Blues boss Paul Jewell insists he hasn’t given up on signing midfielder Keith Andrews on a permanent basis, despite apparent interest from Premier League clubs. The Town manager is hopeful he can sign Andrews and central defender Danny Collins, who returns to Stoke at the end of his loan next week, during January.

Jewell said: “I’m not resigned to losing Keith. I think Keith likes it here and we like him and we’d like to keep him.

“But when you take a player on loan and he does well, you’re always going to be up against other clubs sniffing around him and I fully understand that. However, we want to be in there fighting to try and sign him.”

He admits that the duo returning to their clubs is not ideal: “It is a blow to us but we’re trying to keep them. We want to keep those players and if we can’t keep them we’re going to have to replace them.

“I think people sometimes underestimate the intelligence of football people, they think ‘Danny Collins is going, what are we going to do now? We’ve lost Keith Andrews, let’s go through the directory and see who’s available’.

“But [the search for players] never stops. We’re always looking to improve the squad. I was at a game abroad last Friday. It’s always a situation where we’re trying to move forward, trying to think to the future.

“It’s difficult when you’ve lost seven games on the bounce, but you’ve got to try and look at the bigger picture.

“I know everything’s about survival at the moment, almost, but I want to be here for a long time and I want to be successful.”

The recruitment of five loan players, now reduced to four since David Stockdale’s return, hasn’t been without its critics but Jewell says you can’t often bring in players of the quality of the likes of Andrews and Collins other than on short-term deals: “I think as a manager you have to take responsibility. Sometimes that’s unfair but I’ve put the squad together, and it’s a good squad and we should be doing better than we are, although I think we’ve shown on a few occasions what we’re capable of.

“When you’re getting players from Premier League clubs, sometimes the only way you can get them is on loan. So, do you get them on loan or do you not get them?

“I think it’s difficult at the moment to get good players that we have to use the loan market and maybe we haven’t just got the balance right.”

He says he wants to sign players on full-time contracts if possible with players also preferring that option all things being equal: “Any manager or any player would like to do a permanent rather than a loan deal. With a permanent deal, you’re there for two or three years, you move your family up, you settle.

“When you’re on loan, you probably live in a hotel or away from your family, so nothing is ideal when it’s a loan. But if I could have done permanent deals that easily, we could have done them.”

But he says money plays a big role in these situations with Danny Collins’s circumstances not untypical: “Danny’s a Premier League footballer, he’s got a year to go on his contract, so Stoke and Danny are holding all the cards.

“We want to get decent players but finance does have to come into it, and it’s not as if we’re being cheapskates, that’s not the case at all.”

Photo: Action Images

SouperJim added 08:58 - Dec 16 It's clear to me that Jewell needed to fix the mess left behind by Keane, so short term deals and experienced loanees was the only way to get quality through the door quickly. On paper we should be doing much better than we are, but at least Jewell is taking responsibility for that. It takes time to find and sign Aaron Cresswells and how many of us were really complaining this summer when Chopra, Bowyer etc came through the door? I trust Jewell to get it right this window, not leave us hanging on another Woodgate and forced to sign another Collins (as good as he's been).

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darkroonsitfc added 09:00 - Dec 16 well said SouperJim..........i totally agree.....
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footballfriend added 09:02 - Dec 16 Jewell always talks a lot of sense, and i agree with everything he has said. This season was just the recovery of Keane and next season will be the real time to push for promotion (hopefully to the premier league and not back to the championship!)
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Legend added 09:26 - Dec 16 Andrews is a must sign in my opinion. He is the sort of player needed at this club. He might not set the league on fire with his silky skills, but he knows where the net is and is not afraid to take a pop from anywhere. Im not too fussed about Bower to be honest. Very overated! If Jewell and co can get Chops and Bullard fired up and back to their best then we could do some serious damage in this league come the 2012. Oh and get rid of leadbitter, Priskin, Ellington. Play JET behind the front two every game, let him have some games under his belt, feed him the ball as often as possible and give him time. He will come good. Invest in a few new players, Centre half, right back, invest in some youth and its happys days all round in the long run. COYB!!

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Wickets added 09:30 - Dec 16 Yes most sensible fans would agree Jim but one or two descisions are questionable,The Stockdale situation when Scott Loach was making noises our way, was his agent asking too much? how much has Stockdales loan cost anyway, The treatment of one or two of our younger players, have the loanees been better than they would have been. The central defensive situation is an ongoing nighmare, still no proper holding midfielder at the club well only Hyam and for reasons unknown to most of us he never gets a game! Why?

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saffronblue added 09:42 - Dec 16 Wickets, really not sure about Loach, have a mate who is a Watford Season ticket holder and they don't rate him, saw Hyam pre-season and he looked terrible but I agree we do need a holding midfielder. Andrews would be good but wouldn't break the bank for him, would prefer to sign Collins if it was a choice between the two. Still think we need a proper right back
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Vic added 10:08 - Dec 16 Some good comments on here for a change - thanks lads.
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nearly50yearsblue added 10:09 - Dec 16 Andrews off,Collins off,ALB only fit keeper,club in a mess. Start at the top and have a clear out,4 years of incompetence,blame can't all be Paul Jewell's,after all he is working with one and and half hands tied behind his back,much like the others. Only thing coming out of Portman Road at the moment is more bull. I will be there as always tomorrow,but sensible suggestions on how we move on.

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Bergholtblue added 10:54 - Dec 16 This is the problem with loan players, what do you do when they go back? Andrews going is less of a problem as we do have cover. We haven't really tried Bullard and Bowyer together in central midfield. But Collins is a worry. Who have we got to come in? Especially if Sonko gets injured again. How far off is Delaney from being fit? Would have to resort to Kennedy or Edwards at the centre?

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SouperJim added 11:09 - Dec 16 Wickets, some would have you believe there is nothing wrong with the way we are treating the young players at this club, and the likes of Hyam aren't getting in simply because they "haven't made the grade". I for one don't buy this. You don't need to uncover a Connor Wickham every week to justify giving the youth a chance. Players like Matt Richards and Ian Westlake have played an important part. I'd rather we had Troy Brown still here than Ingimarsson, yes we offered him a contract but we don't know exactly what was on the table. And what young player is going to stay here and rot in the reserves while a string of crocked 30-somethings are ahead of them in the pecking order. In the case of Hyam, all our central midfield players have frequently gone missing during this poor run and it has cost us goal after goal, what has Hyam got to do to get a game? We don't see what goes on in training, but our previous first team evidence Hyam is well worth another chance.

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Wickets added 11:48 - Dec 16 We can only guess whats happend with young Luke, he might have looked poor in pre season but by the same token he had some very good games under RK. As for Loach maybe me is not the right keeper to be first choice for us , as he is at Watford but with them skint apparantly! cant be on big money he would have been a better bet at this club then the two we are left with! not that i got anything against Plug but been there done that.I just dont belive ALB is good enough.

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