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.

Ívar 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

everycloud66 added 11:25 - Aug 18 for gods sake the man is trying to get players in and has been since he took over . did you all think it would be that easy to turn this team round , get real .
0

WickedBlue added 11:27 - Aug 18 I read these news comments and ask myself is it any wonder we have the worst supporters in the country? They obviously know sweet FA about football from their posts yet they insist on posting tripe they haven't got a clue about......
0

Tractamatt added 11:30 - Aug 18 so no new signings for the weekend then so smith and delaney as cb's with their confidence shot to bits,ITS HARD TO BE DISAPOINTED WHEN YOU KNOW WHATS COMING
0

buryblue77 added 11:38 - Aug 18 yes we need new defenders in, and it's hard doing so with so much other competition ffrom other clubs. We didn't sack the firness coach for those muppets saying that, Antonio Gomez left to go back to Spain because his wife had taken up a posistion back in their home country. Don't start the backlash yet, no wonder Keane failed, he had everyone on his back from day one. Jewell is a great manager with a proven track record of getting teams to the prem and he is capable of doing that with us, we've had a bad week but we'll turn it around. In PJ we trust. COYB!!!!

0

legoman added 11:38 - Aug 18 And for this reason, i'm out.
0

jas0999 added 11:40 - Aug 18 For once PJ gets something right - completely fed up of hearing we will be signing x and y by the end of the week - with the club more often than not failing to deliver. Clegg, ME and PJ must do better
0

Bradders612 added 11:47 - Aug 18 Why not inquire about matthew bates only wanting around the 2 million mark , and a class center back in his prime years :)
0

Leoipswich added 11:48 - Aug 18 Austracter I totally agree fans are getting on pjs back already, there's still 2 weeks of the transfer window and what did you expect an instant turn around??
0

J4ck22 added 12:12 - Aug 18 Wow... The majority of you people are so idiotic it's unbelievable. "All talk and not enough doing" He's trying! He hasn't stopped trying since the moment he joined us and we're not going to get every player we try to sign. "We should be looking at the lower leagues and abroad" It's NOT as easy as that! If you want good, quality, well thought out signings then shut the f*ck up moaning and support him.

0

Tractamatt added 12:22 - Aug 18 Badders612 thats a good call, its nice to see some constructive comments when (and i include myself in this) there's so much doom and gloom on here.Did he not come here on loan a couple of seasons back?
0

randomblue added 12:29 - Aug 18 I love it - it has just dawned on me that some people really are morons! "I'm out for the season, PJ/ME/Clegg are rubbish/idiots" etc etc - the idiots are the ones kicking off after 1wk! Ha ha! I went to both the Hull and Southampton games and yes they weren't great but there are just the 43 games left! What ever will we do! Stop panicking and get behind the team - which includes the management! Patience is a virtue! If people don't like it at the moment - don't turn up and don't bother commenting - just dip back in when the form inproves! It would be better that than all the negative BS that these "fans/supporters" bring!

0

HolbrookBlue added 12:34 - Aug 18 The organisation of an adequate defence is the responsibiliy of the management. So far that has not happened, hence frustration by supporters and some of the players, clearly visible on Tuesday. We all support Ipswich in our own way. Moaning at individual players is not very productive, they are doing their best until someone better is employed. The majority of fans support Paul Jewell but are showing their annoyance at the continued inability to recruit defenders. It might not be easy but has got to happen before transfer deadline.

0

Mark added 12:35 - Aug 18 It is frustrating for fans, as it must be for Jewell himself. We need two new centre backs, but the question is: is the money there? All three signings we paid for: Cresswell, Chopra and Emmanuel-Thomas have looked very good value for money to me, but the free transfers have not impressed as yet. I agree about looking at lower leagues and abroad as well as the Premier League. Keane seemed to have an obsession with Premier League players and look where that got us!

0

MathieandMarshall added 12:54 - Aug 18 @ Algarvefan and Fartman Fitness and pace.. two very different things. I hear that many of the players have expressed that this pre season was hardest they have faced. Agree that we still lack pace in the team, esspecially midfield where we are very one paced with leadbitter, Andrews, Bowyer, Kennedy! We have know all summer that we need to add a couple of centre backs, some pace and creativity. There was a transfer kitty before the sale of Connor so why has it not been dipped into?

0

Blue041273 added 13:02 - Aug 18 While you have to accept that football is a squad game these days the fact that players are seen as commodities to be acquired and disposed of at will only adds to feeling of distance between the fans and the players. Bobby Robson only bought 14 players in 13 years at the club and as a consequence the core of the team over that period had long playing careers with us and were generally replaced over time with youth team players. The players were given time to bond with each other, with the area and crucially with the fans. Fans could still criticise but how could anyone abuse a player popularly accorded legend status and there are many from that period. Given time one or two of the current squad may achieve legend status but not if we keep ripping the squad to bits every time a transfer window looms. We all want a better team but until the right player comes along we should keep faith with and encourage the ones we already have.

0

brogansnose added 13:31 - Aug 18 Face it, if it wasn't for all the transfer speculation we would'nt be on this site. Phil must love it. But yeah, between you Clegg and Evans fill in the gaps or stop going on about how you want to be in the Premiership. Either spend the money or build a team, as in a team, with cheaper lower division players and home grown talent and look for promotion over the longer term.

0

dubblue added 16:01 - Aug 18 His signings have been good so far unlike his predecessor. One thing about Keane was his inability to attract good signings because potential transferees reckoned we would not get promoted - hope this does not become a factor with PJ.
0

J4ck22 added 16:51 - Aug 18 I have full confidence in Jewell, this isn't his first time taking a Championship side to the Prem, hell it isn't even his second time. It's his third. I think he knows more than the majority of you guys do about building a side that can get promoted and stay there. He's already shown us that he is the right man for the job by building a good attack force. Chops and JET up front sounds awesome. He just needs more patience from us (he's stated many times that this is a WIP side and this is more like the preperation season) so he can sign some good defenders. All he asks for is to be patient so he can finish building his team.

0

bluearmy4life added 22:19 - Aug 18 Good defenders are probabaly one of the most difficult postion to fill on a football pitch. We need quality. Some people forget we have signed 7or 8 new players. It's quite alot so PJ Is trying to build his team. He is as frustrated as us because he has passion for the club and wants to succeed. If it wasn't for PJ Saving town last year I would hate to think where we would be.

0

ericgates added 05:12 - Aug 19 Why can't we look abroad or scotland or in league 1 or 2, i don't understand the obsession with loan premier league players. I think most people would say our best loan signing of recent years would be bullard, but I disagree, i think it was shefki kuqi (1st spell!) Moving from league 1 (sheff Weds) up a level to the championship gave him the extra determination to earn a permanent contract, plus he now loves our club, no town player today loves the club. I don't believe most premier league players moving down, care enough. ie Scotland, leadbitter, fulop, d.murphy(sunderland) etc etc

0

battyblue added 05:37 - Aug 19 i am also fed up with hearing pj has put in a bid for this and that central defenderthe plain fact is if you dont offer enough money you are not going to get anyone to come here so its a waste of time putting in stupid offers pay peanuts you get monkeys why cant we use some of conner wickhams fee to buy somone decent if there are any left available now most have been snapped up by clubs willing to pay the price we are not........................

0

Blogs 298 bloggers

Ipswich Town Polls