New boss Paul Jewell said the chance to manage Town was too good an opportunity turn down after signing on at Portman Road until 2013. The new Blues manager says the opportunity with Town ticked all the boxes.
Jewell said: "It’s great being back in the managerial hotseat. I’ve been out of work for two years but you’re never out of football, you’re either working in the media or travelling watching to Spain or Italy and watching other teams and trying to improve your knowledge for when you do get back into the game.
"I’ve had a few opportunities to come back in, but this one ticked all the boxes and I’m really excited and looking forward to getting going.”
The 46-year-old says he was attracted by Town’s lack of short-term thinking: "We’ve got a lot of hard work to do, we’re involved in a bit of a battle at the moment and confidence is at a low ebb.
"Every league game’s going to be a cup final and hopefully we can build for the future, get the confidence back with the players and get smiles back on faces. Everyone will start with a clean slate.
"Hopefully, we can consolidate and who knows that’s going to happen this season. One of the reasons this appealed to me is that it’s not a quick fix, it’s long-term objective, trying to build the club ultimately to the Premier League.”
Jewell, who is yet to finalise his backroom staff with his usual right-hand man Chris Hutchings having been sacked by Walsall last week and West Ham coach Wally Downes linked on Saturday, says he is yet to meet his players: "The deal was only signed last night after dinner, incidentally I paid the bill, which I think was what swung it!
"It’s been a whirlwind, I got the phone call on Thursday evening from the owner, I met him in Ireland on Friday and I had more meetings with Simon Clegg on Friday and Saturday. It’s gone really, really quick.”
With that mind, Jewell says he won’t be picking the team for Wednesday’s Carling Cup semi-final at home to Arsenal: "I think it would be in the best interests of the team to let the two lads who are running it at the moment, Tony and Charlie, who are fine professionals, run the game on Wednesday because they know the players better than I do. And come Thursday morning, we’ll be taking over.
"I don’t want them to feel as if people are looking over their shoulders, so I’ll watch the game from the stand and start work on Thursday morning.”
Jewell outlined what he wants from his players, having spent the last couple of years assessing where he got things right and wrong at his previous clubs: "I want people to give everything they’ve got every day and while out of the game for two years I’ve studied myself and where I’ve made mistakes, trying to improve as a manager and as a coach.
"Hopefully, the good experiences and the bad experiences I’ve had in football will help me become a better manager. What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger. I’ve had some ups and I’ve had some downs and I’m really looking forward to taking this battle on.
"As a manager, I want my players to enjoy training, to enjoy playing and if we’re doing that we’ll be doing OK.”
The ex-Bradford, Sheffield Wednesday, Wigan and Derby boss has been promised money to spend by chief executive Simon Clegg, but doesn't appear to be in a too much of a hurry to spend it: "Sometimes if you’re busy in the transfer market in January, you can be desperate buyers. I think it’s important that we take our time and obviously the loan market is there to be exploited.
"I’m not trying to pull the wool over anyone’s eyes here and say I don’t know how much I’ve got to spend, but if there’s somebody out there that I think can improve our team, then I will do it.”
A product of Liverpool’s famous youth system, the former striker says his aim as Town boss is clear — to get them back in the Premier League: "That’s the goal, that’s what we’re hoping for. There are a lot of things in place here can give us an opportunity to do that.
"But looking at the division, there are an awful lot of big clubs in the Championship with the same expectations as Ipswich.
"It’s a very tough league to get out of, but I think we’ve got a lot of good players here, we just need to try and get them to believe in themselves, that’s the first objective.
"If we can do that, hopefully in two-and-a-half years’ time we’ll be talking about moving out of this league.”