Town manager Paul Jewell says his players need to repay the club’s supporters after their six-game run of defeats which culminated in Tuesday’s 4-0 trouncing at Burnley. The Liverpudlian paid tribute to fans for their loyalty despite more than half a decade of underachievement.
Jewell said: "Every player has to do their best, that’s what they get paid for. For one game this year, I think we collapsed, which isn’t acceptable. The confidence is low, people aren’t feeling great about themselves but we’ve got to get on with it.
"They work for Ipswich, they don’t work for Paul Jewell, and hopefully they can repay the supporters, they’re the more important people. They’re the ones who pay the money and travel and go to matches.
"We need to put out for them, we’re not putting out, certainly we didn’t put out enough on Tuesday, that’s for sure.”
After recent results and performances, today’s attendance could be lower than the 15,650 that watched the Coventry City match in September, which was the lowest Portman Road league crowd so far this century.
Nevertheless, Jewell is impressed with the loyalty shown by fans, given the difficult few years: "I don’t think there’s any club in the world that gets better attendances for losing games, I really don’t.
"Whatever attendance we get, the most important people at the football club are its supporters because they are the heartbeat of the club.
"Without them, whatever club it is doesn’t survive because it’s all about the supporters. The supporters will be around long after we’ve all gone.
"I understand our supporters’ frustration, I’m as frustrated as them but they are part of our team, a vital part of our team. Those that are coming, we’d love to give you something to shout about. It’s up to us to do it. I’ve got no issue with the supporters.”