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

blueandrew19 added 19:52 - Aug 21 My first time placing a comment on this site, but like quite a few here it is very difficult to keep watching my team struggle so badly as they have recently and stay quiet. I really think we need a statement from Mr Evans and/or Mr Clegg as to the reason for the complete lack of investment this summer when we all know which positions have needed filling. We need to know that Marcus is still commited to the club and his ambition to see us in the Prem. Next we need to stop hearing from PJ about the targets he nearly got, bid for that didnt happen etc. I know that it is only three games in to the season but their seems to be very little to be cheerful about and many teams must be looking forward to playing us in the near future! Like many people I think we ought to be looking to the lower leagues for a couple of commited mobile CB's and a proper RB (surely the maxim of playing players in correct positions has never been more true) I think we then need an experienced holding midfielder, someone like Reo-Coaker to add cover and steel. And as much as it hurts maybe we need to look at the likes for Norwich and Southampton for a model of how to bring together a team that wants to play together and for each other and the club Hope this was not too much of a rant, but right now even my Portsmouth supporting nephew is laughing at me and he is only eight!!

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Blue041273 added 19:56 - Aug 21 If we going down I would agree that looking at players from the lower leagues would be a good idea. However statistically it doesn't work? For every player that makes the grade in a higher grade of football three or four don't. Furthermore statistically any player is more likely to thrive in a successful team than one that is struggling. Similarly in response to those calling for foreign players please remember the roll of honour of our historic failure: For every Muhren we had a Marco Holster For every Taricco we had a Paz For every Zondervan we had a Le Pen For every Wilness we had an Amir Karic For every Hermann we had a Claus Thomsen For every Petta we had Finidi George Add Sereni, Shumi, Uhlenbeek, and you will see that our overseas recruitment policy has not been the most successful. And for those of you that will no doubt respond with corrections of my omissions I have not forgotten the very successful loanees Sixto Paralta and Jimmy Juan. It is very risky recruiting players from the lower leagues and abroad. It may a risk too far in our current predicament.

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paulnstar added 20:16 - Aug 21 *uc*ing sack them useless *un**, jewell mccarthy and hutchings utter sh*te smith delaney bowyer ainsley sunday league players no disrespect
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Blue041273 added 20:18 - Aug 21 It is good that the manager apologises for the worst result in most people's living memory. Unfortunately I still remember the 10.1 against Fulham, the 7.0 against Sheff U and the 9.0 against Man U. The problem is that while the aforementioned results were possibly predictable (if not the scores) I don't think the outcome at London Road was anything like as simple. I remember Sir BR saying that after the Sheff U debacle that it wouldn't happen again. Unfortunately PJ with his current defense can't say that.

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ITFC4daprem added 20:21 - Aug 21 285 comments tells a story really when will we get a CB
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Blue041273 added 20:37 - Aug 21 JIm I share. your frustration. We seem to be going backwards. I don't think you should be too harsh on Ainsley though. He is a RB by trade pressed into service as a CB. In the 7.1 debacle He was not particularly culpable. Agree that Tommy S looks a broken man. He did before being sent off last night. Quite what his state of mind is at the mo we can only imagine. He is still prospect though and we should keep faith.

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Wolfowitz added 20:38 - Aug 21 Blue041273 . what was wrong with Claus Thomsen? He had three very good seasons at the club.
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Gazelle added 20:39 - Aug 21 Oh come on everyone, PJ does'nt need us to tell him we need a new defence but none of us knows what's going on behind the scenes. If truth were known he's probably been looking all summer for the right players but persuading them to come here has been the hardest part. However everyone has his price and hopefully the last couple of games will convince ME that he needs to open his cheque book a bit wider to avoid further embarrasment.

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Blue041273 added 20:52 - Aug 21 Yeah. Perhaps being a bit harsh on CT. We got our money's worth out of him prior to getting a fee out of Everton. Still didn't set PR alight though during his time.
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Garv added 21:12 - Aug 21 Wish we didn't have all this money, its done us NO favours ever since ME took over. Look at scum and Soton, and Swansea! Sinclair was 500k for f*ck sake!
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Tiggs added 21:15 - Aug 21 Do the honourable thing Mr 50% and resign from the job that you should never have been given - oh, and take Mr Hutchings with you.
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Skip73 added 21:23 - Aug 21 Only 1 positive from yesterday, at least Tommy Smith can't play for 3 games.
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MickMillsTash added 21:23 - Aug 21 What does keeping the faith with Jewell mean? Does it mean - turn a blind eye to being humiliated every time we play a team with movement or ambition? Does it mean - not being sure what formation or style of football he is trying to mold the team into? Does it mean - not being concerned that he has done nothing in 7 months to rectify the defensive problems that existed when he took over Does it mean - hoping he signs the risky Bullard to paper over the glaring cracks? Does it mean - liking him because he is occasioanlly amusing? Does it mean - continue to support whilst he signs all his old pals up into the coaching staff? Please someone tell me why I should have faith in this guy. You can give anyone a chance but Jewell has made things worse since he has been there, I think he has been given resource and if he continues to make the same mistakes (no reason to assume he will not) a new manager will have a hard task by christmas. Can we get Stewart Houston back please?

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Blue041273 added 21:29 - Aug 21 Yeah. Perhaps being a bit harsh on CT. We got our money's worth out of him prior to getting a fee out of Everton. Still didn't set PR alight though during his time.
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marcus139 added 21:55 - Aug 21 So many comments, so much nonsense. I back pj, so should you lot. Our issue is with the owner, why else would he appoint roy keane other than for a publicity stunt? Pj has been brought in as a damage limitation hence why he has been given no money to spend. Evans is not a football man and could not care less about our club. He wants to do what ecclestone and briatore did, get promoted and make a profit. Clegg is his pretty useless mouthpiece who should go and get a real job, cos i do not know what he could possibly fill his day with to earn maybe 200k a year. The club has become a joke and that is down to the people at top. To reiterate, we need to back pj 100 percent..........

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budgieplucker added 22:00 - Aug 21 Keane was let down badly last summer having had a big clear out. He wanted Chopra and yes maybe the 4 mill Cardiff wanted looked steep then, but it wouldn't have been his wages otherwise he wouldn't be here now. Derry was on a free and supposedly ready to sign but Clegg couldn't do the deal. If we could have done those two deals and offered McAuley & Norris new contracts then, who knows. Brown was offered a one year contract on reduced wages. We will now be paying over the odds just to get any cover in at cb as everyone knows how desperate we are. Lee Martin is a luxury if I thought he could get six goals this year then I might just think he was worth a place in the squad. Wingers will get tackled and loose the ball, unfortunately I think he is a liability. He may have won the ball but it was the nature of the challenge, and the referee read it as a frustrating lunge which without the benefit of slow motion replay and in the heat of the moment could always illicit a red card. That is just plain immature football from a player who looks flashy but has very little substance as a footballer.

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marcus139 added 22:02 - Aug 21 For the final time, we are not rich, we have no money. Unless evans sanctions it. And he has not. Hence loans, selling wickham. Leadership starts at top, and we have blofeld at top of our club, i can just imagine him stroking his cat......
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Tractastic added 22:02 - Aug 21 Watching the game on Sky on sat the following points seemed clear to me:- -Edwards good going forward,decent player but a dreadful right back. I feel sorry for him as this is not HIS position. - Delaney always seems to be out of position and without G Mac shown to be poor defensively. - Feel sorry for Ainsley who is not a CB but could be a good right back in a strong back four. - Smith well just not good enough to wear the town shirt and should be loaned out. - Leadbitter.Why is he captain? No leadership on the pitch (unlike Andrews -who has been with us 2 mins) .Goes missing when times are hard. Chopra, JET,Bowyer,Cresswell all poss good signings but pleasae please please lets get 2 Centre backs , a right back and a creative midfielder in soon. Reckon we might get some good news after the premiership window closes in 10 days but until then really worried about Leeds away.11 behind the ball and a 0-0 anyone?

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bluelady added 22:17 - Aug 21 Just had to make it three hundred.... oh and still depressed at wasting so much money yesterday :(
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OrkneyBlue added 22:34 - Aug 21 blueandrew19 I'm sure I'm not the only one but I emailed Mr Clegg this evening to ask him those very same things, maybe the more folk email the more they may just start to understand what the club means to us, email address below enquiries@itfc.co.uk
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corunnaviking1759 added 23:01 - Aug 21 The darkest days and the worst start I can remember, goal wise for some time!!!! What is going at PR?????? My dad was a season ticket holder for some years and did not renew this season due to a lack of decent games! Quote, " I can't remember the last time I left a game coming away thinking that was a good game and we played well" And he has been a Town fan all his life as am I!!! Something is wrong at PR are we CURSED!!!!!!

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suffolkpunchdrunk added 23:03 - Aug 21 Went away on holiday with ITFC top of the Championship - happy days! Two weeks on and it looks like eleven of the sheep that live in the field next to the cottage I was staying in could give us a hiding. PJ has had ample opportunity to sort out the defence and he has failed spectacularly thus far. He is not going to be able to turn our existing defenders into an impregnable unit so he must get some new faces in and fast. PJ sort it out! 'Some things in life are bad They can really make you mad Other things just make you swear and curse. When you're chewing on life's gristle Don't grumble, give a whistle And this'll help things turn out for the best... And...always look on the bright side of life... Always look on the light side of life... ' What odds on Ipswich going up now? Worth a tenner bet?

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alexsmith111 added 23:21 - Aug 21 Appology accepted, but only if you have the intention of fixing the problems, and there is at least 4, cb cb rb dmf
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ian_marshall added 23:22 - Aug 21 Say we lose 3,4,5,6 or let's face it 7-0 at home to leeds then surely p.j would just walk?!? Worrying times at p.r......thoughts?
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singingtheblues added 00:09 - Aug 22 so now everyone knows we're off the pace .. the price of defenders has just risen .. no doubt we'll be held to ransom for the few available defenders that would want to come to itfc at the moment - on the positive side .. didn't the budgies lose 7-1 before turning it around? .. & btw i though claus thompsen was ok .. he ended up top scorer one year (albeit with only 5 goals - sign of the quality of the side he was playing in)

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