Blues boss Paul Jewell says club owner Marcus Evans was “hugely supportive” of him when he spoke to him last night in the wake of Town’s sixth successive defeat at Burnley on Tuesday. The Liverpudlian says Evans has a long-term plan for the club which includes him remaining as manager.
Jewell said: "When I spoke to Marcus last night, he was hugely supportive of me. I’m a big boy, I know how it works and it’s not so long ago that Steve Bruce [sacked yesterday by Sunderland] was being touted as the next England manager.
"Marcus has told me to just keep going. He’s got long-term plans for the club and he wants me to be the manager.
"Until I’m told any different, nothing will change. I’ll always do my best. I don’t feel as if it’s a hopeless case, I feel that it’s really tough at the moment, really tough, but not much comes easy in life.”
The ex-Wigan and Bradford boss says he was unaware that he had been handed a vote of confidence by the club’s chief executive until earlier today: "I didn’t know that until this morning when Simon Clegg rang me and said he’d come out in support of me.
"I spoke to the owner last night, he’s away on business. I don’t read papers or whatever, win, lose or draw, so I wasn’t aware of the dreaded vote of confidence he’s given me.
"I’m a big boy, I’ve been manager for nearly 550 games, so everything that happens in the game, good, bad or indifferent, I’ve seen it.”
Jewell says he still believes he can turn things around: "I just have to try my best. Everyone at the moment is telling you you’re not very good at your job, but you’ve got to be strong and you’ve got to have belief in your ability and I think I am good at what I do.
"But I’m always learning, I’m always trying to get better. What else can I do? Do you want me to hide under the table, run away or close the door? I don’t want to that. You feel like doing it sometimes but eventually you have to come out and face the music.”