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

tractorboybig added 14:38 - Jan 3 Any average fan could have told you that before the season started, central defence and right back were the areas of the utmost urgency. Still its only taken half the season for the manager to decide to do something positive about half the problem as our weakest link is still right back. A BIT OF PANIC BUYING COMING UP??????? relegation threatens.
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newboy added 14:45 - Jan 3 We need a manager - not a media tart and all PJ does is talk he waits to hear what the groans of the week are and then comes out and says what he thinks people want to hear - he has no clue and is out of his depth. In reality if ME would be insane to give him more money tow waste and as for the polls having dropped to ONLY 67% wanting PJ out the rest are probably past caring

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stu_ward27 added 14:46 - Jan 3 @Llewujtuo Like the fact that he got rid of Bryan Klug - the man who brought through and developed the promising youngsters and put them in the first team the fact that he wanted to close down the youth academy completely and not rely on youngsters and there is a difference in the culture set out between the two managers under keane there was less banter between the players, players were scared of him, obviously weren't motivated to play for him, and there is the fact that he brought in so many awful players that we can't offload whereas under jewell the atmosphere around the club is so much better, banter between the players much better, players want to play for him, trouble is the players aren't producing the goods on the pitch I don't particularly like either manager but Roy Keane was one of the WORST managers ever seen at ITFC!!!

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wilnis_barmy_army added 14:50 - Jan 3 No quality centre halfs to pick up??? Kilgallon, st ledger, danny wilson who just signed for blackpool! I'd take drissa diallo back at this rate!
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RRanger added 15:00 - Jan 3 One short observation:Sonko has started 14 games and went off in the 1st half of one of them (Millwall 1-4). We have got 24 of our 27 points with Sonko starting. If that doesn't underline our need for at least one more quality central defender I don't know what does. It also (in my opinion) makes Sonko our most valuable player so far.
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TractorBoy666 added 15:49 - Jan 3 I think i was a bit optimistic thinking we will finish 15th!
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righty added 16:01 - Jan 3 Stu-ward27 You clearly dont know or understand anything about football management so it seems from your comments. How wonderful to think the players go into training with a smile on there faces I think its because they do very little training and taking masses of money for doing nothing
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Tonyitfc82 added 16:15 - Jan 3 Bull**** Jewell. We have 2 seasons that dont have a proper CD. What the f*** are you doing? All we listen to every week is how badly we defend and how badly we need new CD , well do something about it then. Im not someone who wants managers out I didnt even want R.K to go just yet but P.J has to go before its to late. All what we have signed so far are old players with high wages who are fu****g useles. NOW I HAVE A QUESTION FOR YOU GUYS THAT I HAVE BEEN THINKING FOR SOMETIME NOW. We have some high earners in our team and more than half of them dont even make the bench. Why dont we get rid of them and spend big on a CD? I mean P.J must think this wright? Lets go and get a C.D for 30k p/w. Im sure there are C.D out there in the premiere league that dont earn that kind of money, lets get them down here AND STOP GETTING ANY MORE MIDDFIELDERS WHO ARE WELL PAST THEIR BEST. Simple as.

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oldelsworthyfan added 16:16 - Jan 3 Is it dawning on PJ yet that players don't want to play for him?
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babyblueman added 16:17 - Jan 3 give pj more time and stop moaning u numptys
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righty added 16:41 - Jan 3 babyblueman another one who knows nothing about football we will be in div 1 and you will understand if nothings done NOW
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dubblue added 16:43 - Jan 3 72% now want him to go according to the ES poll.
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sugardaddy added 16:46 - Jan 3 agree with babyblueman, even if we do go down it didnt exactly do southampton or dare i say norwich any harm!
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Tractastic added 17:04 - Jan 3 Give PJ more time? Are you havin' a laugh. He's had a over a year in charge and we've now got a ramshackle team probably playing worse than in the Keane era. The fact is this is the worst Ipswich team for years and its PJ's team. Going down would be a total disaster and no one can guarantee we'd come straight back up or improve especially with PJ and Clegg still in charge. How can anyone in their right mind think that PJ and Clegg are anything other than out of their depths and past their sell by dates.

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stu_ward27 added 17:05 - Jan 3 @righty I'm not saying it's the only thing they need but that are more likely to perform if they are enjoying their football as well as having a manager who actually has any tactical sense and able to set them up in the right way with the right players - which unfortunately Paul Jewell doesn't do and it doesn't look like he is going to in the future
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Legend added 17:09 - Jan 3 How much more time does PJ need?? This is yet another season that is down the pan.
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ITFCforlife added 17:13 - Jan 3 if cbs are a priority why has he only got old players and loanees also St Ledger is avaliable also matt mills has been rubbish this season so maybe Leicester will be happy to lose him for a lower price, obviously the talent is there or he wouldn't have been signed for so much money. What happened to the wickham money? As most of our signings were free, loanees or bargains why is PJ so reluctant to spend some money on either some good youngsters or top quality players in positions that we need. If the £8m is invested well we could end up in the prem, a gk,two good cbs, a rb, a cm or two (hopefully andrews even though he is old and a young one) and maybe a good striker as Chopra hasn't cut it but if he can get over his problems and focus he may do well.Murray deserves a few games, he is young and has scored a few at swansea. With a good spine and a mix of experience and youth who knows where we could go but if the money is not used well (more of the same) we will probably end up in league 1 and maybe even do a plymouth and go down again. We don't really need a new striker this season but I wouldn't mind if we got one but as Jewell said we really do need a few cbs

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blues1 added 17:13 - Jan 3 spanish archer. i believe hes running the business side, as i said in my original post, as hes insructed to by M.E . itfc1981. no, he wasnt moved from transfers. only difference this year is that P.J. became involved in negotiations, unlike R.K. last year. M.E., i think youll find was only involved in 1 or 2 of the deals.
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blues1 added 17:27 - Jan 3 elmswell blue. its not a case of loving clegg, im actually neither for or against him. i just get fed up with people wanting to blame him for everything that goes wrong at this club, regardless of whether hes to blame or not. your point of macauley is the perfect example. it was not his decision as to whether to the offer made to gm, but a joint decision by rk(if he wanted to offer him a deal), & me as to what to offer him. basically clegg is just mes mouthpiece. he does what hes instructed to do ,nothing ,more, nothing less. & thats the only reason i defend him. of course there have been errors from everyone at itfc, but surely rather than just blaming clegg for everything people should put the blame where it is deserved. & for the performances, & results on the field, thats entirely due to pj, his coaching staff, & the players. NOT clegg

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planetblue_2011 added 17:27 - 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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babyblueman added 17:36 - Jan 3 righty or should u b called wrongy bet u an armchair supporter u should listen 2 sugerdaddy
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bluetractor73 added 17:51 - Jan 3 also required new manager as this one is past his use by date
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choprawontcome added 18:00 - Jan 3 What a Jester you are Mr Jewell,if Keano Clowno wasnt enough!!!! What has happened to our scouting system.the club is a total mess!!! Bring Back GB ive said it time and time again,at least he could find quality players,
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TRACTORBOY67 added 18:15 - Jan 3 dear all Mr Evans since you took control of the club it has suffered a remarkable decline.You sack Jim Magilton someone who cared about this club and would have got it into the playoff',s . Then you appoint Roy Keane a very good player but as a manager utterly useless,he destroyed the heart and sole of this club by selling /not playing/allowing good players to go as well as Bryan Klug a well respected coach.Then you bring in Paul Jewell someone who had been out of front line football for a while and now seems as useless as Mr keane Mr Jewell you seem like a nice chap.But as a fan of nearly 40 years i have to say that this is by far the worst squad of players that have graced the once proud club.Some of your tranfers are puzzling,playing players out of position when you had every chance to get the correct players in over the summer tranfer window.if you are unable to get the players motivated enough to beat a Nottingham Forest team who have not scored for 7 games then perhaps you should look for pastures new and take some of the under performing/over paid players that you have assembled here with you. Mr Eavns How much longer can you allow these shocking performances by these men who are supposed to professional footballers continue.Soon there will not be a fanbase left. To the players take a long hard look at yourselves, you are paid good money if i performed like you all have in my job i think that i would have been shown the door long ago.Now pull your bloody socks stop feeling sorry for yourselves and go out against Hull on saturday and put some pride back in this club

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Ipswichbusiness added 18:15 - Jan 3 My numbers are a bit different to those of RRanger, but are as follows: with Sonko (all competitions) won 7, drawn 3, lost 3, scored 21 conceded 16 without Sonko won 1, drawn 0, lost 10 scored 14 conceded 32 The difference is amazing. However, given that his fitness is not all it might be we need two centre backs at the least. Also, two other thoughts. One is that I was reading the other day that Norwich (sorry) had won a Premiership with a team with an average age of 23. The other is that I heard a transfer rumour that Everton are to sign an exciting new prospect in the window. His name is Jordan Rhodes. I suspect that Mr Jewell will be given until the end of the season, we will just avoid relegation and he will be fired.

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