Boss Paul Jewell has admitted he made mistakes in his approach to Town’s summer transfer business. The Blues manager says that having initially viewed the job as a long-term venture when he took over from Roy Keane a year ago, his thoughts turned much more towards a quick-fix during a close season in which he signed predominantly experienced veterans.
Jewell concedes that errors were made in relation to that transfer policy: "I think the biggest thing is that when I first came here I was talking about it being a bit of a project.
"Then, all of a sudden, it turned into ‘I think we’ve got to try and get promotion in one year and let’s go with tried and trusted people who have been there, seen it and done it’.
"And really, when you think about it, it’s more of a long-term job, let’s be honest about it. We signed too many players on one-year contracts and loan players, which is not ideal," said the Liverpudlian.
"It’s been a sticky period for the club for the last few years really,” he explained. "I thought maybe the way to get out of it quickly was to try and get players who have been there, seen it and done it and I think we all know we’ve probably signed too many of them.”
The 47-year-old says he accepts the blame for his side’s failings but still believes he’s the man to take the club forward: "I’ll take responsibility for it. I know I’ve made mistakes, but I know I can do this job, I know I’m decent at it.
"I’ve had a tough time so far this season, but nothing in life comes easily, it’s tough. I hope to be here for a long time.
"I speak to the owner every day and it’s a big five-year plan for him, that’s what he said to me after we got beaten by Burnley, and hopefully I’m going to be here to see that out. I’ve made a few mistakes but I want to learn from them.”
He admits that some signings, such as 34-year-old Ivar Ingimarsson’s addition on a free transfer from Reading, haven’t worked out as yet: "Hindsight is the best word in football, the best word in life.
"He played 20-odd games for Reading last season and when they went on a run of 12 games unbeaten he played in every one of them.
"I’ve made mistakes but if you look at my record, I’ve got two clubs up into the Premier League, I’ve stayed there three times and I’ve got to a Carling Cup final, so don’t throw me to the wolves yet.”
Jewell is now targeting younger players — including Leicester’s Sean St Ledger and another mystery man he hopes to sign before Wednesday’s game at Birmingham - for the years ahead to add to the more experienced campaigners: "You can’t get all 16-year-olds in, but we’ve got to start planning now for longer term players. Getting the balance right between experience and youth is something which we’ve got wrong.
"We want to make some signings on a permanent basis, not out of panic but because we need to get some younger players down and try and build for the future, that’s key.”
Despite the Blues currently sitting in 20th, he says he hasn’t yet written the season off: "You never ever know what happens, but the team hasn’t worked out anywhere near how I hoped or anyone had hoped. There are 20-odd games left yet and we’re in a fight at the minute, we understand that.
"The league table doesn’t lie at the moment, but I still believe that we’ve got enough in the squad to finish well away from where we are now, and with a few additions, who knows?
"We’re not giving up on this season because it’s such a crazy league that two or three back-to-back wins and things will look completely different and people’s attitudes will be different.
"I know that the width of a goalpost or a good opportunity missed or a mistake from a goalkeeper or a defender changes people’s whole perception on the season, never mind the game.”