Blues boss Paul Jewell confirmed that adding to his centre-half options will be a priority during the January transfer window with more calamitous defending helping goal-shy Nottingham Forest to a 3-1 victory at Portman Road yesterday. The Town manager was critical of Damien Delaney and Ívar Ingimarsson after the defeat.

Jewell, who thought the suspended Ibrahima Sonko was a big miss, is on the search for new additions but says recruiting quality central defenders isn’t an easy business, having spent the summer trying to add to that area of his squad: “It’s very difficult trying to get good players. You look around and there are a lack of good players. But it’s obvious we need strengthening.

“We’ve had Danny Collins here, he’s gone back and the centre-half area is one where we desperately need some help.

“Getting a new centre-half has been a priority for a while, but there’s a lack of quality centre-halves about.

“We’ve got the worst defensive record in the league and we concede soft goals. I know it’s not just the two central defenders but I think those two have to take some responsibility for the Forest game.”

He says that this tendency to concede soft goals means his team can’t get into a decent run of form at Portman Road: “We just don’t seem to be able to get any momentum at home. When we keep on giving goals away like the ones we give away, it’s always going to be the case.

“I don’t think anyone who was at the game will think that Notts Forest have been all over us, but every time the ball went anywhere near our box they looked dangerous, which is down to basic defending and basic errors have cost us.

“The two centre-halves have to be culpable today, there’s no getting away from it. I don’t really like to single individuals out because we are a team, but some of the defending which went on was ridiculous.”

Jewell felt Forest’s third goal, scored by Marcus Tudgay, summed things up: “When we got back to 2-1, I was thinking we’ve got a chance but again there was a goal out of nothing. It was a ball into the box from Reid and it somehow found itself in the back of the net and the game was over.

“I thought we kept going, we had a few opportunities second half, we huffed and puffed. But once we’d clawed ourselves back into it, we just shot ourselves in the foot.”

The Blues manager had praise for Jay Emmanuel-Thomas, who provided Town’s main threat in the last two games and won Monday's second half penalty: “He’s done OK. He likes to drift out wide and he’s got ability on the ball, he can do things that other people can’t. He’s frustrating at times but he is someone who can open the door.”

Jewell says midfielder Lee Bowyer is likely to be out for around a fortnight having been subbed just before half-time: “I think he felt his abductor go when he made a pass. Lee’s been one of our better players of late but I think he’ll be out for a couple of weeks.”

Jimmy Bullard could be back in contention for next week’s FA Cup tie at his old club Hull having called in sick with flu ahead of yesterday’s game, while Andy Drury is unable to face the Tigers having played in the competition for loan side Crawley already this season.

Photo: Action Images

dirtydingusmagee added 10:37 - Jan 3 another centre half to join a team of wasters,If it were not for a couple of loan players [Andrews and Stockdale] we'd be dead and buried.nit picking in transfer market now will not make any differencethe dizzy hights of mid table look a forlorn hope,and relegation a real possibility [if not probability]PJ has been a disaster.We went in wrong direction with Keane and are still hurtling downhill under Jewell.

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walberswick added 10:43 - Jan 3 PJ is in deep trouble if he has to resort to blaming individual players. Shows a fragile mental state and someone not in control of mouth or mind.
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oldelsworthyfan added 10:44 - Jan 3 I'm afraid the problem is just as much about organisation on the field as it is about players' ability. Consider how many goals are conceded at set pieces (although not on Saturday). Consider the frequent changes in formation. Consider how many of our defenders are out of position or failing to mark effectively. Consider the apparent lack of player confidence. Cosider the evidence of the lack of an effective plan. Consider why Sunderland suddenly turned it round? I'm afraid all of this points to the Manager.

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bigolconnor added 10:47 - Jan 3 Stockdale let in a lot of goals. It will be interesting to see how a keeper of lee barrett's ability leeks in the same number of games. Mind you jewell will find it much easier to get a keeper on loan than he will a decent defence. Delaney only plays well with someone with nuts beside him. We only play well against good teams. Just some weak observations
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RegencyBlue added 10:47 - Jan 3 Before he goes on and on about more transfer targets did he actually say which January he is talking about!!
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Dorsetblue added 10:58 - Jan 3 We need a leader who will take control. Delaney is not a leader and he does ok when he has someone with brains next to him. Our back four yesterday were all at fault. We looked like a team beaten even before kick off. I hope Jewell has it in him to turn it around, but the clocks ticking and not much improvement has been seen so far. Is our scouting set up good enough? and could this be the problem..

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newboy added 11:02 - Jan 3 A DECENT MANAGER WOULD BE MY PRIORITY - you have had a year I have said before RK was no worse than you last year playing academy players Hyam, Eastwood, Carson all our future PJ you are a waste of space - do the decent thing get out are are you just waiting for a big pay off
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NSL added 11:13 - Jan 3 Lack of quality Centre Halfs? Just go Paul, you have not got a clue. What are your scouts doing exactly? No other team has this problem. I suppose you want a 'quality' centre half to go with the 'quality' midefield you have put together and your 'quality' strike force? Let me guess, this new 'quality' centre half needs to be 36 years of age, just released from prison with some drug/gambling adiction, perhaps with some sort of medical problem / mental illness? Actually Paul, I sympathise with you, maybe there is a shortage of these type of players. I would be happy to settle for two mediocre centre halfs. It would be a massive improvement on the shower of shi£e we have at the moment.

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Notts_tractor added 11:14 - Jan 3 We are fast becoming the basket case of this division. Or already are. How many managers would survive after this set of results, and how many humiliations like these are fans supposed to put up with: Town 1 Norwich 5 Swansea 4 Town 1 Leicester 4 Town 2 Town 2 Southampton 5 Peterborough 7 Town 1 Town 2 Doncaster 3 Burnley 4 Town 0 Town 1 Forest 3? I may have forgotten some. And Alan Smith is the answer?

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Woodbridgian added 11:18 - Jan 3 Blues 1 — Spot on Clegg is not responsible for training and developing the players, picking the team, setting the tactics, making substitutions Jewell is and he has proved without any doubt he hasn't got a clues about any of it.
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icetruckiller added 11:21 - Jan 3 Buy young and hungry players wanting to prove theirselves, and give the likes of Hyam a chance. Would prefer PJ to go though
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Tractamatt added 11:35 - Jan 3 Splash tne cash and get Collins back or ST Ledger other than them I cant think of any others available
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bluearmy89 added 11:37 - Jan 3 Priority this Jan is getting rid of you PJ and Clegg then a CB in!!
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nitroblue1970 added 11:41 - Jan 3 same old yap from PJ
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tomisamos added 11:45 - Jan 3 Definitely. Getting a centre back to sort this lot out will be difficult. I've mentioned the list of enquiries Jewell is meant to have made in the summer, Woodgate, Ibanez, Ayala, Upson, that is the quality we need, anything else won't fix the problem. Seeing as St Ledger got relegated with Preston and is not transfer listed, why rush for him? The fans went on and on about Chopra, he's been good hasn't he. jas - Jewell's know all along his defence is crap, he brought in Wabara (sadly wasn't any good) and Collins as an emergency after Smith proved his complete lack of match confidence (which I don't think anyone realised was quite THAT bad, he did play in the world cup and play very well, after all!) and a January 1st signing would have been very difficult and not that many clubs actually made them, unless you're talking about more loans and freebes which I think we've established we don't want. Bluearmy, get rid of Jewell before the CB and we'll just have a different guy dealing with the same terrible defence and it won't improve. What I'd do for Wright, Harding, Wilnis and De Vos back as our back four! Nothing has been remotely good enough since.

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nitroblue1970 added 11:47 - Jan 3 lets say he did actually get a good CB in this month, with his so called coaching team they are likely to end up as tactically inept and bereft of basic football skills as the other stars he has brought in. With a few exceptions the players he has brought in have gotten worse while at town not better! Thats what happens when you give coaching jobs to your mates! Time to go PJ and take Hutchins and Mcarthy with you.

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righty added 11:50 - Jan 3 Programme notes from Clegg saying turnstiles repainted and executive suites good value for money so all,s well probably going to get to play offs lets get real Clegg and concentrate on the team
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blueherts added 11:51 - Jan 3 Wilnis - good call - get him in - Should have gone for Billy Jones in the Summer - bored of it all now - just sort it out
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planetblue_2011 added 11:54 - Jan 3 PJ u don't have a clue!! I think we need 2 cb's just in case Sonko keeps getting injured. Can't relay on dead wood ingi & Delaney
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northstand78 added 12:04 - Jan 3 A centre half..No sh1t Sherlock..!! Rumour going round that Alan Smith will be our new keeper.!! All joking apart, as other posters have said, please give the youth a go. They can't be any worse than that lot that played yesterday..
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Dozzells_Bobblehat added 12:06 - Jan 3 I came on the other day and said that i think PJ should and would be given more time, and i stick by that. However i am alarmed by the link suggesting we are in for Alan Smith. Its nothing against him personally or as an individual move its more that i think we are looking in the wrong places. Without doubt the biggest success this year has been Cresswell, so why dont we go for more of the same. PJ keeps saying that there arent any good CB's around. This may well be the case with experienced prem players but i think iot was Portsmouth who git the lad Pearce from Bournemouth and i keep seeing clubs linked with McFadzean from Crawley. We can get these players for a decent fees and they are keen to prove themselves and wont be on silly wages. We do have to keep in mind the break even plan that will be coming in and this to my mind is the way forward. Im not saying we cant sign any experienced Prem players to compliment the others and i know not all of these types of signings would work out as well as Cresswell but i for one would rather go down this road. Drury hasnt hit the heights as yet but he would probably argue that he hasnt been given a run in the side. Why not do so now, as he looks no worse than the players we have had all season and has more of a potential future at the club than Bowyer and Bullard as he is three of four years younger. I hate to say it but that team up the road, who's new away kit makes them look like N. Ireland and Swansea are both doing very nicely thanks in the Prem having sides made up of no huge signings from the Prem, but well scouted signings from lower leagues. Much as i hate Holt he is doing ok in the Prem , as well as Jackson who i seem to recall we were in for, just cos we have a bit of cash doesnt mean we have to splash out on big names.

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Monkaz added 12:09 - Jan 3 We need to have a young CB. I would probably suggest Mark Ellis, who has previously been linked with us. Only 20 - 21 has bags of potential like Cresswell and we could probably get him for about £200k.
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brittaniaman added 12:17 - Jan 3 POLL on evening star site,, earlier on it said 75% JEWELL OUT !!! Now at this very moment it has gone down to 67% JEWELL OUT Strange the way things have gone lately I thought it would have gone up ??????
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Leedsblue1 added 12:30 - Jan 3 This is only my second ever post on here but I'm as fed up as the rest of you!! I'm sick to death of hearing the same old garbage about us needing defenders, in particular CB's. We are all aware of this so go and do something about it instead of talking about it for crying out loud!!! I've had a quick scan of four Premier League clubs and have come accross various fringe players who need game time. Matthew Briggs at Fulham has played in all 10 Europa League games but domestic wise has only started one Carling Cup game and one Premier League game, based on this with Fulham now out of Europe he seems on the periphery at Fulham so Jewell make and enquiry!!!! Arsenal have both Ignasi Miquel and more importantly with RB in mind Carl Jenkinson both not featuring and both would be ideal. London aswell is commutable to Ipswich so counters the rubbish point about us not being great positionally for potentional new players!!! Chelsea have two RB's in Ryan Bertrand and Paulo Ferreira both sat there playing next to no football and both would be ideal. Liverpool are brimming with young players who aren't getting first team exposure! Coates, Coady, Flanagan, Robinson and Wisdom. All it takes is a phone call to Liverpool to ask if any are available to loan, surely at least one or two would be!!! They also have Raheem Sterling and Dani Pacheco both of whom are extremely talented and would surely gain from some first team footy we could provide. I've only looked at four Prem clubs there and have provided plenty of names, Jewell dont tell me there's nobody out there because I'm not buying it!!!!!!

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bobble added 12:32 - Jan 3 the fish rots from the head, we were told.theres something fishy going on here,why are all the semi-decent players going rotten when they get to suffolk ?
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