Jewell: Jimmy Was Ill
Saturday, 7th Jan 2012 07:50

Boss Paul Jewell has hit out at claims that midfielder Jimmy Bullard’s illness which kept him out of Monday's game against Nottingham Forest wasn’t genuine. The 33-year-old will face his old club Hull City today if he is over the flu bug.

Jewell said: “Jimmy Bullard was [due to be] playing on Monday. He rang me at 10 o’clock from home sounding in a really bad way.

“He said he felt very ill, he’d been out for a walk and that there was no way he could play in the game. He won’t have been the first player to ring in sick.”

The Blues boss says the club’s medical staff have liaised with the midfielder’s GP regarding his illness: “He’s been to see his doctor, who has spoken to our doctor.”

Jewell admits that the Londoner, who joined the club over the summer after last season’s hugely successful loan spell, has suffered a dip in form but says there’s no excuse for the rumourmongering: “When we signed Jimmy Bullard, the people on the terraces were shouting that it was the best thing we’ve ever done.

“When we re-signed Jimmy Bullard and when we were winning games everyone was saying what a fantastic signing Jimmy Bullard was.

“Jimmy Bullard has lost his form but he’s not the only one, so don’t let this be a Jimmy Bullard campaign and don’t cast aspersions on Jimmy Bullard’s character by saying he’s not really ill, you’d be completely wrong.”

Jewell admits that the form of a number of his senior players needs to improve: “I think the club deserves more and I think the players deserve more from each other and from themselves.

“It was two games ago that we turned a corner, according to some people. We are where we are because we’re not good enough.

“We’re not unlucky, you can say that all day long, but we haven’t been good enough so far this season and that’s why we find ourselves in this situation.

“Ipswich have no divine right to be anywhere in the league other than where we are at the moment.”

Ultimately, he says as the manager that’s down to him: “It’s not about being let down [by players], we haven’t performed to our ability, there’s no doubt about that. I take the blame, I’m the manager, so I’ll take the rap, that’s the way football is.

“I’ll take it, I’m a big boy, I don’t like it. Some of it’s right, some of it’s unfair, but if I got upset things that someone said about me that I didn’t like, I’d never close my eyes at night.”

Photo: Action Images

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SitfcB added 08:15 - Jan 7 We played Leicester on Boxing Day Phil ;)
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ChiefXL added 08:17 - Jan 7 Sorry, Paul which part of it is unfair exactly? No two ways about it, you've made a massive pig's ear out of this season.
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floridaboy added 08:40 - Jan 7 Read the piece, PJ is correct in what he says. People were doing cartwheels when Bullard signed, lost form and people are wanting him hanged. Pathetic really but sums up a good majority of very fickle fans At the end of the day the players are being paid very very well for 90 minutes of football and as far as I am concerned should shoulder the bulk of the blame!
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ericgates added 08:45 - Jan 7

I'm more sad for jimmy and where his career has gone, rather than being suspicious about him faking illness. He was a really good player no doubt. However for the rest of his time at Town he is going to be a very costly substitute. Central midfield is a position where you can't have any passengers, and you can look very old and slow very quickly, particularly after the bad injury jimmy had. I tthink the only way jimmy can play is if we were to accomadate him in some kind of sweeper system, or the old 90's wing back system, which I see leicester successfully employed in their 2-1 win at palace the other day. If you think about it, Cresswell and Edwards would probably be better as wing backs with more freedom to bomb up and down the flanks. We are restricting ourselves in 4-4-2 because our wingers are not of good enough quality and consistency. Having Jimmy as part of a central 3 in midfield might be better for him. I don;t believe he has the legs to be 1 of a central 2 in midfield.

Mark added 08:52 - Jan 7 A few months ago everyone was saying Jimmy is too good for the Championship and will go to a Premier League club. I believe he was sick, but I would like to see his character step forward and to see a second half of the season from him like last year.
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DiamondGezzer added 09:14 - Jan 7

Floridaboy :- Have to agree. As I posted earlier, I believe as a team they need a collective kick up they jacksey ! If I believed they didn't have the talent to be giving more I'd accept they were a cr@p team, but [ i.e ] the second half at Barnsley, for me shows there's a good enough team in there somewhere not trying hard enough to break out ! I think when it finally dawns on them, someone is going to get a hammering [ yes, like teams have done to us ]. Step up to the plate lads, don't roll over and die.

Karlosfandangal added 09:18 - Jan 7 Agree with Paul Jewell and most of the posts on here. Wonder how the fickle fans would feel if ever time something went wrong at work they had a post put up about them. Some of the abuse player and managers get from fans around the county is a disgrase Look at Blackburn Kean should never be treaded like that by so called people
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walberswick added 09:24 - Jan 7 How is that every player we sign turns out to be a disappointment and have no resale value? I suppose that's the fans fault, not the management.
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newboy added 09:39 - Jan 7 Dream on if they were good enough we would not be on here debating it - and of course its the fans fault walberswick we sign overpaid oldies fall out with some players the team turn up when /if they feel like it and the manager is a clueless fool because we made him that way . Its a good job we are idiots too or the ground would be empty
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bluelady added 09:39 - Jan 7 Possibly it is wablerswick as they have one poor game and idiots like you get on their back, so therefore I blame you!!!
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bluelady added 09:43 - Jan 7 Can I confirm before I have the usual suspects on my back the above post was in jest, but we are as supporters fickle and quick to condem...... ok he has a track record of being a monkey but he could well have been ill good for jewell to stand up for him, many formally criticised jewell for getting on player backs, what is it you want !!!!
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walberswick added 09:47 - Jan 7 OMG, the ever supportive and level headed Bluelady has lost it. One minute, she wants Jewell out and then its the fans fault. Glad to know you're human and not ME in drag.
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jas0999 added 10:22 - Jan 7

There were some of us who raised concerns about signing Jimmy permanently; this was based on his injury record, the comments from Hull fans (i.e. Jimmy will sit back and take the money now he has a two year deal and not just on loan) and the fact he is on massive wages - on more than a lot of other players and how that will sit with them.

I agree with others though - Jimmy was excellent on-loan for us; but there can be no doubt that he has not tried half as hard as he did then. PJ was not to know, but it seems to me he put all his eggs in one basket with Jimmy - it was a huge risk - which so far hasn't paid off. Also, when we finally signed him, PJ already had many injury-prone has been's in the team - basically, we didn't really need another at that stage. We must hope that PJ has learnt from this horrible mistake.

legoman added 10:39 - Jan 7 Big boy Paul has got his knuckle dusters on today!
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bluebud added 10:46 - Jan 7 It's a real shame but plenty people in the town know the real story with Jim and it's not new. COYB
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JayITFC added 10:59 - Jan 7 Heard enough from Jewell for one week. Time to shut up and do the business.
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righty added 11:46 - Jan 7 Good managers look into players characters just look who weve signed over the last 4 years please tell me who has been a success apart from Arron Cresswell common factor Clegg and Evans rank bad managers need I go on
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Garv added 11:58 - Jan 7 Jas how many games has Jimmy EVER missed for us through injury? Give me that stat please then shut it.
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Dissboyitfc added 12:42 - Jan 7 Jas... not many people were disappointed with jimmys signature, in fact most welcomed it on the strength of his loan spell,both on the pitch and in the dressing room.. hindsight is a wonderful thing, anyone can be wise afterwards... coyb
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Monkaz added 13:24 - Jan 7 Leicester (A) 26th December Nottingham Forest (H) 2nd January
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irishtim added 13:29 - Jan 7 Cmon jimmy todays the day to get back to form.
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dommyboyblue added 13:42 - Jan 7 I agree with ericgates, been banging on about playing 3 central defenders and the our current two full backs as wing backs to my mates for a while and think it would suit us. Also Tommy Smith did well in that system at the world cup so he would not like like such a liability when he comes on.
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