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

bedsitfc added 14:21 - May 9 tractorgirl2 - put it this way i would be suprised if it dont happen.
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tractorgirl2 added 14:26 - May 9 He would be a great replacement for norris, thanks for answering me back.
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stinkiusminkius added 14:36 - May 9 Whilst both of these going is not a disaster, they are still two of the better players at our club. Which just sums up what a poor squad we have. I seriously think we now need a GK and all 4 defensive positions, 2 midfielders and 2 strikers. A bit of an ask for PJ.
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Lamby95 added 15:46 - May 9 As I've said before these are the core of the team atm and if you take them away you need more players in. You can't buy 11 new players for next season which is why we need 6 players as a core and Norris and GMac were both part of that.
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