Ipswich star Lee Martin has admitted a change of manager could be what is required to transform the club’s fortunes.
The versatile Martin said: "All the boys are disappointed, not just with the defeat the other night and our form but also, obviously, with the gaffer going as well. We’re all very low at the moment.
"But that’s football and we have to pick ourselves up for another game on Saturday. The buck stops with the manager but as players we haven’t been doing it on the pitch.
"We haven’t helped and we’re all to blame for the fact that we find ourselves bottom of the table.”
Manager Paul Jewell’s midweek departure, the day after a 2-1 home defeat by Derby extended Town’s winless run to 11 games, came as no surprise
But Martin added: "I don’t think anyone wanted him to go. Players who are not in the first team are inevitably disappointed but I think we were all pulling together and wanted to play for him.
"Sometimes in football change is good — a new approach, the players have got a second chance if you like and that brings a new togetherness.”
Martin was signed by Roy Keane and had good reason to be grateful to Jewell after he took charge in January last year.
He said: "Paul brought me back from a loan spell at Charlton so I owe him a lot. I know it’s been widely publicised that we had our ups and downs but I never lost respect for him.
"I don’t think anyone in that dressing room did. We all tried to the end but sometimes when things are not going well change is good.
"He was very hard-working and we tried everything. It just didn’t go for us. You can’t say that he cut any corners. He worked extremely hard to get the results but sometimes in football the change is what you need.
"Whenever a manager leaves it is obviously difficult. The boys are a lot more disappointed because everyone was trying so hard to get these points on the table but it just wasn’t falling for us.
"That’s the worst thing and I think sometimes we tried too hard. We tried every approach but sometimes it needs a new man to step in and get the points.”