Boss Paul Jewell apologised to fans after his worst defeat in management as nine-man Town were hammered 7-1 at Peterborough. The Blues manager refused to blame a number of questionable refereeing decisions for the severity of the loss.

Jewell said: “I think that’s worst defeat I’ve suffered as a manager. For 12 minutes I couldn’t believe what I was seeing. Well, I could believe what I was seeing because it’s happened too often, and obviously the 45 second minutes was the longest 45 minutes of my football life.

“It was damage limitation at half-time. We had nine men, they were playing with superb confidence and popping the ball around. We were just trying to keep the score down.”

The Blues boss refused to blame a number of contentious decisions by referee Graham Scott: “I’m definitely not going to hide after a 7-1 defeat and blame it on the referee.

“Someone just said that three of their goals were offside and the penalty was outside the box. That might be true, but it doesn’t hide what’s going on in our team and the defending was of shambolic proportions.

“I’ll take responsibility, I’m the manager, I pick the team, so I’m not hiding behind anything else. I’ll take it on the chin, I’ll get my tin hat on and fight through it and try and get people in there who are worthy of playing for us because there are too many people who are not good enough or worthy to play for us.”

Jewell says the results in the last week are as poor as they come: “I don’t think too many teams can have conceded 12 goals in five days and it’s hugely embarrassing and it’s really, really hurting me. But what can I do? I’ve just got to try and bounce back tomorrow and try and get people in the building.

“Some of the goals we concede are just ridiculous. The last goal sums us up. The guy’s gone through three challenges and has just brushed us off. When it becomes physical, when it comes down to the nitty-gritty, the white flag comes out.

“Whenever we come under pressure, we collapse. Anyone who has seen us over the last couple of years will have seen that as soon as it gets tough to many go missing.”

Jewell apologised to supporters and promised that he will turn things around: “I’m hugely embarrassed and I’m sorry. They’ve been fantastic for this club. I’ll take it on the chin, I know it’s down to me. I’m hurting every bit as much as they are.

“They were singing ‘we want our money back’ and they deserve it. These fans that turn up week-in and week-out, home and away, they deserve better. I think I deserve better than what I’m getting from the players as well. I’m determined that we will eventually get it right.”

Peterborough manager Darren Ferguson was unsurprisingly delighted: “It was as comfortable as it could possibly be when they went down to nine men, but even before that the most pleasing thing for me was the first half because for 20 minutes we just carved them open and got four quick goals.”

Photo: Action Images

Eye_Tea_Eff_See added 20:38 - Aug 20 Things can only get better, right? :/
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Drew added 20:39 - Aug 20 You can start off by getting rid of leadbitter, delaney, smith, and edwards, but only until you find suitable replacements.
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the_gospel added 20:40 - Aug 20 Poop. Need fresh blood and fast.
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bluearmy89 added 20:41 - Aug 20 Could have been worse...
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bahri added 20:41 - Aug 20 POJ
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simoitfc added 20:44 - Aug 20 u said it jewell some players are not worthy of the shirt bomb them out now
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thebooks added 20:44 - Aug 20 I really like Jewell, but this'll just go on for another half season before he's sacked. He'd be better off resigning now, I think. The thing is the likes of Leadbitter, Edwards, Delaney, Chopra and JET should form the nucleus of a good team. But there's no organisation or motivation. And that's down to the manager. A one off bad result we can take, but we've had Norwich, Southampton and Peterborough in the space of a few matches. There are serious problems.

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GrahamHarbey added 20:45 - Aug 20 Totally agree with Drew, those 4 were shocking and as Captain, Leadbitter was an embarrasment - I will get slaughtered for saying this, but we are 4 games in and think if we get the players PJ wants, we'll be there or thereabouts come end of April
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BrettenhamBlue added 20:46 - Aug 20 I think we all saw the problems against Cambridge Utd pre-season. We couldn't handle them either and at times their strikers looked World-Class. Smith, Delaney and Ainsley weren't up to the job tonight. Those who have been calling on Ainsley to play- this is why he doesn't. Ainsley is a reasonable conference player at best. He struggled in his 2 games at Histon and a lot of the fans there couldn't believe that he played for a Championship side (look at their bulletin board). At Rushden- the same. He only played once for them and they thought he was shocking. None of his reviews were good.... Peterborough outplayed us from start to finish. Hate to say it- but Stockdale actually kept it respectable. It could have been a cricket score easily. To blame the ref is ludicrous. Yes, he wasn't good but our defending was atrocious. Smith's sending off was harsh but I've seen refs send-off players for less in the past. We can't blame the ref. Blame our abysmal defending. I am ashamed to be a Town Fan. Peterborough found that easy from the very first minute.... Humiliating. Absolutely humiliating.....

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RexCarr added 20:48 - Aug 20 What a load of Bollox we are......were too soft......If it wasn't for Stockdale it would have been double figures.......I am so embarrassed.....and it was on TV for all too see....It was like David Linigan defending.......pass the Scotch will ya !
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das_bones added 20:48 - Aug 20 Wake me up in the morning
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BongoSponglemeister added 20:50 - Aug 20 Most of those players should approach every game with the intent of 'just trying to keep the score down'......that was beyond embarrassing. Anybody that is deluding themselves and trying to blame the ref are cretins. We could have and should have lost by more. Same pony excuses as Keane....we were conceding too many at the end of last campaign and the back four is now without Macauley and frighteningly terrible. Jewells answer? ....target defenders we don't have a hope of signing.

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northstand78 added 20:50 - Aug 20 I hope these overpaid tarts hang their heads in shame, they're not fit to pull on the shirt. How have they got the ordacity to take a wage after this shambles of a week. I'm not suprised PJ can't sign anyone, who in there right mind would want to play with this cr@p.. One of the worst weeks in my time supporting ITFC
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TimmyH added 20:51 - Aug 20 unfortunately it's not just the defence, the midfield when we don't have the ball are pretty much useless and that's the way it's been for some seasons now, too many teams get into our penalty box to easily. Have to agree about some of the players in the above post, Grant Leadbitter was just awful in that first half, Smith needs to go out on loan to a league 2 club, Delaney needs to be benched and a new centre back found, Leadbitter sold and a more creative midfielder got in or loaned. JET when he did get the ball was hit and miss and poor old Chopra was wasting his time with lack of service. The team is in a right old mess!

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penguinsrus added 20:51 - Aug 20 well what can i say defence let us down again and a crap ref didnt help , he did make it hard for us , dont think martin was a straight red . look at the signing paul jewell has brought in creswell hasnt done nuffin wrong to me , JET chopra andrews have performed to there best and been let down by the defencive errors , poor stockdale let in 12 goals in 2 games none have been his fault. leadbitter sell him !!! 2 centre backs needed they are all hopeless delainey is getting worse. we can only get better !! am worried about the leeds game inless paul gets new faces in , no martin , same 2 in defence oh god

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OrkneyBlue added 20:51 - Aug 20 Agree Drew & Eye Tea Eff See The single most embarrassing day of 30 years supporting Town, including the 9 we shipped at Man Utd. You can try and argue that two goals may have been offside, the pen wasn't a pen and Martin may have been harsh to be sent off. But to be honest, that would just cover up what we ALL know including PJ etc. I firmly believe he is hurting as we are, genuinely, I think he also knows that we need minimum 2 centre backs, a right back and my personal opinion is that Leadbitter can go as well. It's more than a shambles right now, but I think if PJ can sort those positions out we are only four games in so he may, may be able to sort it but he's only got 10 or so days left of the transfer window unless he's relying on the loan market from sept 1st of course.

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MickMillsTash added 20:52 - Aug 20 I do not think Jewell does deserve more- it is clear we need centre backs, all Jewell does is talk about it but he has been looking in the wrong place to find them- Woodgate Upson, Ibanez, St Ledger- never going to join, he is wasting his time- he should be getting a hungry defender from the lower leagues or abroad. Regardless of the players we have the defence and midfield should be better organised than it is. The fact that it is not in down to Jewell and his merry men - if anything the squad on paper is better than the one he inherited but the results are certainly worse (remember McCauley was not really fit until Keane left last year). I predict Jewell will continue to do the worng things, continue to talk the same gibberish and turn Ipswich into the next Sheffied Wednesday (was he responsible for taking them down?). the guy thinks he is a joker- its looking like he is a clown

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Suffolk_n_Good added 20:53 - Aug 20 Disgraceful. Edwards, Delaney, Leadbitter, Smith, should hang their heads in shame, Chopra still needs a quality, tall player to play alongside him, no leader, no creativity in the team, when our heads drop we need someone to pick people up. How much longer can we go without signing 2 new CBs...... Evans get your finger out (& some cash) stop pussy footing around, with offers that clubs aren't going to accept & get some damn decent defenders into our club.

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kipper added 20:53 - Aug 20 Don't think I have ever been so humiliated at a football match in my life. The defending has been poor for months even at the end of last season. Sorry Jewell but you are in charge of these players and you and your people coach them. The mistakes are so basic it's untrue. A defence is supposed to operate as a unit, move across together and cover each other. All very well blaming the players but what about the coaching staff ? If I was Evans right now I would be seriously worried about the direction my business is heading.

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IvorFeeling added 20:53 - Aug 20 Hope PJ & the players compensate those that made the journey to London rd. I was not one, but having enjoyed the highs and lows, this is much lower than the 9 we shipped at Old Trafford. I do still maintain that I believe that PJ will turn it around, however, ME now must have deep pockets and both must be able to sell ice cream to the Eskimo's cause who will want to come to PR after the last 10 days? To compound the issue what would happen if Stockdale was to be recalled? Maybe I am a dreamer, but I hope that a phoenix can rise from these ashes and soon. Remember West Ham and Blackpool were awful at the start of their respective promotion campaigns or do straws and clutch come to mind........

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debenhamsteve added 20:54 - Aug 20 Both Delaney and Smith enjoyed some solid games last season next to McAuley. Yes he had his own rocky patches but mostly he was a strong player who held our defence together. His absence is the biggest factor in this dreadful run of 4 defeats. Ingimarsson I thought looked solid in the Wolves friendly and obviously made a difference at Bristol City but it seems the confidence of the team is now shot to pieces. 8 new signings lots of money spent and we seem to be going backwards fast. The formation changes match to match and there is a massive job getting this team motivated and organised. Who would want to sign after watching that? The best football since the faceless Evans took over was when Jim was in charge. I just couldn't watch the second half on Sky it was just so awful. Dark weeks ahead.

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Wickets added 20:54 - Aug 20 Why have we still not got a decent holding midfield player at the club? Why have we not got any decent right sided defenders at the club and the only goalkeeper at the club is on loan and could be recalled at 24 hrs notice? Why Why Why???
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marcus139 added 20:54 - Aug 20 I want jewell to succeed i really do. I like him.but, we must get rid of leadbitter and delaney now. Edwards too if possible, tommy smith can go off on a free as well. These players will never ever get us promoted. Andrews looks captain material. We should sue keane for gross misconduct for buying such rubbish players. Ingimarrson and bowyer are stop gaps. Marcus, show me how big you are in trouser area and get your cheque book out. 15 mill could turn into a hundred ifwe go up. What else do you need money for? You only need so much....

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Lightningboy added 20:56 - Aug 20 PJ: Please get rid of Leadbitter. Please stop playing Edwards in defence. Maybe you could then ask the players to come out and apologise too..though I doubt most of them would have the b@lls.
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alex2180 added 20:56 - Aug 20 Looking forward to Monday at work. English is my mother tongue but after "horrific" I couldn't think of better adjectives. John Duncan isn't still about anywhere is he?
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