Boss Paul Jewell has admitted he made mistakes in his approach to Town’s summer transfer business. The Blues manager says that having initially viewed the job as a long-term venture when he took over from Roy Keane a year ago, his thoughts turned much more towards a quick-fix during a close season in which he signed predominantly experienced veterans.

Jewell concedes that errors were made in relation to that transfer policy: “I think the biggest thing is that when I first came here I was talking about it being a bit of a project.

“Then, all of a sudden, it turned into ‘I think we’ve got to try and get promotion in one year and let’s go with tried and trusted people who have been there, seen it and done it’.

“And really, when you think about it, it’s more of a long-term job, let’s be honest about it. We signed too many players on one-year contracts and loan players, which is not ideal," said the Liverpudlian.

“It’s been a sticky period for the club for the last few years really,” he explained. “I thought maybe the way to get out of it quickly was to try and get players who have been there, seen it and done it and I think we all know we’ve probably signed too many of them.”

The 47-year-old says he accepts the blame for his side’s failings but still believes he’s the man to take the club forward: “I’ll take responsibility for it. I know I’ve made mistakes, but I know I can do this job, I know I’m decent at it.

“I’ve had a tough time so far this season, but nothing in life comes easily, it’s tough. I hope to be here for a long time.

“I speak to the owner every day and it’s a big five-year plan for him, that’s what he said to me after we got beaten by Burnley, and hopefully I’m going to be here to see that out. I’ve made a few mistakes but I want to learn from them.”

He admits that some signings, such as 34-year-old Ivar Ingimarsson’s addition on a free transfer from Reading, haven’t worked out as yet: “Hindsight is the best word in football, the best word in life.

“He played 20-odd games for Reading last season and when they went on a run of 12 games unbeaten he played in every one of them.

“I’ve made mistakes but if you look at my record, I’ve got two clubs up into the Premier League, I’ve stayed there three times and I’ve got to a Carling Cup final, so don’t throw me to the wolves yet.”

Jewell is now targeting younger players — including Leicester’s Sean St Ledger and another mystery man he hopes to sign before Wednesday’s game at Birmingham - for the years ahead to add to the more experienced campaigners: “You can’t get all 16-year-olds in, but we’ve got to start planning now for longer term players. Getting the balance right between experience and youth is something which we’ve got wrong.

“We want to make some signings on a permanent basis, not out of panic but because we need to get some younger players down and try and build for the future, that’s key.”

Despite the Blues currently sitting in 20th, he says he hasn’t yet written the season off: “You never ever know what happens, but the team hasn’t worked out anywhere near how I hoped or anyone had hoped. There are 20-odd games left yet and we’re in a fight at the minute, we understand that.

“The league table doesn’t lie at the moment, but I still believe that we’ve got enough in the squad to finish well away from where we are now, and with a few additions, who knows?

“We’re not giving up on this season because it’s such a crazy league that two or three back-to-back wins and things will look completely different and people’s attitudes will be different.

“I know that the width of a goalpost or a good opportunity missed or a mistake from a goalkeeper or a defender changes people’s whole perception on the season, never mind the game.”

Photo: Action Images

Zico added 11:41 - Jan 6 On yer bike Jewell!
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blrmy added 11:53 - Jan 6 Jas0999 - credit where it's due, a good post from you.
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irishtim added 12:00 - Jan 6 My young team 4 tomorrow give them a chance & get games. Whatever the outcome. Reckon they mite put the spirit back in itfc. Alb. peters. sonks. smith. whight. carson. hyam.martin. creswell. jet. murray. subs. wright. delaney. ainsley. bullard lawerence chops. kennedy.
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StowTractorBoy added 12:00 - Jan 6 Well done PJ for admitting your mistakes but at the end of the day even with the players you signed we should be doing better. Its not just the players who have let the Club down its your tactics which swing from one formation to the other - no wonder the players are confused. One up front against a very ordinary Forest side was a massive mistake and there have been too many of them. Being humiliated by Northampton massive mistake playing Kennedy at left back at Millwall for Feeney to tear him apart massive mistake. Playing four central midfielders massive mistake I could go on. At the start of the season a Radio 5 presenter (I think it was Alan Green) stated with the team we have we should be at the top of the Championship just shows how massively we have under achieved. I shall continue to support him while he is here but I think he is very lucky to still be in his job. I am very very worried. Oh and please not St. Ledger I saw his attitude at Peterborough and it stinks.

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GTRKing added 12:03 - Jan 6 No point sacking PJ Give Him Time & we need 1 RB 18-23 1 CB 18-23 1 CB 24-28. 1 GK 20-28 1 CM/LM/RM 18-28 1 CM/LM/RM 28-32 1 LW/RW/ST/CF 18-28 Thats all we need & let the team get used to each other & get ready for next season
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Legend added 12:25 - Jan 6 This will be Jewells third transfer window and we currently four places from being rock bottom. So tell me where one ounce of progress has been made? If we were currently sitting around 10th place and scoring goals etc then yes a bit of progress has been made and we are heading in the right direction but we are not are we? To play one up from front against a forest side there for the taking was a complete joke by Jewell but will he learn from it? I doubt it. His tactics, subs and formations for 90% of this season have been wrong and we have been punished for it. How can team like forest come down here and go at us right from the kick off? How can a team like Barnsley rip us to shreds for 45 mins? and lets be honest here they threw that game away. We were good second half but were very lucky. When we managed to beat pompey we were very very lucky, when we beat derby we were once again lucky to get away with it. So if is wasnt for those very lucky games we would be sitting rock bottom by now!! Progress? Don't make me laugh! Evans owns the club and from time to time gets involved in transfers but the bulk of the day to day running of the club is down to Clegg and Jewell. Talk is cheap Jewell and clegg. Us fans are so bored of all the talking, We need to see results, passion, guts, desire, hunger and most of all we deserve so much better that the complete s**t you serve up to us week in week out. You are a very very very lucky man Jewell. Any other club in this division would have sent you packing weeks if not months ago!! Now stop all the words and get on with getting it right on the pitch!! A win tomorrow a point against Birmingham and a win against Blackpool is the minimum you should get!! COYB!

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PauloJulio added 12:28 - Jan 6 Good: Cresswell, Andrews, Stockdale, Sonko, Bullard (last season) Hit/Miss: Bowyer, Chopra, Murphy, Drury, E-Thomas Terrible: Ellington, Wabara, Ingarmarsson, Wright
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Benters added 12:43 - Jan 6 Jewell your a plank please leave us so we can get somebody in to save us from relagation.
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bardwell03 added 12:54 - Jan 6 Let's give it time people. Faith. We are itfc and our time at the top will come again.
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itfc4eva added 13:08 - Jan 6 Need to use some of the young players we have on the books. From what i have seen from players like O'Connor and Hyam, Ainsley, all seem to be good yound players. We used to have a very good academy, why not use some of the quality players that we have in our academy and get some good use out of them. This might get our season back on track. And what is the five year plan meant to be? Hopefully it's getting into europe or winning some cup in the next five years, NOT getting into prem league within five seasons. need some good signing in transfer window.

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Garv added 13:17 - Jan 6 PauloJulio I think Murphy is more a hit than a miss. He's been probably as consistent as anyone this season, bar Cresswell. He's added height and strength which means when the long ball HAS TO HAPPEN he's there to win it. A couple more goals would be nice but he is playing wide and he's got one and a few assists. A valuable player for me, never meant to be spectacular as some expect. Credit to Jewell for admitting mistakes. He's got to show he's learnt from them now. I too didn't like the way he was slumped in his chair at the press conference yesterday. Sit forward man and show you can be arsed to talk to the press, even if you can't!

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Tiggs added 13:21 - Jan 6 Words of a frightened man. TAXI!!!!!!
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Surco72 added 13:30 - Jan 6 Jas0999 .. a very well written comment putting your view forward rather than usual ranting . I believe Jewell will learn and is heading in the right direction ,if Jimmy is as good as he was in the second half of last season ,and Sonko stays fit we will have a chance ,if not he will get sacked and we will be back to arguing over another new manager no doubt !! Your turn to back the new one

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tomisamos added 13:42 - Jan 6 It's been said many times before, but when Jewell signed Bowyer, Bullard, Chopra etc we shouldn't have thought they'd let us down so badly! He didn't really have much choice but to play delaney and when he did the defence looked dodgy, but he replaced him with sonko which, to be fair, I remember lots of fans not really wanting at the club, let he's been one of our most solid players. Jewell recalled martin, who now actually looks threatening. He's got the best out of Scotland despite him being one of the least favourites last year and he's kick started Carson's career, not to mention Andrew's goals, which really have saved us! He failed to motivate a few good players who really at this stage of their career ought to know how to play football properly considering their resumees, and he failed to motivate Delaney, who I don't think will ever know how to play football properly. Otherwise the players are hit and miss at worst and have been unlucky on lots of occasions not to win or draw I'm not saying he shouldn't take the blame. I'm saying that on evidence I'm inclined to believe that firstly, Jewell should be given enough credit for us to believe he can bring in the right players (we all hailed Bullard last year) and secondly, we should be careful what we wish for, because often the things which were initially popular with the fans (Bullard and Chopra) haven't gone so well and the ones which weren't (playing Scotland again and signing Sonko) have worked. Sometimes I think it might just be possible to assume Jewell knows more about it than us, that's just an inkling of mine...

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Len_Brennan added 14:14 - Jan 6 Sounds like the words of a nervous man who is lacking in self-confidence. I hope he believes what he is saying here and is committed to it rather than perhaps just saying what he thinks people want to hear because he is under pressure. That will be very quickly apparent if so and will take us nowhere, well nowhere good, and time is now very much of the essence. I echo the comments re: jas0999's post. A very fair, well written and worthwhile read.

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nitroblue1970 added 14:39 - Jan 6 Just one small point......does anyone know why a manager that's was called by Clegg a proven, been there, done that type of guy with a history of success...was out of work for 2 whole years? ...was it because no one would touch him as he destroyed Derby and Sheff Weds? More blah blah blah from Jewell, probably read off a script written by Clegg and ME, if I was as bad at my job as he has shown he is, there's no doubt I would have been sacked by now.

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wrightyblue added 15:27 - Jan 6 Ok fair enough he has come clean! Now sell Leadbitter, delaney, and buy some good players . 11 players like Edwards would do well!! What u think hairbear?
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alfromcol added 15:42 - Jan 6 nitroblue1970 you obviously don't have bosses who see your long term potential!
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algarvefan added 15:47 - Jan 6 Jas0999 whilst I don't always agree with you I think you have hit the nail on the head today. Jewell's first term has been very poor and I like you hope he can turn it a round, he seems a damn nice bloke, but that's no good if the results aren't improving. A five year plan surely involves bringing in and bring on younger players, not the old has been's he has signed. But to be fair to Jewell, who'd have thought that Chopra and Bullard would have been so poor to name but two. The time has come to invest for the future and buy players who are going to want to perform and stay at a successful club for a number of years, in short we need to establish a settled side soon, this transfer window will be crucial if we are to stay up!!!

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walberswick added 16:01 - Jan 6 Can we all move on and get behind the team now? No.
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nitroblue1970 added 16:16 - Jan 6 Alfromocol...yes I do as it happens, which means I have never been sacked or forced to resign twice due to a lack of talent!!!
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Surco72 added 16:31 - Jan 6 but i doubt you are in a high profile pressure job with a high rate of turnover for your position with 20,000 or so people telling you they could do a better job with no training or qualifications though a Nitroblue ?
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tractorboy2434 added 16:32 - Jan 6 Sorry, this is just more of the same tripe, and I for 1 have simply had enough of the false promises and crap football, I care less than at any time in my 45 years of going to PR so this is sadly the last post for me, no more interest and I will watch my football in the non league where this tripe does'nt exist, ST renewal form straight in the bin and goodbye.
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nitroblue1970 added 16:38 - Jan 6 Surco....good point, well made...but I know what my limitations are unlike Mr Jewell it seems!
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llewej_tuo added 16:42 - Jan 6 jewell get out you clowo muppet ... yu are ruining the club JEWELL OUT JEWELL OUT JEWELL OUT JEWELL OUT JEWELL OUT JEWELL OUT JEWELL OUT JEWELL OUT JEWELL OUT JEWELL OUT JEWELL OUT JEWELL OUT
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