Defender Damien Delaney says he’d love to stay with the Blues beyond the end of his contract in the summer, but as yet has not been offered a new deal. Manager Paul Jewell has told the Irishman that he doesn’t want him to leave and that it is up to the 29-year-old to impress him enough to win new terms during the remaining months of the season.

Delaney says that so far — unlike team-mates Gareth McAuley and David Norris - he has not received a contract offer: "The club haven't spoken to me, they haven't intimated they want me to stay, although they turned down a bid [from Crystal Palace] in January. I was told I definitely wasn’t for sale and then I was told pretty much that there wasn't another deal there.

"But I think Gareth and Chuck are in the same boat, they've not heard anything for two months with regards to their contracts.

"From the management point of view, I spoke to Paul Jewell and he told me about the bid, he told me he wanted me to stay from a football point of view and that's why I've stayed. But come the summer, I have to look at my situation and just try and find work."

The former QPR man says his agent had a short conversation with Simon Clegg around the time of the change of manager at Portman Road: “My agent had a brief discussion with the chief executive and it was quite hesitant. It wasn’t good feedback, it didn’t make me think they wanted me to stay long term.

“At my age, 29, you have to be thinking about security, but we’ll wait and see, I’m not really panicked about it.”

Delaney, who now won't be able to play enough league games this season to trigger an extra year option on his current deal, says he isn’t looking to move anywhere else: "I'd love to stay, I genuinely mean that. I think clubs like Ipswich Town don’t come around very often. It’s fabulous club, it’s a wonderful place to live and with the history the club has.

“It’s just a good club, there’s a good feel to the place. I know the fans are dying for a bit of success and the players are as well and I’d love to be part of that and help that to happen.

"But for whatever reason nothing's been explained to me or mentioned about a contract, so I suppose their silence speaks loud enough."

The twice-capped Irish international was pleased with the conversation he had with Paul Jewell last week: “I had a good chat with him, he told me he wanted me to stay and that [the number of players out of contract] was a problem that he’s inherited and was absolutely nothing to do with him.

“From that point of view I was more than happy to stay because he told me he wanted me to stay and I said to him that from a footballing point of view I’d be more than happy to stay.

“He said get your head down and work hard between now and the summer. I definitely know I’m required between now and May and after that we’ll see what the club say. Come May, who knows what’s going to be on the table.

“All I wanted to hear from Paul Jewell was that he wanted me to stay and as soon as I heard that I thought that would do for me. If he’d have hesitated and said he wasn’t sure, then obviously you don’t want to stay somewhere where you’re not wanted.”

The centre-half says he’s surprised that the situation has developed as it has: “It’s a bit strange how it’s ended up like this, I don’t know how it’s come about, it should never have got to this stage.

“The key thing is, and I was speaking to Gareth, I think the lads genuinely do want to stay, so it’s not a case of the club trying to sign us and we’re trying get away. We’re almost saying that we want to stay and we’d love to stay here and can you help us out, but we’re hearing nothing back and it’s frustrating.

“The lads have families as well and as much as we want to stay at Ipswich Town, you have a family to look after, so come the summer we maybe will have to look elsewhere.”

Delaney says skipper David Norris and his central defensive partner Gareth McAuley feel much the same as him: “They’ve had offers two months ago, but they’ve heard nothing since then. Obviously we speak to one another about it, ‘What’s going on? What’s happening?’. I think it’s the best part of two months since they’ve heard anything back as well.”

Ultimately, the Cork man feels the players’ position will only be strengthened the longer they remain in their current position: “When you’re on a free transfer you definitely hold a lot of the cards. People aren’t silly, they know we’re going to hold all the cards come the end of the season.

“The club are taking a massive gamble because even if the club makes you an offer there are going to be other offers on the table, so it’s going to be more difficult for them.”

But the ex-Leicester City and Hull man says that ideally he’d like the club to make him an offer before then: “I’d hope so. Paul Jewell says he wants me to stay, if that’s the case, if ever the club say something to me then we’ll talk about it.

“I’m not particularly worried,” he continued. “But come the summer, I’ll definitely have to have a look at it.

“As much as I’d love to stay at Ipswich Town, I have a family as well and I have myself and my family to look after, and if there’s not work here then I’ll obviously have to find somewhere else.”

Manager Jewell hints that the club’s closeness to the relegation zone may have had some bearing on the lack of contract offers to the likes of Delaney: “I had a conversation with him last week and he could have gone to another club with a three-year contract. I was straight with him and told him that I didn’t want him to go and it was up to him to impress me to stay here.

“As far as I’m aware, I looked him in the eye, he doesn’t want to leave here and it’s up to the players to impress us. I think the players have been terrific with that.

“Hopefully, sooner rather than later we can get stuff sorted. The only concern I’ve got is making sure we’ve got enough points and then we’ll know where we’re going to be next year, I’m pretty confident that we’re going to be OK.

“But once we know for definite, then we can sit down and make decisions. That’s what I’ve said to the players. The ball’s in their court. If they go and play well between now and the end of the season and show the same commitment and desire that they have up to now, everyone wins.

“They’ll certainly win, we’ll obviously try and pay then more money to keep them, so will other clubs. It’s a win-win situation for them.”

Photo: Action Images

brian_a_mul added 11:01 - Feb 4 I like Delaney and think he is a good defender. Personaly I think the club have a deal for St Ledger lined up for the summer. I think Preston diddnt sell because they need him desperately for the rest of the season and quoted too much. This could be the reason the club are relucant to sign up Delany & McAuley on new deals. If McA signs a new deal I think Delaney is gone. I get the feeling it is one or the other!

0

Surco72 added 11:10 - Feb 4 All i will say is look at the way they have been playing under Jewell without a contract -Point to prove ? Impressing for a move away ? Whatever the reason it will pay off for us for the rest of the season . And to those thinking the players have the power . i think they might find out that not many clubs have money at all and it is going to get worse with falling attendances and tighter public money and at the end of the season they may not attract any clubs (Wright,Hendrie,Gillispie etc )or be offered less than is on the table at Town .What premiership or high Championship will come in for players from a lowly finishing team for the second year ,they have hardly been stand out in the league as individual players in reality so far

0

blueherts added 11:18 - Feb 4 Classy - You are the CLASS on the page in every sense - your pics get better but you talk the most sense As does Jay ( dont want to be accused of being sexist !! - assuming Jay is a he !!) Now - simple - Delaney was not offered a contract - CLEGG DOES NOT DECIDE WHO GETS A NEW A CONTRACT THE MANAGER DOES !!!..The Clown would have picked those worth keeping and then the club make the offer .. When you are sitting in 20th place in the league and you are one of the players responsible for the on the pitch performance , you should be grateful u get offered a deal at all. Time people started realising football cannot and will not be sustainable if players and agents hold clubs to ransom even when they are losing every week i think Jewell has his own players in mind .... Read JDV interview .. quite interesting .... The youngsters Hyam , Murray and O Connor - we keep and if Mac , Norris and Delaney do the biz I am sure they will get a deal ...Remember we have offered a deal to Mac and Norris - why do we all assume it is a bad one - they should be bloody grateful they have been offered one . We are a business - like it or not - an investment for premiership football , and at the moment the return is poor ... We all want us to perform better and Jewell will get us there if you want a Chief Exec that throws good money after bad take a look at some of the clubs that neared extinction in past few years -- errrr I think we may have been close earlier last decade ... SERENI , GEORGE , COUNAGO etc etc ... Three points tommos is all that matters Nice one Classy - Buena foto !!

0

meekreech added 11:18 - Feb 4 Does the management not realise that if the contracts actually expire we will be having to pay signing - on fees as well as possibly higher wages ? The contracts should be renewed before it reduces transfer funds by wasting money on signing fees !
0

bluemonday added 11:29 - Feb 4 impatient !!!!!..... he should put his all in to the next few months then if part of Jewell's plans then he will find out....... These footballers take the p@ss and to bring it out publically is just crazy........
0

Blue041273 added 11:40 - Feb 4 While the current situation is far from ideal there is a perverse logic to it. As others have pointed out it is the manager's responsibility to manage team affairs and determine what people he needs in his squad. I believe that RK, under financial constraints delivered to him by the executive, wouldn't commit to contract renegotiations last summer because he remained to be convinced about their future capabilities particularly if he believed that we were bound for the premiership. That philosophy still holds true albeit with a new manager responsible for the decisions. There is no barrier to the club offering terms to the potential out of contract players NOW, and maybe they will over the next few weeks, but maybe the executive need to see us safe from relegation before commiting us to premiership style contracts. When that happens I'm sure it will be PJ who will decide who he wants to keep and who he wants to let go. Please give him a chance to properly assess what material he has to work with and if the players can work with him. He has already hinted that for a player a job with Ipswich is a job for life. So there might be some painful 'facts of life' chats for some. Any road, while he is an easy target this may not be down to SC entirely.

0

blueherts added 11:48 - Feb 4 Blue041273....well said!!!
0

dirtydingusmagee added 11:48 - Feb 4 classyipswichlass ,if we are ever in same pub and war breaks out just remember im on your side .!
0

Garv added 11:49 - Feb 4 Delaney is more important than Norris to me.
0

8ashblue added 11:53 - Feb 4 Its only fair that PJ needs time to assess who he wants for the future as it would have been too soon for important decissions to be made. As players have said they want to stay then its up to them to play their part in getting Town up the table, then PJ will have easier decssion to make. If there are better players out there PJ will at least have time to sort out before he decides who to keep and who to release.

0

ITFCOYB added 11:55 - Feb 4 Simple: We don't want to pay champ wages in division 1 where avoidable. Sensible and realistic. Let's get the points on the board and then have the conversation again.
0

LostBumpkin added 12:02 - Feb 4 I think we should sign Arshavin.
0

BlueVelvet added 12:24 - Feb 4 Its probably Cleggy just not knowing how to handle things or your agent upping the anti - put in a request to transfer and see what that brings out of the woodwork
0

ITFC_Wickham_09 added 12:28 - Feb 4 Sign him up, sign him up, sign him up!Sign him up, sign him up, sign him up!Sign him up, sign him up, sign him up!Sign him up, sign him up, sign him up!Sign him up, sign him up, sign him up!Sign him up, sign him up, sign him up!Sign him up, sign him up, sign him up!Sign him up, sign him up, sign him up!Sign him up, sign him up, sign him up!Sign him up, sign him up, sign him up!Sign him up, sign him up, sign him up!Sign him up, sign him up, sign him up!Sign him up, sign him up, sign him up!Sign him up, sign him up, sign him up!Sign him up, sign him up, sign him up!Sign him up, sign him up, sign him up!Sign him up, sign him up, sign him up!Sign him up, sign him up, sign him up!Sign him up, sign him up, sign him up!Sign him up, sign him up, sign him up!Sign him up, sign him up, sign him up!Sign him up, sign him up, sign him up!Sign him up, sign him up, sign him up!Sign him up, sign him up, sign him up!Sign him up, sign him up, sign him up!Sign him up, sign him up, sign him up!Sign him up, sign him up, sign him up!Sign him up, sign him up, sign him up!Sign him up, sign him up, sign him up!Sign him up, sign him up, sign him up!Sign him up, sign him up, sign him up!Sign him up, sign him up, sign him up!

0

blueherts added 12:37 - Feb 4 DirtyD ... Lets rumble
0

dirtydingusmagee added 12:43 - Feb 4 ITFC-Wickham-09, Sorry mate you really must get out more !
0

itfc1981 added 12:51 - Feb 4 JayITFC: your view about the club not willing to commit to contrats because we could have been in League one is rubbish. Because contracts should have been offerd last summer when we were hoping to go up, not down!, thats when ever other CE would offer contracts.
0

tractorboybig added 12:53 - Feb 4 Its a ploy by evans not the fault of clegg. Put a derisory offer to them, if they dont accept let their contract run down. if they cant get better anywhere else and jewell wants them then they may return tails between their legs. Its called running the club financially responsibly. How ever it fails to bring premier league football. MAY be evans just does not have the money to throw away, and its the best we are going to get. We are not a premier league or big club anymore. Probaly somewhere below no****h.

0

Upbeat~ added 12:55 - Feb 4 Sign him up!!! Quality player and he wants to play for us - a no-brainer!
0

RetroBlue added 13:06 - Feb 4 I think its patently obvious whats going on at the club now. The owner is looking to reduce the wage bill , by allowing the senior players contrcat to simply run down. If PJ says he wants to keep any of them , then the contracts will be re negotiated once Town are sfae from relegation. The fact that Town will lose the upper hand in any new deals is not a problem to the owner as he would simply say "ok , one yer way, we'll find someone cheaper who can do the job" ie Drury . A rsik I know, but the Club HAS to reduce this annual loss ! The days of the expensive lucrative contract for any player out of the top four prem sides is now very much on borrowed time I think - and from a fans view point I say "about time too "

0

Bergholtblue added 13:07 - Feb 4 If PJ has looked him in the eye and said 'I don't want to to go', why the hell hasn't he said as much to Cleggy. Why hasn't he told Clegg to offer the boy a new contract. It makes you wonder how much influence over these decisions PJ has? Situations where managers have their hands tied often end in tears in my experience. Whilst I can underdstand some of the logic of the arguments on this site about wanting to know which Division we will be in next year, waiting until we see who the new manager wants to keep and who to let go, lets stand up to greedy agents, etc. It worries me if players of Delaney's stature go, they will need to be replaced. It has been said that there are better defenders out there and that may be so, but they come at a price, also have greedy agents and we do not have the best record at attracting these players. I think Delaney needs to be offered a new contract now (at whatever terms) or told that he is no longer required. He has a family to be responsible for and for their peace of mind, he needs some security for his future. He is no different from any of us in that respect.

0

ClassyIpswichLass added 13:26 - Feb 4 Upbeat_Blue_92 "Sign him up!!! Quality player and he wants to play for us - a no-brainer!" I'm prepared to be corrected here because I don't see games unless they are on the TV. Delaney looked pretty good against Arsenal - and perhaps yes, he is quality - when he wants to be. Does Delaney play like he did at the Emirates every week? Would he play like that if he was guaranteed a job next year? At 29, would he have a job at Ipswich if we won promotion? If you were him would you do enough to avoid relegation? Does he want to play for the club? Of course he does? Has he done enough consistently to prove that? Is the rather sad picture of him at the top of this article, feeling sorry for himself and "I'd love to stay", enough to give him a contract? Do you want your players to do the best they can as often as they can? I do. Keep 'em guessing. Keep 'em hungry. His kids won't starve.

0

itfc1981 added 13:45 - Feb 4 Classy Ipswich lass, I'am soory quite simply if we play hard ball these players will sign pre contract agreements long before the end of the season. If we cheat them like crap (in their View) thats what they will do. And yes he's been playing very well not just the Arsenal games of late, hence why Tommy Smith cant get a look in anymore
0

blueherts added 14:16 - Feb 4 Bergholt - Delaney has not been offered anything - why would we offer him one on 'whatever terms' I hope u dont run a business like that mate , give him a carrot - he has bills to pay - he is only on about 250k a year !!!
0

brogansnose added 14:22 - Feb 4 None of the players that we have are in all honesty that great but when they are played in position and are well drilled in what to do, ie against Arsenal, then at this level they do a good enough job. The problem is economic, let players go and you spend money to replace them and then give them a three year contract. This costs more than giving decent players a contract extension. Clearly some of the 21 will go and its obvious who some of those will be ( Lisbie, Counago, Quinn ect.). Macauley and Delaney both have flaws in their play but at Championship level make a formidable CB pairing. If you are going to let one or both of them go replace them with our young CB's then play the youths now. If you are going to replace with a StLedger then thats going to cost, probably £1.5 at the end of the season plus his contract. If a player was asking too much then he should have been sold during the window and have got something rather than nothing. Trouble at the moment at PR is that there is a lot of chaos and no clear policy and that can only breed unrest. Some of the blame has to laid at the previous two mangers doors but there is a whiff of incompetance coming from the off pitch backroom side of things. Having said that i can't wait to get down there tommorow.

0

Blogs 297 bloggers

Ipswich Town Polls