Town manager Paul Jewell was happy but not satisfied after his side got their season off to the perfect start with a 3-0 victory at Bristol City which took them to the top of the Championship. The Blues boss says he’s not getting carried away by one victory, which was watched by owner and chairman Marcus Evans.

Jewell said: “We’re happy, we’re never satisfied. I think when you become satisfied, you become a bit comfortable.

“We’re delighted, it’s a great start for us, but that’s all it is. We’re keeping our feet firmly on the ground.

“It was a terrific turn-out of 1,700 fans, which was great, and it’s a start of a very long and arduous season, and we’ve got off to a good start.”

The Liverpudlian believes the 4-5-1 formation was the key to the victory: “I thought our system worked, I thought the three midfield players worked and Chopra was always a threat.

“I felt we were the best team for the first 20 minutes and then we scored the goal. I think over the years, and I think it’s been a trait of ours not having a winning team over the last few years, took back step and they came back into the game a little bit.

“We saw it out to half-time, then in the second half, once we got the second goal and then the third goal went in it was game over.

“As a manager you’re always looking for more, but I’m pleased with the effort, not just the effort of the XI but also the effort everyone’s put in since we came back.”

Bristol City boss Keith Millen was shocked by the result and also the goals his side gave away: “I didn’t see that one coming today. We did a lot of good work. I was pleased with the lads and their conditioning and I was expecting a better result and performance.

“When you look at the game, when you give three goals away like we did, it doesn’t matter how you do when you’re in possession.

“The manner of the three goals we conceded isn’t acceptable and we’ve got to put that right. Ipswich didn’t have to do too much to score the goals.”

Photo: Action Images

brian_a_mul added 17:56 - Aug 6 This is the first time in years we actually finished a team off when in the lead. Chopra looks hungry and was great to see him working off the ball and harassing James to grab his second. Championship defenses often cough up chances and with a player like chops sniffing around we have a great weapon to take advantage! Great start, well done lads.
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Mr_Evans added 17:59 - Aug 6 Fantastic start to the season!! But like PJ said, let's not get carried away.. Tough game against Hull up next - that's gonna be a real tester!
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fifeblue added 18:00 - Aug 6 Just home from the match. Great! Top top top top toppa the league!
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cooper4england added 18:01 - Aug 6 Say we are top of the league, say we are...... Chopra a 2goals a game man. Can we finish the league now please?
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jocasaja added 18:02 - Aug 6 I know it is only the first game - BUT I really am thinking that we could be the dark horse team this year - It was great to hear Chopra saying that the team are thinking that the can do something special this year - a team full of winners and believers - that is what we need !! COYB
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power19 added 18:07 - Aug 6 Fab start but dont want to get too excited just yet!. Can't comment too much as wasnt able to listen or watch the match - sounds as though it made a difference having a) someone who can actually score i.e Mr Chops and b) someone who can actually save them from going in i.e. Mr Stockdale! Who would have thought that that could ever be a winning solution! Welll done boys and esp PJ - bring on Hull and a good atmospheric start to the season at PR fortress!!

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BotesdaleBlue added 18:08 - Aug 6 I absolutely love it that PJ is not satisfied. That's just what I want to hear. I really believe he will get the best out the players, which is exactly what all the best managers do. He will push them, but in the right way, unlike our previous "manager". I honestly feel as optomitic as I have done for many seasons.
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dommyboyblue added 18:10 - Aug 6 What a great start!! Hopefully the start of great things, still need to add some more quality in key areas, but could not ask for much more than that!! COYB
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pazelle added 18:11 - Aug 6 1 up front, we didn't need to do much to score the goals = 2 up front from now on - though maybe 1 when it's a tough away game. Roll on the next team!
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Garv added 18:11 - Aug 6 Superb...bloody 4-5-1 too negative!
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simoitfc added 18:13 - Aug 6 Cresswell my new hero played realy well today.took 1 in the bo!!ox fr the team and straight bk up ! Gud lad
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das_bones added 18:13 - Aug 6 I do believe we're top of the league!!! lol
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Mark added 18:16 - Aug 6 Excellent start to the season, we couldn't have asked for more. ITFC sound a professional club, well organised and properly prepared for the season. There is more work to do in the transfer market of course, but it will be so much easier to attract new signings when they see us at or near the top of the premature Championship table! Well done to all involved.
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BluePlough added 18:32 - Aug 6 ipswich are better than everybody!
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BlueJewells added 18:34 - Aug 6 im satisfied! great result!
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Suffolk_n_Good added 18:39 - Aug 6 E I E I E I O, Up the Football League we go!! Great result, well done to all the boys & of course to PJ & CH aswell, COYBs!!
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Hatman added 18:46 - Aug 6 Love the Avatar Suffolk-n-Good..., Chops - very apt! I'm trying not to think about Last season where we started really well and the wheels came completely off, there is a completely different feel about things now under PJ.
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bluearmy4life added 18:54 - Aug 6 Great start well done PJ AND THE BLUE ARMY. Also I was watching football focus today Lawro and Savage said the dark horse for championship is us!!! Well chuffed with that. No one has talked up are chances for quite a few years feels good to be talked about once again! UP THE TOWN
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Somersetractor added 19:00 - Aug 6 A promising solid performance. I thought Cresswell and Martin played very well together on the left. Away fans in fine voice lets hope we can carry that to PR. Only negative was that I went to the hotdog stand early at half time only to find out they had run out of tomato sauce... on the first game of the season!?...abysmal, hang your heads in shame Bristol.
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Marcus added 19:06 - Aug 6 4-5-1 is great with the right players, especially as it can effectively be 4-3-3 when attacking but it needs two very strong wide players. Whether we have the team for it time will only tell. 4-4-2 puts much more pressure on the central midfield and more creativity is expected from the middle of the field. As our squad has more creative wide players and more workmanlike central midfielders I can see the logic of 4-5-1 however I personally still prefer 4-4-2. Today we saw how 4-5-1 can work and if it can work like that regularly then great, I hope that we can also use 4-4-2 and from that always keep the option of switching between the two styles when the game needs it.

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Keaneish added 19:07 - Aug 6 Yep, have to mention Cresswell's performance today. He was excellent throughout. Worried over the amount of headers Bristol city won in our box though! Need a solid centre back and Jimmy Bullard for me still to really be title contenders. Great result though. City will struggle I reckon - no end product, Maynard unsettled and James was more interested in his corn rolls than his job!

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lTFC added 19:25 - Aug 6 what a great result predicited the score and chops to be the 1st correct (: COYB
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Stretchstar added 19:31 - Aug 6 Finding it very....very hard to keep a lid on the screaming dream inside, gonna keep quiet but...............................COME ON!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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Tractamatt added 20:14 - Aug 6 Great result but lets be realistic, Today we played a team who will struggle to stay up and killed them off but we still need to sign a quality creative midfielder,and we can forget Bullard, we need to sign some hight in our defense and now we need a first choice goalkeeper before fulham recall stockdale.i believe paul jewell knows this and we can expect at least one new signing next week.I hope this is done before our weaknesses are found out

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corshamblue added 20:22 - Aug 6 Martin, Cresswell and Chops had great games but that was underpinned by a lot of milage put in by Leadbitter and Bower. CB's still a BIG worry with a lack of pace so obvious. Could Delaney be anymore left footed ?? it showed and almost let in a very poor Bristol City side. That said, what a day !! I cut my Holiday short to get home for the game (living close to Bath I shouldn't miss those games) Best Player today was the Ipswich Fans that sang for 95 mins and a bit longer too. Well done to you all, it lifted the players and I need to rest the voice . . . like the rest of you, but can we have that same support next time at home also. Chops Rocks

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