Jewell: Fans Must Be Fed Up of Transfer Talk
Thursday, 18th Aug 2011 09:18

Blues boss Paul Jewell says he’s well aware that fans are probably becoming fed up of hearing that he’s targeting new central defenders. The Town manager has spent the summer trying to add to his defensive ranks, but so far unsuccessfully with plenty of other clubs chasing the same targets.

Matthew Upson, Jonathan Woodgate (both now at Stoke), Sean St Ledger (now Leicester), Daniel Ayala (Norwich) and Ryan Shotton (reportedly joining Burnley from Stoke) are just some of the central defenders Jewell has either enquired about or made bids for this summer.

Ãvar Ingimarsson, currently out with a thigh injury, joined on a free transfer from Reading earlier in the summer, but with Troy Brown (Rotherham) and Tom Eastman (Colchester) joining Gareth McAuley (West Brom) in leaving the club over the summer, the Blues were left very short of cover.

Ex-Stoke and Reading man Ibrahima Sonko says he’s the latest man to have been targeted by the Blues with Jewell probably wanting two more centre-halves to add strength to his squad.

The Blues manager admits that the situation must be becoming as frustrating for fans as it is for him: “I’m sure the supporters are fed up with me saying it.

“Everyone knows that centre-half is one of the areas of the team where we need strengthening but everybody’s looking for the same ones and we can’t get them.

"But we will continue to try and improve it because we have to improve on [Tuesday]. I’m hoping we might have some new players for the weekend.”

He says the situation is partly down to Premier League clubs wanting to keep hold of their players until they know what their squads will look like at the end of the transfer window: ”We’re really desperately trying to get players in.

“I know why [it’s proving hard], it’s because the Premier League teams are seeing the window out. We might have to bite the bullet for a couple of weeks, not that we want to, but we might have to.”

The Blues boss says one of Town’s main failings against Southampton was much the same as was all too evident towards the end of last season: “It was the same old problem, the same old Achilles’ heel, the way I see it, is there. Look at a couple of their goals, they came from our attacks - the same as on Saturday, the same as last season.

“We know there’s a lack of pace in the team, that’s obvious, and it’s something which is my job to address.

“I thought we were making progress, but [Tuesday was] a rude awakening for some people. This is a long old season and we need to improve otherwise it’s going to be longer than that.”

Photo: Action Images

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corshamblue added 09:31 - Aug 18

What? We need some Defenders ? . . . OMG, that's it.

It's a long season with 3 of 46 played. I'd rather see quality come in than a panic at this stage and bring in someone that's isn't miles better than what we've got. We can't afford another 'Scotland' purchase - ie someone that's done well in the past but will add little competition for places.

PJ we trust you and I for one know you'll get it right in the long run.

Not sure about Sonko ? Think he falls into the 'Scotland' bracket for me.

blueoff added 09:33 - Aug 18 So we carry on signing old has beens for free, & players on short loans, great, it's a good job we have a billionaire chairman or we'd be really sh1t !
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alexsmith111 added 09:33 - Aug 18 Maybe clegg should read this and he might get the point
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mickeyjb added 09:34 - Aug 18 Well this fan certainly is fed up. To much talk and not enough do. Talking retrospectively does not get us to play well. Plus please Paul, for once admit you fcuked up with that team selection!
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Jesney_Havoc added 09:35 - Aug 18 .. Well I'm 'fed up', definately...
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brian_a_mul added 09:39 - Aug 18 Sonko is a very good defender. Unlike strikers, defenders peak late 20's/early 30's. Sonko should have 3 really good seasons in him. Scotland peaked at mid 20's (like a lot of strikers), & by the looks of it he is declining rapidly. I wonder if Sunderland have any good defenders they can loan us?
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Lightningboy added 09:45 - Aug 18 Maybe we shouldn't have been looking at premiership defenders all summer then?
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algarvefan added 09:49 - Aug 18 'Lack of pace in the team' why get rid if the fitness coach then. These guys should be at the peak of fitness, but obviously aren't.....Sort it out PJ!!!
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LollITFC added 09:51 - Aug 18 fed up with the results more like ..... sort it our Royle .. err i mean Jewell .... already have the feeling of dread for the season.
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KenDubZ added 09:53 - Aug 18

Corsehamblue another crap supporter how do I know that oh yeah because since Scotland has upped his game he got 10 goals last season which was 2nd top goal expert I will admit last season he wernt great but he looks decent this season so maybe you and your little Scotland should piss off or start supporting the players that fill the team you supposedly you support !! As for the center half have a look in league 1 there got some decent center half in it.

KenDubZ added 09:57 - Aug 18

tractorboy2434 added 09:59 - Aug 18 Yes wer are fed up with hearing you talk about lack of defending, it is your job to sort it out, you had all summer to do it and have failed miserably, get on with what you are well paid for or clear off and let someone else do it, same old tripe week after week, my pattience with Mr Jewell is weaering thin.
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broomfield123 added 10:06 - Aug 18 Travis perkins and jewsons do a great range of bricks and mortar and maybe a decent brickie to block up our defence
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mickeyjb added 10:11 - Aug 18 Kendubz what the fcuk are you on about mate? Neither with you or against you but at least make sense!
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Legend added 10:13 - Aug 18 Yep we are getting fed up! How many more seasons do we have to hear the same crap! Another poor negative season awaits!
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austractor added 10:20 - Aug 18

So the same fans who had PJ on a pedastal when he signed Chopra have already turned on him after 2 bad results?

Grow up. He has been trying to sign players, CB's included, but those deals havent yet come off for him for alot of reasons that would be out of his hands.

Can Jewell attract and sign players? Yes - proven. Just give it time and then you can panic when all windows are shut.

COYB!

Fartman added 10:20 - Aug 18

@algarvefan
I agree - why sack the fitness coaches?
Neither Jewell, McCarthy or Hutchings looks very conserned about fitness.
On a more seriouse note, football develops, and I think that fitness, nutrition and mental training should be taken much more serious than it seams to be done.
Just look at the likes of Richard Wright and Luciano Civelli. Both players have the abilities, but needed help to get their heads right. It's very much used in individual sports, and I think we would benefit by taking a mental trainer onbord.

Behind_Enemy_Lines added 10:21 - Aug 18

“We know there's a lack of pace in the team, that's obvious, and it's something which is my job to address.
So what do I do I go out and get Bowyer (good player but not much pace) change formation to a four four two and put the slowest players out in midfield and try and pick up free transfers no one wants,
Cresswell showed everyone that there are bargains in the lower leagues. Also when he first came he did say he had been keeping up with football all over Europe yet not much transfer activity outside of our leagues.
The club seem to try save money at every turn then turn round and tell us that they want promotion well you are not going to get it with some of players we have bought so far and if said player is £3-4 million then yes let's get him, not look for the cheap option first.
Your team selections for the last game beggars belief, even a 12 year old knows if you play 4 4 2 you play wingers not defensive mids.
Oohh and btw yes I am fed up with the constant transfer talk come to nothing!!!!

Pessimistic added 10:23 - Aug 18 I just don't kno why we have this obsession with trying to acquire Premiership defenders. there are lots of very good defenders availalbe at reasonable prices in Holland and Belgum and yet our scouts seem strangely quiet when it comes to recruiting foreign players. Is it the Civelli factor I wonder or a lack of a good Euorpean scout?
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roytheboy added 10:24 - Aug 18

It's not important that the fans are fed up Paul, what really is on our minds is the question "are you and Mr Evans as serious about wanting to win promotion to the Premiership as we are" you have made a few really good signings however the defence is letting us down badly, please put the money on the table quickly Mr Evans and get some quality in the back row before we lose too many more games, please don't wait until the horse has bolted before you close the stable door.

randomblue added 10:28 - Aug 18

algarvefan - great supporter you are! Get with the programme - the town fitness coach (Gomes) left of his own will in order to move to Spain for his family.

Re: speculation and signings - we desperately need CBx2, RB, and a creative midfielder!

One comment I have on Smith - at the minute he is being torn to shreds by fans. I think people need to be mindful that a couple of years ago McAuley got hammered by the fans and Keane for making mistakes, being captain, the works, he was transfer listed etc. People eventually got off his back, he had a bit of a break and came back last season being one of our better defenders. I saw Smith at Hull and Southampton and he wasn't great by a long stretch but when you make one mistake it is possible that you start getting jittery, loose focus and then make more mistakes - I suspect it happens to all of us at some point! The only difference is that if he makes a mistake there are 18,000 people to give him grief for it!

John added 10:40 - Aug 18 It seems PJ is hanging his hat on PL CB's becoming available. Should widen the net the three promoted sides from last season had very little Prem experience at the back. I agree that we should widen the net and have a look in Champ, L1, scandinavia etc. Start talking to our scouts!!... err 2nd thoughts we don't appear to have any!!!
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Steve_ITFC_Sweden added 10:44 - Aug 18

As far as I know, all the defenders who left did so of their own accord (Brown, Eastman, McAuley). It wasn't as if PJ said, "OK, off you go. Oh bu***r, now I don't have any cover." Maybe he didn't realise it would be this difficult to replace them, and maybe in retrospect he should have offered one of them (Brown?) a longer contract, but he is the first to acknowledge where our main problem lies. PJ will fix it - given a bit of time and resources.
I agree with [someone] on here, however, who suggests M.E. ought to loosen the purse strings a bit more. I appreciate we are now "run as a business" [could hardly fail to notice that, given the ticket prices!] but if we were to chuck a few million at the defence just now, we would probably be more or less sorted and ready for a real push. A worthwhile "business risk"?

John added 10:48 - Aug 18 Hutchings was managing at L1 level last season, surely he saw some CB's who could do a job. Wouldn't surprise me if he was the guy who brought Cressy to PJ's attention. No more PL old lags.
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