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

finidigeorge88 added 23:25 - Jan 3 I'm wondering if Ipswich managers watch the same game as us, we have needed a centre half since mcauley went to west brom, we need a right back as carlos Edwards has never been up to it, a young hungry centre midfielder who breaks past the strikers someone with some creativity, for years at Portman road the strikers have no service whatsoever, all the midfielders do is pass the ball sideways slow in the build up, sides come to postman road attack with pace, we take half an hour in the build up, we need a right winger, signed chopra with a gambling addiction great move that's why Cardiff got rid of him, jet looks more interested in his music career with chipmunk? And Nathan ellington doesn't need explaining he is the worst player I've ever seen pull on the blue and White, ronan Murray on loan at Swindon must be wondering whathe needs to do to get a game at Ipswich, we are in alot of trouble which all spirals from not sorting it out in the summer.

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GTRKing added 01:19 - Jan 4 There are soo many good CB's RB's Out there but why the hell arnt we getting/looking at them. I see leeds West Ham Leicester Crystal Palace Ect have got some. All PJ wants it old crooks/Loanees & is not looking for 18-28 year olds no it 30+ He must go after Jan if no players that are good come in. I know he a nice Guy but Can't do the job properly. So sort it out or leave thank you

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mkblue added 08:16 - Jan 4 It seems that the problems at our beloved club are way deeper than merely needing a couple of new c/bs the whole structure needs reviewing from the ceo downwards. We need to go back to the days when we developed our own talent and actually coached then and developed them. I would like to see a number of changes made thge first one being Clegg removed from the CEO postition and replaced with someone like David Dein who has a wealth of footballing knowledge and contacts. we need to get rid of Jewell and bring in a new management team i would love to see Zola in charge with Wilkins as his number two. We need to appoint specialist coaches ie de vos to work with the defenders holland / milton / murhen/ thijssen to work with the midfield and maybe spmeone like mariner to work with the forwards. I would bring back the reserve team and put Wark in charge of that and leave Russell Osman to continue his work with the youngsters. With this new structure in place we may well have half a chance to pull ourselves out of the mess that we have created over the last 3-5 years byu chasing after the big names who have no passion or understanding what Ipswich mean to the community and the supporters

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Legend added 08:45 - Jan 4 Soul ripped out of the club, heart has stopped beating. Now all thats left for Evans and Clegg to do is bury the body! Don't give me all this crap people about who Evans saved our club etc etc. We are still 60 million in debt and rising! Ok so back then before Evans we had no money, but we were doing a damn sight better thats for sure!! We had a fantastic youth set up, We had an electric atmosphere at portman road and good crowds,We made progress and we had Magilton, Burley and Royle who cared about the club and to top it all we had players who had passion, guts and who felt proud to wear the shirt. Sheepshanks had his faults but at least the man had the guts to face the media and address us fans instead of hiding away in another country. We had men who had a vast knowledge of football and the 'Ipswich' way. Back then we had a club that was in tune with its fans and cared about their views and opinions unlike now. It's harsh people but this club is finsished under the current set up. Open your eyes!!! The owner does not care about us or our views, he never shows his face which in the football world you can't do. He has never once addressed the media and us fans to tell us his plans, be it a 3,4,5,6 or god knows how many years plan he has. Clegg is the most clueless man we have ever had at ITFC. We have a current manager that is also clueless who believes in bringing in over the hill, injury prone players who once again dont care about the club. Look at the players Burley managed to get here. And the youth players he brought on. The likes of Holland, Mowbray, Magilton, Stewart, Johnson, Reuser, Naylor,Wright, Dyer, Ambrose etc etc. All of those players had guts passion etc. Now look at the current crop that he has spent millions on, None of them are fit enough to lace the the boots of the previous players!! Where is the future heading for this club i ask? Very worrying times!

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tomisamos added 14:59 - Jan 4 hairbear, I believe that if you had watched the game on Saturday, you may have noticed that for the first forest goal Delaney was out of position and Ingy was slow. For the second Delaney headed straight to McLeary and then missed a simple tackle. For the third, he failed to odeal with a header where he was favourite inside the box. How was any of that Edwards fault? Let's not pretend we didn't want Jim gone either. The shouts were so strong for Jim to go Evans even had to write a letter on his behalf in support of him against the fans! We've wanted all three of these men out since Evans took control. None of his managers have moved us up the table, what makes us think he's going to appoint someone else who can? Without Sonko and Andrews, we would be bottom. Without Delaney we'd have a far better goal difference. I believe Jewell can attract another with Sonko's quality and if he has any sense he'll get rid of Delaney, I don't even want any money for him.

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babyblueman added 16:10 - Jan 4 where r u righty me and hairbear r waiting 4 u r u asleep in your armchair
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babyblueman added 16:20 - Jan 4 keaneish stop being babyish an put dummy bk in and support your team
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Lightningboy added 16:55 - Jan 4 tomisamos..as you can see by my avatar,I did not want Jim out...and i'd be the first in line to give him a piggy-back ride back to Portman Road if our owner had the sense to re-instate him.
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tomisamos added 03:36 - Jan 5 Of course not, lightningboy, but then I don't even think everyone wanted Keane out, or everyone wants Jewell out. I'd love to see what would have happened if Jim had stayed but never been given the money, he certainly brought in some quality such as Bruce and Walters but when the money came in that quality dried up, then the younger players appeared less and less. I think he left at the right time, but I think the sudden financial push and ambition of the club ruined him.

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