The Blues could still make the play-offs this season, according to manager Paul Jewell — but only if they improve a lot on the campaign’s performances up to now. Town's 2011/12 season reaches its halfway mark with today's game at Reading with the Blues in 19th, nine points behind the Royals in sixth.

Jewell said: “With 24 games to go anything is possible. We could make the play-offs but we won’t if we show the form we’ve shown so far. We’ve got to improve an awful lot in the second half of the season to get up the table.

“We’re nine points from sixth with a game in hand,” he continued. “I don’t think there’s a bad team in this league. You can tell by the results every week that everyone goes somewhere thinking they can get a result. There’s nowhere where you think you can’t get a result.

“So far this season we’ve had everything - good, bad and a lot of ugly, and that’s just the players. I think we’ve shown at times that we’ve got the ability to play against the best but we’ve also got that inability to kill teams off and concede soft goals, and that’s why we are where we are.”

The Liverpudlian is clear what he’d like to see in the months to come and during today’s match: “We’d like to see an improvement as a group, not just individually but as a group.

“We had a collective performance against Leicester and we might have to do the same against Reading, who were in the Premier League a couple of seasons ago and got beaten in the play-off final last year.

“Then we play Forest on Monday and they’ve been in the play-offs twice in the last two seasons. Then it’s Birmingham the week after. There are no mugs in this league.”

Photo: Action Images

bluearmy4life added 10:32 - Dec 31 PJ Has to show ambition to Marcus Evans so I can understand why he has made this comment. I expect MASSIVE Improvements in the second half of the season that's the only thing I do EXPECT.
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tractorboy1961 added 10:36 - Dec 31 It's 31st December and not 1st April Mr Jewell ! With some good signings in Jan then maybe we can become more comfortable but with Clegg in charge I hold little hope. Expect the next burst of optimism around the time season ticket renewal forms go out! Happy New Year to all ITFC fans though
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Benters added 10:45 - Dec 31 Thanks for that PJ i thought that was the plan that or top twon anyway ? Jewell out
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MattinLondon added 10:46 - Dec 31 Unlikely but not out of the question....there really are some miserable people on here who seem only to be happy when there is something to moan about. Happy new year to all the moaners on here, hope you get everything you want...but saying that even i you did get everything you wanted you'll probably still moan about that.
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cobbolds added 10:50 - Dec 31 just some good football would be a start
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HARRY10 added 11:51 - Dec 31 '24 games left, 9 points behind' or 75 points being the average needed for 6th place that is another 48 points from our final 24 games which at 2 points a game would, over the season, give us 92 points a total that would most likely see us as Champions anyone seriously thing that we are going to play like champions in the remaining half of the season ?
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Knightsy added 12:10 - Dec 31 Dream on PJ, It's Good to see our Manager has a Sense of Humour :)
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davidsc1971 added 12:19 - Dec 31 Oh dear, here we go again - waving the golden carrot so we've all something to be optimistic for into the new year. Football truly is a soap opera. Except I don't laugh openly at EastEnders, like I did when I read this latest comment. They are becoming as bizare as the football on the pitch. Now I am an eternal Blue, and as optimistic as they go, but realistically this is not going to happen. We're just laughable at the back and geriatric everywhere. Too much sherry through straws at Christmas PJ methinks! COYB

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scumbuster added 12:43 - Dec 31 P J its nearly the 1st Jan.....not the 1st of April.....happy new year too you all :-)
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scumbuster added 12:43 - Dec 31 P J its nearly the 1st Jan.....not the 1st of April.....happy new year too you all :-)
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Jewell_do added 12:43 - Dec 31 He has been here 11 months. Only had one full window to work in. Ffs please give him time. I'm almost certain after 100 games in charge we will be a top 10 club. People underestimate the Keane effect and the fact he had to replace 3 of our best players. Jan 2013 is when we push on for the prem. Believe me.
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Eireannach_gorm added 12:55 - Dec 31 Play-Offs Still Possible..........but very unlikely.
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Suffolk_n_Good added 13:37 - Dec 31 Oh please!!! I've got more chance of winning the lottery tonight!!..........& I haven't even bought a ticket!!! Anyone who thinks we will be in a play off place come the end of the season is fooling themselves, that's not me being pessimistic that's basing it on facts of the season so far.
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tractorboy2434 added 14:00 - Dec 31 Yeh, yeh, and my grandmother could have played centre forward for Ipswich but she did'nt and there is as much chance of the play offs as that, we are not good enough for the top half of the table let alone the top six, ridiculous !!!
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newboy added 14:19 - Dec 31 Oh well that gave me a laugh for the New Year - we are no better off than we were this time last year in fact worse he has bought rubbish is not playing or promoting the academy players and with any luck will be sacked soon. Last year RK was in the same position playing Hyam, Eastman, Carson etc should have stuck with him thats BUILDING FOR THE FUTURE not getting in overpaid pensioners and throwing the youth to other teams

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itfc1981 added 14:26 - Dec 31 I bet you wont say that at 5 to five.
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TimmyH added 14:35 - Dec 31 Yes PJ is really a master at stating the bleeding obvious! a lot of other teams too that will have their eyes on the play-offs as well, but unless we can get some sort of consistency going we will not threaten the play-offs (again). just watched Leicester and like us have been big spenders but looked pretty poor against Portsmouth today no wonder we got a point last week. tTheir are a lot of teams in this division who are much the muchness which go on little runs of winning and losing but come the end of the season will end up mid-table or worse but haven't spent as much as us or Leicester.

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Dissboyitfc added 15:48 - Dec 31 damned if he does, damned if he doesnt, you moaners are priceless, will you moan if by some chance we did get to the playoffs? Actually i think you probably will... I can here you now....you moaners wont see a single positive in anything jewell says and does... coyb
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alfromcol added 15:50 - Dec 31 What a load of negative posts again! Of course the play-offs are a possibility if we go on a winning run. We have the players to do it, IF they get it together. Accepted that we need cover for the GK, RB and CB Hopefully this will be sorted during January?
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alfromcol added 15:51 - Dec 31 Half time and we have been a match for Reading and they are one of the form sides at present. Keep it going lads, time for JET to get a goal.
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h32 added 16:51 - Dec 31 Jewell and his continuous verbal bulls##it .................... can this man talk ? - shame he can't manage instead.
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h32 added 16:59 - Dec 31 alfromcol - can we have less of your drivel in the New Year too. You're getting as bad as Jewell with your predictions. Never mind - great day today - shame we came SECOND again. PLAY OFF'S ??? - never would have believed such deluded people existed - and they all seem to belong to us.
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itfc1981 added 17:07 - Dec 31 Play-offs Jewell?
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h32 added 17:07 - Dec 31 Drew - 'all depends on who we get in during January' !!! - according to Clegg today it is unlikely that there will be anyone coming in, he said he rates the squad highly and looking forward to it achieving great things in the New Year - he also said if anyone comes in it will be down to the sole discretion of the Manager. No chance there then of much happening either.
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h32 added 17:12 - Dec 31 Dissboyitfc - make a New Year's resolution while you still can - ' not to be so naive' - GET REAL MAN.
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