Paul Jewell has revealed that his long-term plan is to play the 4-4-2 formation with Town that he has favoured at his previous clubs. Since taking over at Portman Road last month, the former Bradford, Sheffield Wednesday, Wigan and Derby boss has set his side out in a 4-3-3 for all but fleeting spells of a couple of games.

Jewell said: “Our long-term aim will be to try and play 4-4-2 if possible, but I’m not against changing the system and I think at the moment I think with the personnel we’ve got it suits us to play 4-3-3 with the three midfield players in the centre trying to get on the ball.

“That didn’t really happen at Barnsley but you could see the conditions weren’t conducive to that. But traditionally I play with two wide players and two strikers and try and like to get crosses into the box, and that’s what we’ll try and do. But it depends on the personnel you’ve got and at the moment it suits us to play this way.”

The Town boss was disappointed to concede the late equaliser at Barnsley on Saturday but overall was happy enough with the draw: “Any point you get away from home is good, as long as you win your home games. It felt like a defeat because it was so late and we’d lost two points.

“But the bigger pictures is that I’ve been here five games now and we’ve got 10 points and if you offered me 92 points next season, I’d take that.

“It’s not a bad return and the beauty is that I know that we can get better and will get better with time.

"We’re going to have setbacks on the way. I said when I first came here that it’s a bit of a long-term project this, but to lose two points so late is a kick in the teeth.

“However, we all have to come back from setbacks and we’ve got another game to look forward to now.”

Jewell is likely to stick with the 4-3-3 formation at Doncaster tonight with Colin Healy replacing the injured David Norris in the centre of midfield and Jason Scotland perhaps coming into the lone striker's role.

Meanwhile, Town legend John Wark is the subject of today's featured article on Wikipedia.

Photo: Action Images

dirtydingusmagee added 09:15 - Feb 15 At least you have a plan P J ,that is an improvement on past regime !. COYB
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dirtydingusmagee added 09:20 - Feb 15 Wish Phil or Gav could find some different pics of P J ,he looks like the photofit pic of the bloke who tarmac'ed my drive,cleared off with money before job was finished and left a wheel barrow with a flat tyre .
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bedsitfc added 09:22 - Feb 15 Pj has said that healy will replace norris but i have a feeling we might see drury tonight, but i dont think we will go 4-4-2 untill we get a right back.
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Worcester added 09:23 - Feb 15 three points tonight. Donny are in a tailspin at the moment and we need to take advantage
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Worcester added 09:29 - Feb 15 I can see the headlines now, "Paul Jewell Tarmac Cowboy"
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JetaimePeters added 10:23 - Feb 15 Give it a bash tonight Paul, just replace Norris with Civelli and play Wickham up top with SUPER TAMAS PRISKIN! Fulop Edwards, McAuley, Delaney, Kennedy Martin, Bullard, Leadbitter, Civelli Wickham, Priskin
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TotalBlue added 10:30 - Feb 15 WHAT!!!! Sack PJ NOW!!! only 92 pts next season disgraceful lol I think if he carries on we could top 100 COME ON YOU BLUES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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DiamondGezzer added 10:33 - Feb 15 Dirtydingusmagee; You don't think that's what he's been doing during his two years out of the game do you ? Paul's Pathways or Jewel's Legit Landscapers ?
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pitseablue added 10:33 - Feb 15 I agree with P J a point away from home is O.K. But three points tonight given the way Doncaster have been playing should not be to much to ask.
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AJblue added 11:03 - Feb 15 Dirty...the wheelbarrow with the flat tyre, was it at the bottom or top of the tyre? Cos if it was at the bottom, then yes, I can confirm it was knackered. Anyway whats wrong with that type of "gentleman", there were 17000 of them at Loftus Rd on Sunday!
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blueblood66 added 12:24 - Feb 15 The Future's bright, the future's Jewel
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casanovacrow added 12:44 - Feb 15 if its not broke dont fix it. as soon as we go 442 our fullbacks dont get forward n if they did we would have huge gaps without the midfield to cover. we havnt the right balance of players for 442
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Hailbeats added 13:41 - Feb 15 Re PJ's likeness to Dirtydingusmagee's tarmaccing fly by night: I am convinced PJ is Plan B's older and possibly smarter brother. Maybe he can get Plan B to record a soul version of Singing the Blues
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jas0999 added 17:34 - Feb 15 Yep, 4-4-2 is the way forward. Don;t like the 4-5-1 at home - but it has been effective away.
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dirtydingusmagee added 17:37 - Feb 15 its actually the photofit on the Villa defender thread,im refering to, it really looks like the bloke who took me to the cash point in the wheel barrow ,but he had a knotted hankie on his head .
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Back_The_Boss added 08:10 - Feb 21 PJ's the man, COYB!
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