Town boss Paul Jewell says he was surprised by his side’s slow start to Saturday’s game at Cardiff and put it down to a lack of self-belief, something he says will become stronger the more games they win. The Blues were poor in the first half against the Bluebirds and were lucky not to be behind but vastly improved after the break with Jimmy Bullard scoring twice.

Jewell said: “I don’t know why we started slowly, but there’s probably a lack of belief. I’ve said to them since I’ve been here that this league is difficult but that there are no Real Madrids in it and that we have to believe that we can compete. Sometimes it takes a kick up the backside or whatever.

“We can compete at this level, no doubt about it. We’ve got some good players. We’ve just got to have that belief and that inner strength which at times has been a bit lacking.

“But that can only come with winning games and getting more people jumping on board and believing that they can win matches.

“I thought we sat off Cardiff in the first half and we let them play and looked like we’d come to get beaten.”

Despite the impressive result against one of the division’s promotion challengers, Jewell’s not getting carried away: “We’re not safe from relegation yet, that’s the way I see it.

“We’ve got 45 points now but we’ve got three games this week, today, Tuesday and Saturday and if we hadn’t won any of them, then all of a sudden we’d be looking back down.

“We don’t want our players to be complacent. We just looked a little bit scared at Cardiff, a little bit on edge and I don’t know what it was. Half-time came at a good time.”

Jewell was surprised at the harsh treatment of Cardiff boss Dave Jones by the home fans on Saturday with chants of ‘You don’t know what you’re doing’ sung as the Blues took control after the break: “Dave Jones was second in the league before the game and he doesn’t know what he’s doing! I wish I didn’t know what I was doing as well! I think sometimes you just can’t win in this game.

“It was madness, madness. But that’s the level of expectation at clubs. I think Cardiff will go up, make no mistake about it.

“It’s amazing. I’m not going to comment on Cardiff, but I find it astounding for a team that’s had such an outstanding season, and also the last couple of seasons that he’s been here, and with the money he’s made them by selling top class players. If he doesn’t know what he’s doing, we might as well all go home!”

Photo: Action Images

Guthrum added 09:44 - Mar 7 We've got a squad of players who've been on a long and hopeless losing run for a large chunk of this season. Not to mention the winless streak in 2009. When Town lost two on the bounce, there must have been a thought at the back of their heads: "Oh no, here we go again!". No wonder they're fearful and that fragility came out in how most of the team played in the first half at Cardiff. I think Jewell's biggest job, which he evidently realises from the things he's saying, is to stop every loss of a game or two turning into a major crisis and collapse of morale. It's notable that Bullard, who wasn't at the club, Martin, who was out on loan and therefore uninvolved in the disasters, and Wickham, who is young and resilient, are the three players who have done much to drive Town's revival of fortunes in the Jewell era.

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poringlandblue added 10:14 - Mar 7 i appreciate that under keane the players were like rabbits caught in a headlight and confidence was low but surely we can expect 90mins + added time out of them every game and not need a rollocking from pj to get them going, surely as a team they can motivate themselves in the dressing room before the game to get out there and get stuck in from the word go, they should sit and watch the 2nd half from sat over and over again, just as pj said theres no real madrids in this league, all in all though that 2nd half performance was awesome even better as i was sat in the gunn club at carrot rd getting daggers, hoolahan youre a star by the way

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Steve_ITFC_Sweden added 10:49 - Mar 7 Guthrum: Perceptive comments. I agree. I think instilling confidence is one of PJ's biggest tasks, and one he seems to be good at.
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ForeverTractorBoy added 10:58 - Mar 7 Next year will be our year .. we have got a fantastic manager .. with a few new additions to the squad .. e.i. A right back, two strickers and possibly another winger. We will have well and truely one of the best squads in this league. COYB !!!
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roytheboy added 11:34 - Mar 7 I read with interest what Paul said regarding the shameful way that the Cardiff fans turned on Dave Jones, it serves to remind us just how fickle and unappreciative some football supporters can be, very well said Paul.
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DiamondGezzer added 13:47 - Mar 7 roytheboy:- Well said yourself ! I couldn't believe some of the negative posts on here since the game. We stopped what is probably the best strike force in this league, played some good football and put two away in the process [ and what's more, we won ], and still we read, somebody did this, somebody didn't do that. Surely we had enough negativaty to last us a lifetime under the last regime. Let's be positive - PLEASE ! COYB. Thankyou, Paul and Co.

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Sindre94 added 14:22 - Mar 7 we played really well the 2. half! credits to both the gaffer and the players. COYB
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urbanblue added 15:05 - Mar 7 DiamondGezzer, well said you too. I have spoken to a couple of neutrals who watched the game over here in Oz (One a Forest fan) and both thought it was a fantastic performance in general. When i mentioned the slow start we made, both said we should have expected nothing else but to be under the cosh a bit away at Cardiff and so what, we won ! The fact is we weathered the storm and slowly took control to win the game and that is a COMPLETE good performance that most teams would be happy with. I wonder if PJ would have commented on the first half as he has if fans and journos didn't keep harping on about it !

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Ipswich24 added 17:07 - Mar 7 I think what people are trying to say as we were very fortunate that Cardiff could not finish their dinner in first half, we were very poor didnt get close to them etc. then second half we were a different team hastling them winning second balls getting hold of ball when we won it back and using it sensibly. Yes you have to have a bit of luck when you go to these places and we did, Fantastic response in second half Paul Jewell really earnt his money for half time rant, but i bet it was a possitive rant. COYB

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DiamondGezzer added 17:20 - Mar 7 Urbanblue:- I'm with you mate !
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jas0999 added 18:56 - Mar 7 Jewell certainly turned it around at half time. Also surprised that Cardiff fans booed their team - goodness they are having a great season! There, even Norwich fans booed their team a couple of weeks back! What is it all coming too?
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DrJeckyll added 19:21 - Mar 7 Wasn't surprised at the Cardiff fan,s reactions, it,s not the first time, and i was confident that the longer the game went on without us conceding the more likely it was to happen and if we could get a goal then the game would be as good as won. Unfortunately our fans are nothing to be proud of either :-(
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