jewell said: “We might bring in one or two experienced players to help them, but we want players here who are going to be here for the long term. Players who buy houses here, who settle in the area. That’s what we’re after.

“It’s a bit of a shift from last year, I’ll be honest, but I think it’s the way forward. It’s a brilliant club, great supporters but we want players to come here to be part of that community rather than being ships in the night having a last pay day at Ipswich.

“We don’t want that, although I’m not saying [that about] the lads came here last year, I’m not degrading [them] at all, but we want to build for the future rather than do a quick fix because I think it’s going to be a long-term job.”

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tractorblue99 added 09:41 - Aug 17 LONG term people. Patiance will be needed for a couple of seasons while a young squad improves.
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NorthstaNder added 09:45 - Aug 17 Exactly tractorblue99 but I can't help thinking that half the people on this board are the most impatient people in the world! With a young team there will be lots of ups and downs over the course of the season, but I reckon towards the end of it we'll start to get more consistent.
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Bugs added 09:49 - Aug 17 The long term youth and patience approach is all good as long as we don't sell said youth after a season or two just because there is a quick profit in it.
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brian_a_mul added 09:52 - Aug 17 Even if we dont get top 6 this season, the future looks very bright and I'm really excited with regards the new era dawning at Portman Road! Klug is back, plenty of ITFC men in the coaching staff and youth academy players coming through to the senior team all bodes well for the future.
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cornishnick added 09:53 - Aug 17 I can't help thinking that the last few years have been a waste of time
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irishtim added 09:55 - Aug 17 Yes lets give the young lads a chance. The future is looking good.
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bedsitfc added 09:57 - Aug 17 just because he wants young players does not mean itfc wont have a chance of promotion, but as long as the team performs and finishes in the top ten with young guns i will be happy.
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Kentish_Tractor added 10:29 - Aug 17 Heck of a lot of sound bytes coming from Town and PJ today! Young players, new passing style, brand new signings etc etc. But as they say, talk is cheap. In a way I'm happy Jewel is being positive. But also I just want the team to go out out and PROVE IT for once. If we come away with a point or better from the Blackburn game I'll be pleased. I agree with bedsitfc, all I want is some exciting football to return to Portman Road. I don't mind paying for a ticket if I am ENTERTAINED, even if the result isn't always in our favour. Play some entertaining football, the fans will come back, then the results will come. Prove to us you mean it Jewell. We're watching...

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Karlosfandangal added 10:58 - Aug 17 The bookies have got it wrong than !!! Jewell is 4-1 and fav for the first to be sack from the Championship this season. If the club are building for the future then I an Guessing that the club will be offering Jewell a new 3 year contract pretty soon as if we have a new manager by Christmas then we start the rebulid all over again as we did with Magilton and Keane and now Jewell. Would like to see the club only bringing in one or two players in the transfer window to replace players who leave or to improve the squard, not have a rebuild each season

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legoman added 11:29 - Aug 17 It will be like watching Spain.
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charsfield added 11:52 - Aug 17 going to try and use "ships in the night" in every conversation I have at work today
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bluey123 added 12:14 - Aug 17 What a load of Bull hes had 18 months and done nothing we will be stuffed tomorrow and the next 5 games then this useless !!!!!!!!! will be sacked and we will get a decent manager in JEWELL OUT
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buryblue77 added 12:23 - Aug 17 legoman, I can't help but think after watching us play Bristol Rovers on Tuesday that the football we played we Spain like, or as close as we're going to ever get to that level, we kept the ball well at times and moved it around hunting for openings, our Xavi (Luongo) was as composed as an experienced world class play making midfielder could be. I'm optimistic about the future and as long as we show signs of improvement I can see PJ here for a while, or as long as it doesn't go disastrously wrong for him this year. I think PJ is showing that he has the ability to pick up young, good players, let's hope this is the start of a new era at Portman Road. Unfortunately I can't make Saturday because of work but I shall be checking for updates when I can.....COYB!!!

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Mark added 12:37 - Aug 17 Jewell should have started this approach a year ago, as it seemed he would after bidding for Charlie Austin, but then for some reason went for the older players. Still, despite the disappointing season last year we have come through it with two of the best new youngsters Ipswich have signed in years: Aaron Cresswell and Jay Emmanuel-Thomas. This summer's signings have been good in my opinion, and we now have a starting 11 with an average age of about 24. We'll need to be patient, but if we get off to a good start and play some decent passing football then I think the time may come to offer Jewell a new contract. Here's hoping!

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Cheshire_Blue added 15:43 - Aug 17 we won't be selling Cresswell then?
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Sindre94 added 17:40 - Aug 17 Great to hear, real ambition
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Marcus added 23:55 - Aug 17 @Karlosfandangal - I think the bookies have got that totally wrong. I sense there's no feeling things are getting worse at Town, all the signals go the opposite way. We're not a sacking club even since Evans took over - Magilton was never part of his plans and Keane clearly needed to go. The pre-season win over West Ham and the signs from the Brizzle wins both point to a positive start to the season. Jewell has said that he wants a more stable team and less changes however his hands have been ties so far by the players available, he's also saying all the time younger players are the spine of the team and strongly implied that the journeymen we signed last season were a stop gap to paper over holes in the squad. If things go well he'll get a new contract around Christmas; if things aren't going so well a decision will be made around then but not before. On balance I think there are other managers who are much more vulnerable. I'm certainly not saying PJ is safe this season but unless all the signs are wrong I think 4-1 is totally wrong.

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