Loan midfielder Richie Wellens laid into Town’s permanent signings after Saturday’s dismal defeat to Sheffield Wednesday, claiming he and his fellow temporary signings are the only ones who care. Caretaker-manager Chris Hutchings similarly pointed the finger at players in his post-match press conference after the game.
Wellens, who is with the Blues from Leicester until November 10th, said: "A new manager needs to come in and put a rocket under their backsides because there are not enough people who show they care about losing or even their own careers.
"One of the coaches said that the old manager got stick for bringing in loan players, but it is the loan players who are showing they care and that is a sad indication of what is wrong.”
He refused to blame those coaches for Saturday's display: "There is a full week to get someone in but everything Chris [Hutchings] and Sparky [Mark Kennedy] have said and done in the days before the game were spot on.
"If we are allowing balls to drop in the box and not clearing the ball or not stopping shots, or winning a header, you are going to get beat and that is not down to the coaches.”
He added: "We need people to show passion, to show they care. It is difficult when you are getting the ball and no one else wants it. It is human nature when you are under pressure to go and hide but we need a better attitude, and to act like men.
"I have always thought of Ipswich as a nice club and that was confirmed when I got here. It is a little too easy, too cosy.”
The 32-year-old former Manchester United trainee continued: "Defensively we were a bit of a shambles. We did not compete with their physicality and they won every headed ball in both boxes.
"When you go a goal down after 40-odd seconds in the situation we are in. We showed some character and came back for a while after going a goal down and were the better team.
"The second half was terrible. It is difficult to put a finger on why but we need to sort it out."
He says he takes defeats such as Saturday's to heart: "I care — I care about football. The easiest thing for me would be to let the game pass me by but that is not me.
"I have had four games and lost four and that hurts me. I won’t speak to the wife and the kids will be put to bed. It ruins my week.”
Wellens says he wouldn't have been out in the circumstances some of the other players were in midweek: "In training when we are asked to work they do put it in.
"It is not for me to say when people go and have a drink. But if it was me I would have looked at the situation.
"Do I need to go out and be having a drink? If I was a supporter I would not have been happy. It was about six or seven and you can’t judge the whole group by those players."
He also issued a warning for the future: "I can’t see Ipswich ever winning a game unless they are at their best and everything is going for them.
"To be a strong club in the Championship you have to win when things are not going well. I can fully understand why the club have been done by five and six goals this season.”
In terms of the new boss, he wouldn't be drawn: "It is not my place to say about that. They need to get to get the decision right because we had it at Leicester.
"They sacked Nigel Pearson who was doing a good job but then we had to go through two or three managers before we got him back and now he is doing very well. Whoever it is needs to get the players on board as soon as possible.”
Meanwhile, interviews for the manager's job continue with this morning's papers again mentioning Blues interest in Blackpool's Ian Holloway. However, as of this weekend, Town had not made contact with the Seasiders regarding their boss.
Mick McCarthy and Alan Curbishley remain the two frontrunners for the job.