Boss Paul Jewell says he has his eye on four or five players ahead of the start of next season with new strikers very much in his thoughts. The Town manager says he is looking to build a squad of 22 players competing for places in his side.

Jewell said: “I have a two-and-a-half-year contract and success is not going to happen overnight. It is a long-term job.

“Before the start of next season I have four or five players in mind that would come in and bring us something extra, and the current players are looking for me to do that.”

The Blues boss, who was spotted at Derby watching his former side lose to Doncaster last night, is looking to replicate the fire power at one of his other previous clubs and at the current top Championship sides: “When I was at Wigan and got promoted to the Premier League we had Nathan Ellington and Jason Roberts and one or two others scoring a lot of goals.

“And if you look at Cardiff, Nottingham Forest and QPR this term, they all have players who can get you 15 to 20 goals. If we can get that, we have got half a chance.

Jewell, who is understood to have made unsuccessful loan moves for West Brom's Simon Cox and Aston Villa's Nathan Delfouneso, is looking to build on the players currently at the club: “I think there’s quality here but we need to add more quality, let’s not kid ourselves. And the players would want that. If I was a player I would want the manager to bring in good players.

“There are two ways of going about it, you can fight even harder to make sure he doesn’t take your place or it’s going to improve you as a group. It’s a squad game now and, although I’m not one for making massive changes, we need 22 quality players.

“Every manager will tell you that you need 20 outfield players, quality players, so that if they go into the team it doesn’t get weakened too much. That’s what we’re trying to do.”

The Town boss has also reiterated that he will look to secure the out of contract players he wants to keep once the Blues' Championship status is secure.

Photo: Action Images

martleshamitfc added 16:06 - Mar 2 Good luck PJ, we have beeen hearing this for several years so hope you can succeed, where RK and JM to a lesser degree failed
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ITFCspudd added 16:07 - Mar 2 It's looking good, but will we flop at the last hurdle again getting the player to put pen to paper?
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dobbie73 added 16:08 - Mar 2 I like PJ's approach - no wholesale demolition, just steady rebuilding and tweaking, and nice to see he already has an idea of who he wants to go for!
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Smithy added 16:22 - Mar 2 Whether it works out for PJ or not, hes making all the right noises and certainly doing things the way they should be done. Really hope he is the man that can take us places, as everything so far has been great and the team has been a joy to watch even when we've lost! Just hope we don't suffer to much disappointment from the players he wants to get in. COYB!
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Seasider added 16:23 - Mar 2 Dont remember RK being reported watching any matches other than those on matchdays;just goes to show how little he appears to have put in compared to PJ. It took our Bobby R at least two years before things began to look up,and nobody worked harder than Sir Bob;so must be patient. Must remember that luckily Paul J had a relatively easy first six games compared to last three,and although performances much better results Won 4 drawn 2 lost 3 very average,and although shouldn't be relegated,will do well to finish in top half of table.

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dannyhegan added 16:25 - Mar 2 A striker or two is a must. Trouble is every club want 20 goal a season strikers and there is not enough to go round. We have to make ourselves a prefered choice for whoever we want. ME and Clegg please note and do your best to support the manager to the limit next season please.
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itfc1981 added 16:31 - Mar 2 all eyes on Cleggy
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peterleeblue added 16:33 - Mar 2 TBH I have had enough of summers like this. I think I will go into ITFC switch off from the Norwich game through to First week of August and see where we are then The false dawns actually feel worse than defeats. I need a rest.
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Ipswich24 added 16:35 - Mar 2 I think we should target Billy Sharp and Shane Long
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WickedBlue added 16:55 - Mar 2 @Seasider now that is just plain untrue.....say what you will against RK but let it be the truth or at least and opinion... RK was constantly at matches and to say otherwise is totally untrue....You could say he couldn't pick out a good player like PJ as that is your opinion.
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suffolkpoker added 16:59 - Mar 2 I just hope the board backs him, as i remeber keane wanted 4 or 5 players, this time last season. which we didint really stregnthen our squad. I hope jewell will have money to make his squad his own.
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Blandford added 17:21 - Mar 2 If PJ has 4 or 5 targets in mind that's great. However can the senior management please learn from mistakes and give all of these players the opportunity to join us before pre-season training starts rather than wait until August before inviting them to PR. ME and SC please accept that PJ knows far more about football than either of you do, if he thinks these players are right for the club he should be trusted and not judged by the decisions made by previous managers.

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Mark added 17:31 - Mar 2 Once again I agree with what Jewell is saying. The long-term approach has to be right for Ipswich and that is how we went up last time. The rush under Keane's regime, where he would have failed if he didn't get us up in two years but wanted to do it in one, just created too much pressure on everyone. So long as we see good football and an improvement in the league position each season, I think fans will be happy. Slow but steady progress is fine.

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fourth added 18:28 - Mar 2 Ican't help thinking that it's a goalscoring partnership we are looking for, just as we need rythm throughout the team. Dalglish/Rush, Sheringham/Klinsman, Fowler/Collymore, Shearer/Sutton etc.
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SamWhiteUK added 18:35 - Mar 2 priskin / scott sinclair? ;) nah, sinclair would never come to us.... or would he?
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Bergholtblue added 19:02 - Mar 2 Knowing what you need and having targets in mind is one thing, actually landing the player is another thing altogether. A top notch striker is something we have been after for as many years as I can remember, but successive m,anagers have failed to get their man. However, I like what PJ says and I have confidence that he is realistic in his targets. He mentioned having Jason Roberts and Nathan Ellington at Wigan,both of who started their careers with Bristol Rovers. PJ clearly has an eye for talent in the lower leagues (although Roberts may have moved onto WBA before PJ came in for him). I don't expect Town to bring in 'big names' in the summer, but I am confident that whoever comes in will deliver the goods.

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jas0999 added 19:09 - Mar 2 Surely we may need 9 or 10 if we don't agree contracts with those whose deals end in June? Much will depend on new deals being agreed. Glad to hear Jewell has targets in mind - but so did the previous manager and as we all know, very little happened. Essentially Clegg failed to do the deals!
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jas0999 added 19:51 - Mar 2 Seasider - BTW, although Roy has gone and I see little point of talking about him anymore, he was actually regularly seen at matches (it took in an Arsenal game before we played them - just days before he was sacked) and was a regular visitor to reserve team games and even travelled with the youth team on a mini-bus to Tranmere. I think therefore your comments are a little harsh.

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StochesStotasBlewe added 19:51 - Mar 2 In Mr Jewell i trust. Norris, McCauley & Delaney i,m sure will sign new contracts when safety is assured and new players will be signed in the summer to complement not only our style of play but also the overall harmony of the dressing room. He is no fool and wont be rushed into panic buys , so i would imagine some of the people he has in mind he already has had dealings with in the past. Give him time & patience and he will deliver.

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kerryblue added 20:14 - Mar 2 I do hope that once the board will stick its neck out and show some real intent in the Summer and back the manager with several new signings.I agree with several of the postings here and am weary of hoping and nothing ever really seems to happen.
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Lightningboy added 20:50 - Mar 2 Let's hope that Clegg can sort out what PJ wants in the summer....I think PJ's more than capable of building a great squad on probably about a quarter of the budget that Keane wasted. Hopefully we can sort out a deal for Bullard..keep Norris & McAuley then: A right back, possibly a left back, 2 strikers...Mackail Smith & Billy Sharp will do nicely.
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jas0999 added 21:02 - Mar 2 pinewoodblueboy - agreed. BUT if I were Norris or McAuley then I would be looking for another club. Essentially, they could be out of work in the summer - it defies belief that Clegg et al are allowing these boys the chance to sign elsewhere! This is NOT Jewell's fault at all - but he may need to attract even more players if 21 leave in the summer!! Also, will Clegg do the deals this time??

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brittaniaman added 21:04 - Mar 2 It seems to me that Jewell has taken over from Clegg with talking to chairmen and managers from other clubs,what with turning Swansea down about Scotland etc. let us hope he carries on as he knows more about football than Cleggy, all though I would imagine Clegg would finalise it all.
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corunnaviking1759 added 21:30 - Mar 2 I hate to say it, but same ole, same ole, we've heard it so many times before!! But hey you never know, COYB's!!!
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thebeat added 22:44 - Mar 2 Billy Sharp, Ricky Lambert, Darren Pratley,Sean St Ledger,
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