Town owner and chairman Marcus Evans has revealed that he drew up a shortlist of 12 managers before finally deciding that Paul Jewell was the man to take over from Roy Keane. Evans was speaking in an extensive interview in the programme for tonight’s Carling Cup semi-final first leg against Arsenal.
Evans said: "My shortlist started with as many as 12 managers and before picking up the phone to any of the potential targets, I went through a process of elimination including talking with people that were close to each person and comparing their records of success.
"I have also been lucky enough to have had the benefit of some detailed and impartial advice from some of the most respected names in the English game."
Aside from Jewell, Doncaster’s Sean O’Driscoll, Gary Megson and Alan Curbishley are all believed to have been amongst those in Evans and chief executive Simon Clegg’s thoughts.
Evans says that the midway point in the season was the right time to assess Roy Keane’s progress as boss: "A half-season always seemed a fair period to reflect upon and is long enough to ensure bad luck and good fortune evens itself out, and once I had decided on a change I felt that it was important to allow a new manager time to focus on the transfer window in January."
Evans, who has reiterated his commitment to the club, is clear that Jewell's initial task will be to steer the club away from the lower reaches of the Championship: "To stabilise the squad and take us away from the relegation places is the first target.
"And yes, he will be backed in this and other transfer windows as I have done with the past two managers."
The Blues' owner says he has learnt a lot since taking over at Portman Road in December 2007: "I am definitely a little football wiser than I was three years ago and the criteria I have put in place for appointing our new manager has been reached by taking on board what I have learnt since I bought the club. This experience will also be used in working with the manager in the years ahead."