Town manager Paul Jewell says it will take time for his side to have the settled look that today’s opponents Blackpool have had throughout boss Ian Holloway’s time in charge. The Blues manager, who is set to give new loan signing Danny Collins his debut at centre-half today, admits that he’s still trying to find the right blend.

Jewell said: “We’re searching for the right formula and the right balance. That’s going to take time. Blackpool play 4-3-3, they play it very well and they’ve played that way for the last two and a half years since Ollie’s been there.

“We are searching a little bit. That’s one of the reasons we are looking around to try and get players who can come in.

“I’ve said on a lot of occasions that I’d like to play 4-4-2 but there are different ways of playing 4-4-2 and when you look back at last season, when we got results we were playing 4-3-3.

“I think sometimes you’d like to do certain things but your hands are tied by the personnel you’ve got or through injuries or suspensions. And we’ve got to be adaptable and flexible, it’s no good having everything set in stone.”

The Blues, playing 4-3-3 or 4-5-1 as it is often described, won their opening fixture of the campaign at Bristol City and the Town manager says that this season there seem to be an unusually large number of away victories at all levels: “I think throughout football, if you look at the results, there are more away wins than there ever have been.

“There are a couple of reasons for that. Teams sit back more and play on the counter-attack away from home.

“When teams are at home the anxiety can creep in. If you don’t go a goal up early on the crowd can get a little bit anxious.”

Jewell says that making the home fans edgy will be amongst his pre-match instructions this afternoon: “The first thing we say when we go away is to try and get the crowd against the home team.

“But at the end of the day it’s basically the same-sized pitch, it’s the same-sized goal, the same football, just a different colour, and we sometimes can make more of it than we should.

“But there should be an advantage playing at home because you’ve got your supporters and you hope [you might just get the best of the referee], although that doesn’t seem to happen for us with referees! I want our players to look forward to games both home and away.”

Photo: Action Images

flashblue added 08:22 - Sep 10 Home banker today, unfortunately. 3-0 and we'll be lucky to get 0!
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suffolkpunchdrunk added 08:46 - Sep 10 A classic case of talking your opponents up whilst running down your own side's chances of getting anything out of the game, getting a bit tired of hearing it.
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StanwayBlue added 09:32 - Sep 10 Why the negatvity? PJ is talking about a team generally regarded as having been a breath of fresh air in the Prem last year (who almost stayed up), the fact that there are more away wins than there used to be (we are away today) and that we still need a settled team (in the past two months he has brought in an entire new team). I don't disagree with anything he has said.

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jas0999 added 09:34 - Sep 10 PJ - to date you have mainly played a boring 4-5-1. You have also been at the club OVER 8 MONTHS. If you still don't know what your doing then it's a real worry. Your policy of buying loans and freebies - the majority over 30 years of age has also back-fired so far.
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ingramg added 09:42 - Sep 10 away win coyb
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ingramg added 09:43 - Sep 10 in pj we trust
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WoodfordTim added 09:50 - Sep 10 Come on, let's get behind PJ and the team and be positive. Let's not make any pre-judgements. Give it time - just look at the squad PJ inherited. A squad that was staring at relegation. A manager needs time. He can only play a formation that the players are capable to play within. We didn't play too well against Leeds, in fact I thought we were extremely lucky, but we won and that will always make us happy. Let's stack up the points by winning and then tinker with the entertainment value. 2-1 to Town today COYB!

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Keaneish added 09:50 - Sep 10 Why are you so anti-jewell Jas0999? You were anti-Keane as well. Do you like any football mangers?
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bedsitfc added 10:02 - Sep 10 p.j is talking in general, not once did he say anyone was better than us. he is saying he is trying to buy in flexibility so we can change our system to suit how the game is going.
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bedsitfc added 10:05 - Sep 10 dont worry half empty people. p.j, s.c and m.e are the best thing to happen to this club for a long time well since cobolds and sir bobby.
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WaltownBlueNaze added 10:07 - Sep 10 JAS0999 - YOU ARE A KNOB ! It was always going to take more than 8 months after the RK era - wake up and smell the coffee ! Get behind the team and the manager !
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Mark added 10:45 - Sep 10 Jewell's "policy of buying loans and freebies" has not failed at all, indeed the loan signing of Jimmy Bullard last season saw us move up to 13th in the league, 20 points from safety, after it looked like we could well be heading for relegation under Roy Keane. This season the start has been disappointing, but we do have two wins at least and that took Keane until Halloween in his first season in charge! Although I remain to be convinced with Bowyer and Ellington, I think all the other signings are good and I expect with some time to gel together we will have a decent side out there this season. It might not be up there with big spenders like Leicester and West Ham, but I think we will see some decent football and have a chance of making the play-offs. It's a lont-term project with Jewell though, so give it time.

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HarryfromBath added 13:21 - Sep 10 It will take a month for the team to knit together, and the combinations to start working. Credit to the owner and manager for intelligently trying to fix an acute problem.
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dirtydingusmagee added 13:27 - Sep 10 JAS0999 ,still playing same old record is it a 78r.p.m, its a bit worn out .
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fourth added 17:07 - Sep 10 Right. Not a good result today. A pretty poor second half. But it is very early days. We have some excellent players who need to get themselves into a team. Playing it on the ground to Chopra. Making Cresswell captain. (I thought you'd like that)Getting understanding in defence. Takes time. The manager has not yet got down from the highs of buying in players and converting to the hard slog of playing and replaying systems, dealing with temperament, getting them and keeping them fit and for EACH player, giving the utmost support.

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fourth added 17:40 - Sep 10 PJ needs to commit himself. These are my players. I've chosen them. I have confidence in them. Currently he is still playing the old tune "have I got the right players?" Move on PJ, if you were on the pitch with that attitude you wouldn't be selected. You DO have the players. Now YOU need to catch up. This is phase 2. Reality!
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suffolk_punch added 18:28 - Sep 10 here is a formula results crap = P 45
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village_blue added 19:41 - Sep 10 Right formula is not playing 4 central midfielders across the middle with no width to the team especially if one is Leadbitter, surely his time is up now at Ipswich as you don't take off the man who is meant to be captain two matches running.
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baldman added 08:35 - Sep 11 all due respect isnt that why your on 10 15 grand a week to sort out you got the players you wanted and still dont know sorry but come on
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Tiggs added 17:23 - Sep 11 Bedsitfc, you must be joking!
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pmason added 18:06 - Sep 11 I HAVE TO LAUGH ... people here are still trying to blame Keane for Jewells mess. WAKE UP .... Jewell's been here 9 months, its entirely his squad and tactics and both are crap. We are being hammered week in week out !!! magilton and keane may have drawn more games and lost games by the odd goal but neither managers results were as bad as this, its humilliating, disgusting and dreadful to watch. JEWELL OUT ... JEWELL OUT ... JEWELL OUT

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StochesStotasBlewe added 21:45 - Sep 11 jas0999, pmason, h32, and all the other Jewell haters, please enlighten me & the other reasoned supporters on here who you would like to see as our manager, who else can keep our club afloat financially other than Mr Evans, then all this twaddle of Jewell/ Evans/Clegg out can be laid to rest for a while. Reasonable suggestions please.
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bluetractor73 added 07:26 - Sep 12 4 central midfielders no wingers definatley not the answer no creation
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TractorRoyNo1 added 08:06 - Sep 12 here's a tip! play players in the right positions eg) murphy is not a left winger / midfielder; edwards is not a right back - oh and bowyer is not earning his wages
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TractorRoyNo1 added 08:07 - Sep 12 why? WaltownBlueNaze added 10:07 - Sep 10 It was always going to take more than 8 months after the RK era
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