Chief executive Simon Clegg has reiterated that he and owner Marcus Evans continue to back manager Paul Jewell, despite the Blues' continuing poor form. The Town chief also restated that Jewell will be given money to spend during the January transfer window.

Clegg told the BBC: “Paul enjoys the full support of the owner and myself, and that’s why we’re continuing to back him and making money available should he need to bring in additional players.

“Obviously, things are not going well on the pitch at the moment and therefore we have identified some areas of weakness and Paul is looking at those at the moment.”

However, Clegg admitted that eventually his and Evans’s patience will run out, despite Jewell’s appointment a year ago being viewed as one for the long term: “There has to be a tipping point at some point, but we are some distance from that.”

Regarding criticism aimed in his own direction, Clegg says he has no plans to move on: “I’m not walking away from this club, I’m here to fight and to ensure I can do everything that I can to support the manager in terms of achieving the goal.

“My job is to support the manager and as long as I continue to enjoy the support of the owner, I will continue to do the job.”

Clegg says Evans has been far from penny-pinching when it comes to providing Jim Magilton, Roy Keane and now Jewell with money to spend in the transfer market: “When you look at the levels of investment over the last couple of years, they are considerable when compared to other clubs in the Championship.

“No one can question the level of commitment that Marcus Evans has made to this club, we just need to make sure that we start turning things around on the pitch and if we haven’t got the right players, we’ll need to bring them in.”

Elsewhere, the Blues and Huddersfield are claimed to be amongst the clubs interested in transfer-listed Leicester central defender Sean St Ledger.

Jewell made enquiries regarding the 27-year-old Republic of Ireland international last January and again in the summer but with the Foxes signing him from Preston for £1.2 million in July.

St Ledger fell out with manager Nigel Pearson after the Boxing Day game against Town due to his frustration at his lack of opportunities at the King Power Stadium, having made only 10 starts and two sub appearances this season.

Photo: Action Images

walberswick added 09:34 - Jan 5 Is anyone at Portman Road actually doing something to stop this club going down the pan? Are you all still on holiday?
0

buryblue77 added 09:51 - Jan 5 This bloke is a PR man, will say any old nonsense if he thinks it satisfies the needs of the fans. However, how many times do we hear from any football club where a manager is under pressure that he still has the full backing of the board. It's a public announcement to the manager to get things in order and an invitation to other managers and coaches to apply! What usually happens after such a statement is one more bad result or say a three game period where no significant improvement has been made then the manager goes, only thing is though even if this bad run continues and we end up in bottom three I'm not sure that'll happen. I just don't have confidence in the two man at the top as they're not football men!

0

sotd78 added 09:53 - Jan 5 Do any of the early commentators on this story actually have ANY idea what a CEO does? It's a lot more than just negotiating contracts with Agents which seems to be the sole criticism that anyone could even pretend to know about. The club in recent months have installed some really excellent behind the scnes systems - online booking, electronic turnstiles, coaching network, scouting network, a refurbishmnet policy around the ground. All these things a CEO oversees. Get real guys if you want to comment get the whole picture first.

0

newboy added 09:54 - Jan 5 My family and many work colleagues are already staying away they can't stand watching the shambles we have become - even having paid for the forthcoming away trip they have now decided to lose the money rather than watch a bunch of overpaid pensioners managed by a clueless idiot who should have been gone before christmas. As for money being made available I would not give him my childrens pocket money to spend - GET PJ OUT and SOON!!!!

0

Legend added 09:55 - Jan 5 You talk about a tipping point Clegg. You and your puppet master, along with the clueless manager are tipping us fans over the edge! As an earlier post wrote a couple more defeats at it will all kick off. It's the only way we will get our voices heard. we have done it many times before so don't us fans for fools!!! Our club and us fans will ALWAYS be here, Hopefully you won't be much longer!!

0

Keaneish added 09:56 - Jan 5 Exactly Crazee - I want Ipswich running Ipswich again. I always said Nagilton needed support being his first managerial job and so it proved. I'd welcome anyone who's played for this club. Butcher and Osman for me as first choices and Burley and Holland second.
0

yorksblue added 10:04 - Jan 5 So little surprise there's been no movement in the transfer market. The new manager won't want to be lumbered with Jewell's cr*p in a couple of weeks. Hoddle in ASAP please.
0

Keaneish added 10:09 - Jan 5 Good post Tomisamos - I'm not sure I agree the promise of cash and tge weight of expectation behind this should be a problem with the correct management infrastructure but it's a great post and highlights the declining cohesion and coherence in our club. How many Town fans in the world? Can we raise 60 million quid and buy our club back as a consortium? I'll google it!!

0

Legend added 10:10 - Jan 5 @ sotd78. it's all well and good having electronic turnstiles and an online booking system etc etc. But this is surely better put in place when the team are flying high and close to becoming a premier league club? The main thing now is getting a team ready for the premier league which at the moment we are a million miles away from. we are a damn sight closer to becoming a league 1 side they way things stand!! This will be Jewells third transfer window and still no progress has been made on the pitch.

0

bluesatin added 10:14 - Jan 5 Algarvefan my exact thought's that once the Olympics were over Marcus Evans would put the club up for sale parhaps that would not be a bad thing how can we have a faceless general running a football club and a puppet for a CE.
0

algarvefan added 10:17 - Jan 5 http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/16422062.stm Watch Clegg and cringe!!!!!
0

Legend added 10:26 - Jan 5 @ tomisamos; Fantastic post mate! you have hit the nail right on the head. Football is a public game, you can't hide away and never be seen. Evans should stand up and be counted!
0

Karlosfandangal added 10:28 - Jan 5 Funny how when we went 7 without defeat no one was say how crap Evans Clegg and Jewell were then. Those that want Magilton out you got your wish and now look were the club is, Most that wanted Burley out now want him back in. Strange so many people want a manager who cares about the club a Holland Butcher Osman yet we had that in a Burley and Magilton so if we had a Butcher Osman or Holland would it be a year down the line when they would be calling for their heads too

0

buryblue77 added 10:44 - Jan 5 Karlosfandangal, the problem is that we're so inconsistent we can't build on a few good results. That's the thing we're all unhappy with, after a poor start to the season with a couple of huge losses it all turns around and we think our season has kick started, then we lose 7 in a row, go on a 3 match unbeaten run but now haven't won again in 3, losing 1 of those games to a very poor side in Forest. if we go on a good run and have a few indifferent reults we would be mid table and there would be less pressure, but we don't and we lose heavily at times often because a defence can't defend. Quite simply it's Jewell job to get the defence playing as a unit and backing each other up, yet a lot of the time they look so open that it's either a case of Jewell not working on the issues or the players don't listen or care to what he says.

0

TractorRoyNo1 added 10:56 - Jan 5 when in a hole stop digging! PJ is in his Derby and Sheffield Wednesday mode, not his Wigan and Bradford role
0

TractorRoyNo1 added 10:58 - Jan 5 Manager to player 'Suffolk is a nice place, you should move here' Player to manager 'if it is so nice boss, why don't you and the chief exec buy homes there'
0

Karlosfandangal added 11:04 - Jan 5 Buryblue 77 Agree with you and I too am as frustrated as most but dont agree with those that say Jewell does not care about the club, you only have to listren too him in interviews or watch him on the touch line to see that he does care for the club. Wonder how many of the fans appologise to Sir Bobby Robson after the stick they gave him in the first few seasons at the club and the same could be said of the Newcastle fans that spat at him when in charge there. Jewell has been at the club 12 months everyone wanted him to get rid of the deadwood which he did and then brought in 13 new players. The club is in the same position as of 12 months ago and I see no reason why he cant get us out of trouble. The problem I think is the fact that we change manager every 18 months and they bring in far too many players. Sir Bobby brought 14 players in his 13 years in charge How many players have the club brought in in the last 3 years has to be near 30. If Jewell was to go now we would have to start all over again getting rid of players and bring in player the new manager wanted.

0

buryblue77 added 11:30 - Jan 5 Karlos, I'm not one for sackings. I would like to see Jewell succeed, but I wonder if some of the things that made Supple give up the game still come in to play here, too many over 30's picking up a last pay cheque? Too many loans who see the club as a keep match sharp/shop window exercise? I don't for one minute doubt that Jewell has passion and commitment for the club. Another factor that we have to look at is the unstable player base, the fact that Norris and McAuley (£3m+ lost) wouldn't sign new contracts (or that Clegg was unwilling to negotiate further with them) doesn't help a stable player base, or that we've signed players who haven't worked out and we've already let go/looking to move on (Brown, O'Connor, Healy and Priskin are all players who signed under keane and are now not here/not wanted here) Although I agree with your comments about Sir Bobby (sadly I'm too young to remember that great era and just about remember some of our ex players from that time, although they'd moved on to other clubs by the time I stated supporting the town about the age of 10) it's different times and players do move on more often now than they used to, but I am in complete agreement with you that changing the manager too often leads to changing too many players. Here's to a good new year, a couple of new faces (I'd like to see a GK,RB, CB young, enegergetic defensive CM and a CF - quite a shopping list, so maybe needs breaking up over 2 windows) and we could well see a change in fortunes

0

Karlosfandangal added 12:13 - Jan 5 Buryblue 77 Well said and I hope in your life time you will get to see a great town side like I did in the Robson era. Still think we did the wrong thing in sacking Burley
0

buryblue77 added 12:39 - Jan 5 I think we all thought the great times were not too far round the corner when Evans came in, not fighting off relegation to league 1! Probably right about Burley, but until Evans came in we were still paying off the debts of over ambititious spending of 10 years ago.
0

GerryCreaney added 13:42 - Jan 5 The trouble is as soon as ME pi$$es off then what. He takes his money and leaves his debt. probably a bigger debt than it was before. We then get relegate to DIv 1 in high debt then bang! we go under. I of course am not thinking of that just yet!
0

AlanMahon2011 added 14:43 - Jan 5 CLEGG OUT
0

ITFCforlife added 17:34 - Jan 5 basically either clegg will go or 2 more losses and jewell goes
0

h32 added 21:28 - Jan 5 To be honest I feel a pang of sympathy for both Clegg and Jewell - because they are both so out of their depth in being able to deal with any of the current issues - it's painful to see their inadequacy. Have a year out 'painting turnstiles' and chill out both of you - but DON'T spill the paint - otherwise you ARE fired.
0

Blogs 297 bloggers

Ipswich Town Polls