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

casanovacrow added 14:31 - Feb 4 McAuley, Delaney and Norris all been told they are wanted until the end of season for footballing reasons ....methinks Clegg, Evans n Jewell are going to look at slashing the wage budget and getting in players that we could make money from because over Keanes tenure it didn't look like we can buy promotion to get Evans a return on his investment.
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BrettenhamBlue added 14:33 - Feb 4 Hopeless mismanagement from the club. VERY frustrating
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rosseden added 15:01 - Feb 4 ''ClassyIpswichLass added 10:44 - Feb 4 I've been asked these question a few times, but now I'm going to turn them to BYRNE_16: Is your avatar picture, really you? Can I have a facebook page to confirm? '' I was actually going to ask you the same thing ClassyIpswichLass.....!!! Regarding Delaney, seem him couple times, solid enough, worth a squad number, not going to step up the Prem if we ever make it..... not a bit stress hes not got an offer.....

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Doctor_Albran added 15:07 - Feb 4 Blueherts - you're just a contradiction - you blame Keane and say it's not Cleggs fault as the manager picks the player who get the contract and then you blame sheepshank and not burley for the signatures of Sereni, George and Counago - but that's football thinking for you! The facts are simple - if we want the players next year we are going to have to pay through the nose - effectively buying the player afresh. In respect of they might struggle to get contracts - all three have been chased over the last month (by Palace and Rangers for Del, Nor and GMac respectively). None of them will struggle, unless they get injured. The issue we might have towards the end of the season is that players might start playing within themselves to ensure fitness for any perspective buyer, as such as we get to the sharp end of the season and nobody goes all out...

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urbanblue added 15:12 - Feb 4 Look, these players have been regulars in a team that for the past two seasons has, in general, hopelessly underperformed spending most of the time near the bottom of the division. Now, if you were running a business that was failing at every level would you give your staff new contracts with more money ??? Clearly, PJ is taking his time assessing the players and i have no doubt if he wants to keep Macca, Norris and Delaney he will. The players can moan as much as they want but they need to do the business where it matters .... on the pitch !

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Doctor_Albran added 15:31 - Feb 4 Urban, I understand your argument, however, in business you can strip out waste and get others within the team to pick up the slack - in football you need a fully functioning squad. So we might get to the end of the season and say good bye and thanks for all the fish, but we then have to buy replacements - as by your reasoning these guys haven't been good enough and the youngsters haven't been good enough to earn a place in front of them - so we are then in a position of having to buy half a side and waiting for those players to gel - providing they turn out to be better than what we've got and stay fit - welcome to Championship football 2012/2013! get them tied up, even if it's on short term contracts, which at least gives us a re-sale value if we then get better through the door - it's called contingency planning - at present we have absolutely no planning...

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Super_Cooper added 15:40 - Feb 4 As the great Irishman (Bob Geldof by the way!!!) said "Give him the bloody contract!!!"
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blueherts added 15:50 - Feb 4 Doctor , Doctor , Doctor ... Easy oars .... We need to 'pay through the nose ' why is that - We do not know what deal is on the table - you run a business and just pay whatever the people want , hmmm , that just doesn't make sense An offer was made ( exc to Delaney ) and that is where it is Keane who would recommend or not a new dealio As for Sheepshanks - Yes , Burley identified players - Sereni , George etc and we spanked alot on em - look where we nearly ended up - financially The arguments on here keep talking about 'Chairman being Football men , and it wouldnt have happened under Sheepshanks time' well I am merely pointing out it did .. ME and Clegg have a business model to be in the Premiership which two years in was failing badly - We saw that although Jewell identified Austin - Clegg and ME will not bend over to Agents and pay them whatever they want ( as u suggest we do ) We have obviously got some financial restrictions on salaries - good on em -

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urbanblue added 16:32 - Feb 4 Doctor, the thing is under Keane we were going nowhere and as it is clear now he was on borrowed time, i would guess Evans/Clegg just did not want to saddle players under contracts that a new manager may not want. I have no doubt that if PJ decides he does want them a deal will be done. The priority now is to consolidate this season so they are needed. Next season we shall see. I actually feel we have some good youngsters coming through (Troy Brown looks a great prospect in my view !) and although they are not getting the nod in this fight we are in at the moment they will have a big part to play in the future. Remember Norris and Macca are the wrong side of 30 ! I trust PJ and believe with the start he is made Clegg and Evans will support his wishes.

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jas0999 added 16:43 - Feb 4 "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" Yet we didn't accept the offer for him. Anyone else beginning to wonder whether there are issues at board level - particularly about the long-term and thus all the loans rather than tying players down?
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Blue041273 added 16:44 - Feb 4 I like Delaney. I think he has been a good signing overall and along with many others on here I would be delighted if he was offered and accepted a new contract. However he has a current contract to honour as well as having clubs such as Crystal Palace and Burnley keen to offer him employment. He should not therefore be unduly concerned with the prospect of being out of work anytime soon. As we saw at the end of the transfer window the power in any employment discussion lies with the player and his agent. If they want a move it will be engineered somehow. In this situation the proverbial boot is on the other foot. Here we have a player who is not looking to move but appears to be complaining that his club is not automatically extending his employment contract. In any other walk of life this would be risible and I'm sure SC won't be losing any sleep over this. At the end of the day if PJ wants to keep him and DD wants to stay a deal will be worked out.

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rosseden added 19:49 - Feb 4 ''I'd like a t-shirt with that explanation written on it. crystal clear'' Im sure it'd make a few people turn heads and disapprove!! Could always print 'its called Irony' on the back though just incase?!
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rolly added 23:30 - Feb 4 Gotta get him signed! He's been class in recent weeks and if we are gunna push for promotion next year we must keep him an Gareth at the heart of our defence !!
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