Boss Paul Jewell said his side needs to find a level of consistency having followed Saturday’s battling 0-0 draw at Leeds with last night’s disappointing 3-0 home defeat to Watford. The Town manager says too many of his players are hiding when things go against them.

Jewell said: “Inconsistency equals where we are in the table because most of the consistent teams will be in the higher echelons of the league.

“I just don’t know what I’m going to get out of the players week-in, week-out at the minute. We’re up and down too much. We’ve got to get a level of consistency that’s acceptable and the last [few home] games haven’t been acceptable, both the performances and the results.

“I always hate getting beaten but we lost against Portsmouth and played well, but against Reading we didn’t and against Watford, for all the huffing and puffing we did, what happens in the two boxes is what pays the rent.

“When you analyse why we lost the game, I think they’ve had two shots on target in the second half. I’m not saying they didn’t deserve to win, but between the boxes we’ve had plenty of the ball but when it goes in the box, have we got enough people who want to score a goal?

“The brutal answer is no and that puts a lot of pressure on the back four to stop goals and the manner of the goals we gave away [was poor], certainly the first one was a bit comical.”

The Blues boss says Town still have work to do to ensure Championship football next season: “We’ve got lots to do to improve to be where we want to be. I think we’re 12 points clear of the bottom three.

“What disappoints me is that when things don’t go our way too many people are hiding - we lose confidence too quickly.

“We’ve got to get more inner belief and a bit more steely determination about ourselves. When it’s not going well, grind something out.

“We ground something out at Leeds, we got a great result at Cardiff, but that’s typical of our season - one week we’re good, the next week we’re poor.

“When we’re not very good, we’ve got to be OK. That’s what teams that get success do — when they’re not at their best they still don’t lose games.”

Jewell will be looking to avoid a fourth successive home defeat when Scunthorpe are in Suffolk at the weekend: “We have to dust ourselves down, come back in in the morning and start again against Scunthorpe on Saturday.”

The Iron sacked manager Ian Baraclough this morning in the wake of last night’s 3-0 home defeat to fellow strugglers Preston. Assistant manager Kevin Pressman and first team coach Steve Parkin have also left Glanford Park. Youth coach Tony Daws has been named caretaker-manager.

Meanwhile, Town say that problems with the commentary on last night’s game on their Ipswich Player service was down to technical issues affecting Perform Group, who host their website and those of many other Football League sides, with other clubs also affected.

Photo: Action Images

brian_a_mul added 14:37 - Mar 16 How did Druary get on last night?
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brandonlee added 14:49 - Mar 16 am i going mad.....i like paul jewell but week in week out we play with 1 up top. it's ok saying the midfield can join in but they obviously aren't. The best form of defence is attack and yet even at home we play with 1 frontman. Jason scotland WILL score goals. But not playing as a lone striker for christ sake. Priskin IS a good player but surely IS a lot better playing off someone. We moaned and moaned at Keane for being so negative but in my eyes we are playing the same system but with the added bonus of Jimmy Bullard when he wants to play!!! I like Paul Jewell as a manager and would have him over keano every day of the week but STOP PLAYING ONE UPFRONT AND THEN MOANING THAT WE DONT GET ENOUGH PLAYERS IN THE BOX WHO WANT TO SCORE!!!!!

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Ipswich24 added 14:55 - Mar 16 Teams love to come to lovely Portman Road they dont fear it one bit. Nice stadium, lovely playing surface and no twelth man I mean the crowd. The atmosphere is shocking there is no build up with someone over tannoy getting the fans fired up the attendance figures are also shocking! Teams love it they are playing under no pressure from our team or our fans!
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cornishnick added 14:59 - Mar 16 Perhaps we should just resign from the Football League and take up another sport like netball or synchronised navel gazing. I think some of our players would be more suited to that.
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Seasider added 15:42 - Mar 16 Some observations:- Crowd quiet as nothing to enthuse Are Delaney MCauley et al thinking sod it,if they are not offering new contracts they cant think much of us.I cannot understand thinking of Evans. Things were better before he took over. Wholesale changes next season may not work,and who would want to come to a struggling Championship outfit out in the sticks anyway when they could go to a vibrant club like Norwich. Lucky PJ had some poorer teams to play when he first came. Shine is beginning to come off appt,as now is not doing much better than Keane. If he doesnt get more co-operation(cant say from board as unlike most clubs dont have one)how will he feel. Have been in downward spiral for 10 years now which five Managers have been unable to arrest. For first time in nearly 50 years fear that if we may still go down,if not this season then the next. Evans could cut and run if he can find a way of getting some of his money back.Debt still at some £35m on balance sheet owed to the Marcus Evans group

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alfromcol added 15:49 - Mar 16 What a lot of 'supporters' you are!!!
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Ipswich24 added 15:54 - Mar 16 alfromcol- You been happy with last couple home games have you
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La_Paz added 16:04 - Mar 16 brian_a_mul, Drury certainly tried hard last night but without achieving very much, and in my opinion still looks to be adjusting to the pace of the game at this level. He looks much better with the ball than without it, and with one up and little movement from midfield he had few opportunities to really show his range of passing. However we saw in his home debut some of what he's capable of, and it's miles too early to be writing him off just yet. Would definitely benefit from having a real ball-winner alongside him.

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Surco72 added 16:08 - Mar 16 Players think the season is already over which it is and most dont know where they will be next year . Answer most should go and let Jewell build his own team rather than the expensive flops of Keane - leadbitter,edwards,kennedy,priskin,scotland,healy and delaney can all go for me . Sign mac,norris ,bullard and dyer and then rebuild with youth and new signings
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brittaniaman added 16:22 - Mar 16 You do not need big money to get results as proved by our neighbours up the road.Smiley Lambert was at P.R last night wonder what he thought of the game ???? if one could understand what he is saying. We want some hungry enthusiastic players to get us up where we should be. Norwich found some and they are still on the lookout for more,they get by nicely without the big names. But M.Evans still looked cheerful more than I was!!!!

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Gazelle added 17:21 - Mar 16 There's no doubt that PJ soon discovered that our midfield is inadequate so he's been forced to play an extra man there and leave only one up front, same as Keano did.
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jas0999 added 17:21 - Mar 16 Think we heard all this last week and the week before. What we need is two strikers up front at home, and the midfield pushing foward. Playing our £10M rated STRIKER in a striking role would also help. PJ is certainly grinding out some good away results, but in my opinion, his tactics at home have been very poor - pretty much as the three straight defeats suggests. Please Paul - just try a 4-4-2 and see how we do! Hopefully PJ has a plan for the Summer. Need a lot osnew players with several shown the door. Martin has once again turned into the player he was under Roy, whilst Scotland, Priskin, Leadbitter and Fulop look poor. For me Drury is not a good enough player IF we want to press for promotion. Edwards is not a right-back. Much for PJ to ponder!

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alfromcol added 17:32 - Mar 16 Ipswich24 Hi, in short no I am not happy at the overall result nor the second half. In the first half apart from the early goal where the defenders went to sleep and Fulop, with all his height and size, again failed to cut out a cross, we played some attractive passing football. Albeit, not knowing what to do when we got into the last third of the field, a problem we have had for the past 2/3 years and has to be solved if we are ever to get more goals. Once we gave a second goal away, the players, like the crowd, seemed to lose interest. I suspect that we will have to put up with this until the end of the season and PJ sorts the present squad out. The only positive at present is that we at least try to play a passing game from the back until we get in the opposition's last third. (I have to accept that this all broke down once we went 2 goals down.

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del1boy added 17:45 - Mar 16 Well well well, here we are again. Lets not get to down beat ladies and gents. It appears obvious that our whole team (Apart from a select few) are already thinking about their summer holidays. I can't recall who wrote 'we only sign old timers looking for one last pay cheque' but they are spot on. The is a fundamental probelm within the football club itself, far greater than 'why isnt peters playing' or 'we need 2 upfront'. While I agree with these things the problem is that we are just not a big club anymore. Idiot cheif executives and managers have allowed us to drift into mediocrity. We need a shape up quick, in my opinion we need 2 strikers, 2 wingers, 2 full backs!! We need to get back to basics, the saviour isnt Jimmy Bullard and it certainly isnt Kieron Dyer. While I am the biggest fan of Jimmy, we need to look to younger players, hungry youngsters with desire and build a solid, strong, competitive squad. There is some immense talent in the lower leagues, lets have the balls to go and find it ala Norwich City. Paul Jewell is the man to do it and roll on the summer. For the rest of the season I propose: Lee-Barrett Peters Mcauley Delaney O'connor Martin Norris Bullard Dyer Wickham Scotland

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fourth added 18:53 - Mar 16 You will need a good psychiatrist to move this team from the Keane trenches and Parent/child relationship to one of personal responsibility. I mean it Mr Jewell. Otherwise you will continue to have a 100% to 70% contribution, as things threaten, which is a losing formula.
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fourth added 19:07 - Mar 16 Would you take lads shell-shocked out of the trenches and expect them to perform just like that? They need a warm place with a great deal of respect and love. Then, when you have put the plan in place, they will perform.
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tractorboy2434 added 19:44 - Mar 16 Thought they were pro footballers, not the local Womens Institute. For Christs Sake
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SamWhiteUK added 20:56 - Mar 16 I think we should start with Priskin and wickham up front- yes, Priskin needs to work more, but at least he shows some quality touches on the ball and can hold it up, unlike Scotland. We then need someone, possibly dyer, to sit in behind the strikers, receive the ball at their feet, turn, and play it through.
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stoofer added 21:30 - Mar 16 stoofer added 21:27 - Mar 16 does anyone else think the lateness in getting the season ticket renewals out,compaired to previous seasons might be down to the board sh-----g themselves over our form,next seasons renewals could be very dissappointing! (i hope i am proved wrong)
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bobble added 21:42 - Mar 16 i think we have been very consistent for the last couple of years......consistently bad !
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broomfield123 added 21:52 - Mar 16 We are consistent at being totally crap . They clearly don't want to be here. Just show the players the door and tell um not to even bother to look back and just keep on walking
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denhamblue added 22:31 - Mar 16 apart from boro,and cardiff(complete fluke)poss leeds at home we are consistant,consistantly poor.
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singingtheblues added 23:07 - Mar 17 hmmm ... "We Need to Find Some Consistency" .. could be a quote from jewell, magilton or keano ... mind you could have also come from any of a number of other championship managers ... past & present ... lets face it most fans look at Town in some sort of bubble .. but consider it is a highly competitive league, most teams have had similar resources, 10mil probably won't buy you out of the league any more - any one of the top 8 teams could probably go up this season & the teams that miss out will all feel disappointed of course consistency is the issue .. but it can only come from a) a stable squad with depth to cover for injuries & suspensions and b) a team with the right abilities to match the style that you want to play ... sad to say but if you can't find a place for someone to play in their preferred position or their skillset doesn't match the way you want to play then you have to get rid of them & replace them with players that do fit the strategy ... it's not rocket science!

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town75 added 12:52 - Mar 18 although i think town are safe to stay up, the defending against watford was like the keano days and had me slumped down looking around for hope.we need to communicate at the back better.good draws away to leeds are hopeless unless u can follow it on at home,at least put the effort it.hopefully a good show v scunthorpe to come and then push on and get some momentum going again.yes the season may be over,promotion is not for now,but lets not forget that the budgies scum game is soon approaching and i feel that some confidence is key for us to get back some pride after the horror show at carrot road...c'mon pj,lets go again.........

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