Town manager Paul Jewell says he’s under no pressure from owner Marcus Evans to reach the Premier League in his first full season in charge, unlike some other Championship bosses. Ahead of the opening game of 2011/12 at Bristol City on Saturday, the Blues chief, who took over from Roy Keane in January, is asking fans for patience as he develops a team capable of winning promotion to the top flight.

Jewell said: “I’m under no pressure from our owner to get to the Premier League this year, but I’d love to get to it. That’s why I’ve come here.

“I haven’t come here to improve every year in terms of place, I’ve come here to get in the Premier League and I feel it’s a realistic goal, given the right amount of time and improvement of the squad.

“The only pressure on me is the pressure I put on myself to try and win a game,” he continued. “But we want to get there as soon as possible.

“I’ve been here six or seven months, I haven’t got a magic wand and things take time. We’re building for the future. We’ve got some experienced players, we’re looking to bring in some young players and develop those young players and hopefully they’ll be here for years to come and be part of a successful Ipswich Town Football Club.”

The Liverpudlian is aware that greater pressure is being put on other managers, particularly at West Ham: “I’ve got a two and a half year contract and hopefully at the end of that contract we’ll extend it. If by the end of it we can improve and be somewhere near [getting back to the Premier League], that’s the goal.

“I know Sam Allardyce said that if he doesn’t get promotion this year he’s going to get the sack. If his owners have said that at least he knows where he stands! My owner definitely hasn’t said that, not to me anyway!

“I think that as a manager — or whatever job you do — if you’re improving the product as time goes on, you must being doing OK.

“In football we live in a world where sometimes improvements aren’t enough for some people who make the decisions, whether that’s owners or whoever.”

Jewell was at pains to stress that turning Town — who he felt looked like a relegation-bound side when he took over - into a Premier League team is no short-term job and asked fans for patience, even if he’s as keen for return to the big time as they are: “I’m asking fans for that, but I don’t feel any myself!

“As long as people can see that it’s a work in progress. I don’t want supporters not to renew their season tickets because we’re being defeatist. We’re not, we’re just being realistic.

“We’ve got a chance, but there are probably about 15 or 16 teams in this league who think they’ve got a chance of getting in the top six.

“My experience is that it takes time to stamp your style on a place. We don’t just want a first team which is successful, we want a club which is successful.

“The vibrancy and the family feel is already here, we just need to add winning games and get the feel-good factor back at Ipswich. That’s what we’re after.”

Photo: Action Images

bontcho added 08:14 - Aug 5 We have to be realistic. Above half way and good, attacking football has to be the sensible target. It could take a few months for the team to gel with so many new signings. In Jewell we trust!
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bluesnightorg added 08:30 - Aug 5 "We've got a chance, but there are probably about 15 or 16 teams in this league who think they've got a chance of getting in the top six." This is very good. It is realistic, but not unambitious. I like it.
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Matthblue added 08:43 - Aug 5 "whatever job you do — if you're improving the product as time goes on, you must being doing OK."
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WonkyZombie added 08:50 - Aug 5 I love that he wants to build for the future too. Jewell seems to want to create a legacy that will keep us in the Premiership (should we get there). Means he's not just thinking about the next 2 years i.e. his current contract; he wants to make a success of Town whoever is in charge.
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jas0999 added 09:08 - Aug 5 'The only pressure on me is the pressure I put on myself' - didn't Roy say exactly the same thing last season?! I disagree with the above posts. PJ needs to deliver. There will be pressure from the fans and rightly so. Season ticket prices were increased, the cost of travel for most has also increased, so I don't expect to travel to PR to see us lose or for that matter play with just one striker to grind out a draw to finish mid-table. People also have short memories - fans wanted Roy AND Jim out after about a month of poor results at the start of their reign. Both were also slated on the odd occasion they played a loan striker - yet it seems PJ, who has already been here 7 MONTHS is exempt from criticism. Reaks of double standards IMO.

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saffronblue added 09:13 - Aug 5 Good words and I think the team has improved but I am not certain about this building for the future, it's a laudable plan but I haven't seen that much evidence so far as we seem to have stripped the youth team bare and brought in quite a few older players (albeit quality). Would suggest that we should be looking at playoffs this year as a realist goal.
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randomblue added 09:25 - Aug 5 He's a good talker is Jewel and he seems like a manager who knows what it's ALL about - the same is possibly not so true of the last two managers! I do like his comment - "We don't just want a first team which is successful, we want a club which is successful" - Rome wasn't built in a day PJ - keep at it!
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WonkyZombie added 09:30 - Aug 5 For me, the only pressure I'm putting on Jewell this season is to show a marked improvement in play and league position. If we get promoted, awesome, but I'm prepared for the fact that we could play blinders and win a high proportion of games but still finish outside the playoffs because of the league competition, especially this coming season. I feel Jas0999's comments are unfair. Every manager deserves a clean slate. I'm not going to slate Jewell after a few poor matches, neither did I slate Keane, or Magiltion before him until it was apparent that the style of play had deterioated. Jewell has so far escaped criticism because he has helped save us from relegation and done bloody well in the transfer window. That for me deserves a bit of a pat on the back, don't you think? The process of turning Town around from the kicking we got from Keane is a slow one and won't happen in one season.

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randomblue added 09:34 - Aug 5 jas0999 - I disagree. I don't think anyone is saying he's doesn't have to deliver. People are merely highlighting that we need to be realistic in expectation. I agree I want to see good attacking football and be entertained, however I would rather see us invest time now if it meant we could get a team together to move into and stay in the Premiership. I would rather be a Bolton or Sunderland than be a yoyo team like West Ham and Birmingham!

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MattinLondon added 09:35 - Aug 5 Jas0999's I think the few people who wanted Jim and Keane out within a month of their reign were actually people like you...negative We were an average team at best under Keane and we have to be a bit patient in order for Jewell to turn us into a top 6 team.
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randomblue added 09:41 - Aug 5 MattinLondon - your comment made me think a bit about previous managers. There seem to be two different types of manager - Keanes and Magiltons or your PJ's, Burleys and Royles?! Makes you wonder which you would prefer?!
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SouperJim added 10:02 - Aug 5 The difference between PJ and his two predecessors is 1- he has a proven track record of success, 2- what he has achieved in his first 6 months here speaks for itself. It is clear that PJ is in a different class to Keane and Magilton. Performances on the pitch, team selection, tactics, transfer activity, man management, dealing with the press... all huge improvements over Keane and Magilton. You can't please everybody and there will always be a few clowns who will demand overnight success or look for negatives where there are none, but you'll get plenty of patience from me Paul. Top half will do this year (obviously I hope for more), so long as we're moving in the right direction. But the main thing is I'm looking forward to what will in all likelihood be the most enjoyable season of football at Portman Road since the last time we made the play-offs. Thats a pitiful 6 seasons ago.

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baldman added 10:06 - Aug 5 We finished 13 points behind 6 th place now are we 13 points better of yes I think so 1 better keeper 5 extra points 2 better defence if fit and poss 1 more 7extra points 3 midfield better and more attacking like to think 7 extra points 4 attack much better 11 extra points I make that 30 xtra points how far was qpr ahead
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robdaful added 10:12 - Aug 5 I'm sure we will do alright. Might not do it this year but with Jewell, I think he will be able to get us into the prem.
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Lennyboy added 10:48 - Aug 5 This is certainly the right attitude for us all to take, we don't want to do what Blackpool did in going up and coming straight back down; just like the budgies will do this coming season. To maintain a presence in the Premier League, you have to build big and not just the first eleven. Jewell will take our beloved club to the top and keep it there, so be patient.
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stinkiusminkius added 10:54 - Aug 5 Jas0999 - you really make me laugh, and have given the best possible example of double standards. You were the one on here that was still supporting keane after 18months of turgid rubbish, yet you have been just constantly sniping at mr Jewell before the season has even started. ridiculous. Everything Jewell has done so far is looking like an improvement on keane, and stop being obsessed with formations - it's how the football is played within those formations that is important.

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naa added 11:03 - Aug 5 jas0999: Magilton wasn't given grief until into his 3rd season in charge when he clearly started feeling the pressure and generally wasted the money Marcus Evans gave him. People were pretty generous with him until that point because they could see the money he had and the squad he had inherited. Roy Keane was also only given grief after we failed to win for almost an entire half season and started getting us to play incredibly mind-numbing football. I find it strange that you demand entertaining football (which so far Jewell's team has at least tried to play) when you were a supporter of Keane who most definitely did not play that style of football in the slightest. As has been said, people are being generous with Jewell at the moment becasu a) he saved us from possible relegation b) he got us playing more attractive football c) he says all the right things and d) he has done pretty well in the transfer window. However, I'm pretty sure that if we start the season poorly you'll see all the usual moaners on here. PJ won't escape that I'm sure.

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Yeasayer added 11:25 - Aug 5 Jas0009: You are a complete and utter fool! It is fans like you, that feel Ipswich have this god given right to be in the premiership and winning week in week out, that create the negativity which has held ITFC back in recent years. If you all you want to see is victory, go and watch a top 4 team! And the reason why people are more forgiving towards Jewell, in my opinion, is down to the fact that Ipswich have got a history of being loyal to managers, and with this being altered in recent years, people may be starting to realise that a manager needs time to build a half decent squad. Plus, Jewell has a decent record with regards to getting teams promoted.

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DiamondGezzer added 11:33 - Aug 5 My view of the fans being generous toward PJ, is because he's earned the generosity. IMHO.
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Stu_Magoo added 11:38 - Aug 5 Paul Jewell is the Stringer Bell of the Championship! Just bring in Prop Joe and maybe we'll get to the Premier this season!
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TheWeapon added 12:05 - Aug 5 I think with the players pj had last season when he arrived were relegation bound but a month into the job and the boys were knocking the ball around more and creating chances even though we didn't have that touch of quality to put the ball in the back of the net. This season is going to be a great season as a town fan I can feel it in the air! Come on saturday and come on the town!!!

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Fatboy added 12:37 - Aug 5 A start the same as last year (15 points from the first 8 games) would do very nicely, but perhaps without the mid-season collapse this time around!
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ncharles added 12:46 - Aug 5 Of course PJ has pressure from the fans and media and therefore from his boss(es). We are all looking for positive attacking football especially at Portman Road where we go on to the field expecting to win. I would love to see us into the playoffs by the end of the season, if that is realistic is difficult to see until we have played a few games. To be eighth or better at the end would be my definition of success after what has happened for the last couple of years.

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TractorBeezer added 13:09 - Aug 5 DaimondGezzer My view of the fans being generous toward PJ, is because he's earned the generosity. IMHO. I agree wholeheartedly. PJ's approach is a motivational common sense style without hotheaded arrogance which impresses most of us fans and hopefully the players and staff. Robdaful I have great difficulty reading yout comments...I keep getting distracted! Brightens everything after reading JAS...keep posting!

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Tampa_Florida_Blue added 14:38 - Aug 5 The only chance I get to watch our team here in the United States is when the games are on TV, even then it is sometimes hard to even get an English style pub to play ITFC, as they will show MUFC, MCFC, AFC, CFC way before our games. I'm saying this as all I have to go by, is the comments of the fans on here and the stuff Phil puts up. But IMHO, from every thing I am reading, I think PJ is doing a far better job, than Keane. Getting in players on a contract rather than loans has to be the right way forward, because the players are playing for there club, and a new contract to. We have 7 new players, who I feel we are lucky to get, every one of them are looking good. But getting 7 new players, and what is left of last years squad playing together as a good team, will take time, and the best thing we can do is work as the 12th man on the pitch, get behind the team in full. Moaning and groaning will get us no where. PJ has worked hard to bring in good players, having not payed to much money for any one, let be honest 1.5 mill for Chopra is a steal... thank god for having a scourser to rob people...lol. If by the end of the season we are there or there abouts around the play off's, I will be so happy!

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