Blues boss Paul Jewell has conceded that it’s unlikely that skipper David Norris and key defender Gareth McAuley will be at the club next season. The Town manager will probably learn of the duo’s plans today or tomorrow when he holds an end-of-season debrief.

Jewell said: “I think it’s looking less and less likely with games having run out. But I have to say that Gareth and Chuck have conducted themselves tremendously well.

“I’d like them to stay, but whether they do, I don’t know. We’ve left ourselves open to that by leaving the contract negotiations as long as we did, but there might be reasons for that.

“But I think at the end of the day, whichever players stay or whoever leaves the club, Ipswich Town will always be here.”

Crystal Palace are now understood to be the frontrunners for Norris's signature, while Wigan, Portsmouth, Nottingham Forest and Leeds have also all been linked. McAuley is strongly tipped to be on his way to Rangers.

The Blues manager says he has long known where his squad is lacking: “Even when we were winning games [I knew our weaknesses]. We won the Doncaster game 6-0, but anyone who was there will tell you that it wasn’t a 6-0 game.

“It’s not something that’s just hit me in the last month, I’ve known that we’re weak in certain key areas in which we need to be stronger.

“It’s my job and the job of my scouting network to try and make sure that we bring in players. I also have to emphasise that we have a lot of good players here.

“It’s not as if the whole squad is out the building, it’s not. We want to give the lads who are here next year help and the way we can do that is to get at least one if not two people who want to score a goal.”

While making no rash promises, he wants a side which is capable of pushing nearer the top end of the division next season: “Our aim is to make a challenge. I’m not going to go on record and say we’re going to get promotion, I’ve done that once before.

“Leicester are going to be fighting in there next season, the teams coming up are going to be strong, the teams coming down are going to be strong. This is the most difficult league you could wish to get out of.

“I’m not going to make rash predictions but I want us to improve and we need to improve if we’re going to have a chance.”

Photo: Action Images

hampstead_blue added 08:26 - May 9 GMac will be a big loss but I'm not so sure Chuck will be missed. He is past his best at 30 and can easily be replaced.
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Dissblue added 08:33 - May 9 OK. Move on then.
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Karlosfandangal added 08:34 - May 9 Two average player who I feel will not take us forward they have been with us 3 years now and we are still a mid table side that leek goals. Losing these two will be a blow as we now 8 or 9 players which we will not get this season, but do we need to keep Mac and Chuck for 3 more years. More worried about the loss of Bullard and Wickham as they can take us forward, 2 years for promotion i feel

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exeterblu added 08:41 - May 9 Norris is led by his agent. Held out 'til the very last minute at Plymouth before signing for us, pushing up his signing on fee and wages. Now his agent will have told him that , as he is a free agent he can demand a high (£500k +) signing on fee, and good personal terms . All this 'holding out for 3 years contract' is tosh - i'm sure we would have offered a deal similar to Edwards - 3rd year after 15 or so matches in 2nd year, but ultimatly Norris wants the money money money...well, good luck getting you wages if you end up at Portsmouth or crystal Palace. As a comparison captain , I offer Matty Holland. Blue as they come, turned down great terms to play premiership footy with aston villa - why ? cause he was a true captain who loved this club. Move on Norris, the c.£15k a week we spend on your wages will be well spent on other players , players who WANT to be part of ITFC history, rather than just being out for the money.

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Stadiumofdark added 08:45 - May 9 If they are leaving.... why were they in the team on Saturday.... for an end of season game....? Same for Kennedy, Scotland, Edwards etc... we know what they can do (or can't more to the point). Was an ideal time to play some of the fringe players.
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bedsitfc added 08:48 - May 9 i personally dont think they will be a big miss, i never agreed with squeak gob norris being captain and mac is prone to a lot of errors inbetween normally good defending.
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Tillz9 added 09:01 - May 9 Agree with previous post - we have been average with them and don't think either would be massively difficult to replace. Of the players leaving if we got Westwood, St Ledger and Danns who is also avaliable on a free I would say our squad would be stronger than if they had stayed.
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Calmingwind added 09:08 - May 9 exeterblu - when did matt holland play for villa? agree great captain, and i think one of the best players to pull on a blue shirt since the robson era
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We8Norwich added 09:24 - May 9 Matty Holland didn't play for Villa. I think he's trying to say he turned down big wages and premiership football to stay with Town as he was a true loyal Town captain.
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denhamblue added 09:40 - May 9 a week ago,it clearly said on this forum,two signings in pipeline next week(possibly),its gone very quiet on that story.Its not im impatient,but its now i know it will be tough to get new signings,and i know the type of players i need ect ect>This sounds like groundhog day,as it has been at ipswich for a few seasons now,Be ready for second choice has beens,frees,loanees.We are not the type of club to offer attractive deals(as we cant),so forget sharp,nugent,lambert ect,it wont happen.

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exeterblu added 09:46 - May 9 Spot on We8Norwich - apologies for wording my point wrong !!
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osborne1nil added 10:04 - May 9 To be fair they may not be premiership players but if you had to get rid of a few players from the Town side, Norris and especially Macauley would be well down the list! Now this may be academic in that some of the other players contracts do not expire yet, but there are plenty of players in the team who offer a lot less than these two. If you had to keep either Norris or Leadbitter for example, another poor season from Leadbitter with little contribution to the goals from midfield except when he takes the penalties and his distribution and negative passing is frustrating but we are stuck with for at least another season. Would you rather have Healey over Norris, IMO no. Macauley has been exceptional at times this season and is having to cover for no real right back and the lack of speed of the left back too. Both these players were Town players and thus no funds other than wages requires to buy them. If we are replacing them with free agents, PJ needs to be quick and hope they are upto the mark and if we are having to pay a signing on fee or compensation then that money could have been better placed on getting a couple of strikers who can actually score regularly. Good luck to them both if they move on and agree if all they want is the money and they have no particular love for ITFC then best they go.

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jimmyjames added 10:05 - May 9 Shame, but lets move on. We need 100% commitment in the team. If they cant give us that then adios. Good luck to both in the future.
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suffolkpoker added 10:19 - May 9 Its clear ITFC needs a big shake up, if what PJ is saying is true about singing 5 or 6 players i cant see these 30+ year olds will be missed to much onwards and upwards... COYB
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parkinshair added 10:28 - May 9 Norris and McAuley leaving? Never saw that one coming. Seriously, not too bothered, Norris isn't all that and McAuley is replacable. Think it would do some good to get some fresh blood in.
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grumpyoldman added 10:32 - May 9 Both players have acquitted themselves well over their time here, McAuley has got better since his nervous start and the value of Chuck was seen when he was out injured. To quote an old song "you don't know what you've got 'til its gone" If they go I for one will miss them
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Dogsy40 added 10:34 - May 9 Crystal palace.........WTF would he want to play there????? Obviously money driven so....see ya later. Not required at itfc.
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Vic added 10:35 - May 9 It isn't the end of the world these two are going. 14 goals shipped in 4 games shows that the defence is somewhat lacking!! Mac has done a good job but clearly we need better. Norris is a decent player and like Walters may well do better elsewhere; but despite his goals this season he hasn't quite been good enough overall. We can get better.
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bedsitfc added 11:47 - May 9 watch for james coppinger from donnie great replacement for norris
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are_these_the_days added 12:20 - May 9 Agree with previous posts - not a great loss. Wish we could offload Leadbitter though.
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suffolkpoker added 12:44 - May 9 there are others i would prefer to offload frist.. but heyho Let the rebuilding commence
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Mungo added 12:52 - May 9 Putting emotion and disappointment aside for a minute, both DN and GM have been key players over the last couple of years and will be missed. I'd be surprised if PJ's transfer budget will have increased either, meaning he will now have to stretch it even further (8/9 players needed now?). Expect mostly free transfers or loans to supplement one or two flagship signings (if any). Let the bargain hunt commence!

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Vic added 13:36 - May 9 Mungo - I bet he had a pretty good idea they'd go and has allowed for that in his plans. One thing i like about PJ is that's he's been around and learnt some lessons; whilst he has high aspirations he doesn't seem to be unrealistic about the up and down of getting to where he wants to be. I just like the way he's going about things - tells us what he's wanting to do, but tells us that it will be hard and might not happen the way he/we want it to.

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julesbda added 14:00 - May 9 After the results of the past few weeks i'm not too upset to see most of them leave . No one player is bigger than the club and letting 2-3 of our top OLD players leave may not be a bad thing . I'm sure they are looking for 3 year deals not the 2 years offered . losing mc a , norris won't be too bad ..clearly we are weak through the middle of the park with all these goals going in ....so re-shape it with some new blood and look forward to next season .. good luck boys with the future ..hope you are making the right decisions for yourselves and us !!

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tractorgirl2 added 14:00 - May 9 Bedsitfc i have too ask as you have posted on most pages of this site!! Why do you keep say James Coppinger is singing for us? Got to admit i wouldn't mind him.
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