Town boss Paul Jewell says he empathises with the frustration and anger amongst fans but has vowed to keep going while he still has belief in himself and the backing of owner Marcus Evans. The Blues manager dismissed suggestions that the club is in crisis but conceded that his side are in a relegation fight.

Asked if he had a message to fans unhappy at the lack of progress his year in charge — he took over as Town boss a year ago this Friday — Jewell said: “I understand the frustration and the anger. I don’t want to be giving out messages, all I want to do is do my best to try to turn things around to make them like me, and more importantly enjoy coming to watch Ipswich because it hasn’t been fun watching us. I understand that.

“I don’t think I’d ever run away from a question or a problem. We need to win matches, we need to stop conceding goals and I take the blame because I’m the manager.”

He says he has no plans to quit: “I’ll soldier on as long as Marcus believes in me and I believe in myself. It’s a tough time, but at the end of the day we’re all human beings and we all have feelings and all have pride and pride is hurt at the moment.

“The owner has been so supportive of me that I couldn’t even think about walking out. I’m sure most of the Ipswich fans at the moment are thinking ‘Let’s have a change’ and I’ve got to take that on my shoulders.

“It’s not a pleasant place to be, walking around the town. But the owner, who employs me, has got faith in me, I’ve got faith in myself, which is important, and over a period of time, after a couple of transfer windows, I’m sure we’ll be brighter.

“We’ve got other targets in the transfer window. We’ve got targets for next year and beyond as well. We need a couple of short-term loans with a view to longer [signings]. We’re trying to get the balance right, it’s a tough juggling act at the moment.”

Jewell says that although the 20th-placed Blues are in a battle at the wrong end of the table, the problems at Town have been overstated by the press: “It’s a club in a relegation fight. I think when you’re on about crises I think that means when you can’t pay the bills and maybe are looking at administration. Certainly from a financial point of view the club isn’t in crisis.

“Crisis is a word that you journalists like to use. It’s a tough, tough time for us at the moment. There are a few teams that think they should be near the top of the division that aren’t and we’re one of them.

“We’ve got to fight our way through, we’ve got to get our hands dirty. There are a lot of tough times ahead but without tough times ahead, I don’t think you can prove you’re a side.”

Although the tabloids are already linking sacked QPR boss Neil Warnock with the Blues, owner Marcus Evans continues to give Jewell his backing — the Liverpudlian says Evans sanctioned a permanent move for Sean St Ledger although the deal agreed with Leicester is a loan with a view to a permanent switch in the summer — with his eyes on a more successful future: “He’s never really reassured me about my future. Everyone else seems to be talking about it. Marcus has just said it’s a long-term plan, just think beyond the troubled time at the moment.

“We’ve got to get through a lot of hard work, a lot of tough times but over a period of time, he’s got confidence that we will do it right.”

He says the situation is more similar to his time at Wigan, where Dave Whelan gave him similar backing, than his spells at Sheffield Wednesday — where he had only eight months in charge - and Derby: “At Derby I knew the board had lost faith with me and they were only keeping me there because they couldn’t afford to sack me. Certainly it wouldn’t cost Marcus a lot of money to get rid of me now, so it’s not a financial thing.

“I think he’s seen what I want to do for the future and he likes it. I know it’s bloody tough times at the minute and I’m not going to pull the wool over anybody’s eyes. It’s tough for us all but nothing comes easily.”

“I think you can make decisions with the confidence that the owner is going to give you a fair chance.

“I’m not stupid, I know how football works and how life works and people can change their minds, but at the moment Marcus has given me the green light to go ahead and do what I think is right. Given a little bit of luck and time, I’m hoping I can get people to buy into what I’m trying to do.”

Ultimately Jewell hopes he can bring the type of success to Town that he enjoyed with two of his previous sides: “It’s a great club with a great history and tradition, but that’s the team that’s been in the Championship the second longest.

“I’ve come here and played against teams from Ipswich with Wigan and Bradford and we’ve got promoted and Ipswich have stayed in this division.

“I’ve taken teams up, I’ve taken teams up at the expense of Ipswich, it would be nice to take Ipswich up at the expense of someone else.”

Photo: Action Images

footballfriend added 08:49 - Jan 11 JEWELL OUT!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I WANT WARNOCK!!!!!!!!!
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DurhamTownFan added 08:50 - Jan 11 Very honest from Mr Jewell, but to be honest with you, I can't see him staying unless we make some progress within the next 6 weeks. Most of the fans have lost faith, several of the players appear to have also, so when you've got lower attendances and poor playing form the owner will act (as he has twice already). Is it a coincidence that we're not Flashing the cash in this transfer window? I think ME has lost fairh in PJ's ability to sign these 'young hungry' players everybody is always on about in this forum. If we show no signs of improvement by march, I suggest PJ will be on his way.

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Furious added 08:50 - Jan 11 Jewell's Barmy Army, Come on get behind him! At Leicester and Reading two hand balls cost us the points, Forest was awful, awful awful, but alot of injuries forced his hand. Everyone get behind the Blues.
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cornishnick added 08:52 - Jan 11 Re. Bradford - look at them now. Overspent on wages and they plumetted through the divisions. He has thick skin, I'll give him that. But ultimately it should be the fans' club, not PJ's, not ME's. No fans, no club. And if the fans don't want him, which he appears to realise, surely then he should do the decent thing and go?
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AndyStannard added 08:52 - Jan 11 Orrr not!!! forest was awful awful awful like you say so town got a easy 3 pionts did they???? get behind the blues yeah but not jewell!!!
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footballfriend added 08:55 - Jan 11 if jewell goes now and we get warnock in within 2 weeks, we will be in the premier league by 2013/14 season - the alternative = keep jewell and still be in league 1 by 2013/14 season trying to get promoted with a bunch of 35+ year olds... only one option for me, surely ME has to see sense and snap Warnock up before someone else does
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bigfish added 08:58 - Jan 11 Oh I am so worried we are in so much trouble. Pj you are out of your depth. Do the decent thing and step down. I have respect for him but it is wrong club. Neil warnock will be my choice. Loose tonight evans must give him his p45.
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Punchless added 08:59 - Jan 11 I do feel for Paul, for whatever reason and theres probably plenty of them, it just hasnt worked out for him at ITFC - in my opinion alot hinges on tonight result and Saturdays result, thinking about it probably more on Saturdays result. Onwards and upwards!
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PauloJulio added 09:01 - Jan 11 Actions speak louder than words. Improve the squad and get rid of the dross. We need to improve our scouting/transfer policy which seems inept. We need to bring in players from the lower leagues and develop them not spend big money on fees/wages for over-the-hill has been prem league players. The defence is poor and PJ has failed to find a decent right back and two centre halfs. Its plain for everyone else to see except PJ and he is supposed to be a experience manager!! my arse!!

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righty added 09:02 - Jan 11 Well said footballfriend act now its no good sacking him 3 weeks we will be doomed these 4 games coming up will resign us to div 1 if they go against sack him now and give us a chance the present team is not good enough JEWELL OUT
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MickMillsTash added 09:02 - Jan 11 He is looking like he will fix the problem of Ipswich being the second longest serving club in the division
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walberswick added 09:10 - Jan 11 Jewellio is becoming more psychologically unsound by the day. (Re: Derby 2008)
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brittaniaman added 09:13 - Jan 11 AS I have said before,, I and a lot of other fans will not be happy unless we have 33pts. on Sat evening ???????? is it too much to ask ????? I suppose it is ?? but it should not be !!!!!!!
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Legend added 09:17 - Jan 11 Yawn! Jewell mate we have heard it time and time again!! Get it right on the pitch and stop your jibba jabba fool. Marcus is spineless!
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irishtim added 09:23 - Jan 11 Reckon he has the next 2 games 2 save himself. 2 poor results then goodnite&goodluck
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Warkys_Tash added 09:25 - Jan 11 Who's the longest club? PJ is a good character very personable & good humour but it just hasn't worked out for him. Time for a change. Warnock or Billy Davies please.
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Warkys_Tash added 09:31 - Jan 11 There is also alot of unnecessary nasty comments aimed at Jewell on here. People seem to forget that he is not intentionally doing badly!! He wants what we all do. Lets not turn this club into the same situation as Blackburn, some of their fans have acted disgracefully. And anyone who thinks it was better under Keane, remember he chose to sell Rhodes, under no financial pressure.

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Brazils_Hair added 09:33 - Jan 11 Are we really the second longest serving club in the division? Who is the longest serving club? Suppose I could Google that............. Anyway we must get 3 points tonight; having said that I still feel as if things are at all time low. However listening to Lifes A Pitch on Saturday cheered me up. It was great to hear Roger Osborne again - now those really were the days!

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muhrensleftfoot added 09:42 - Jan 11 A very decent man (unlike Keane), but there's no getting away with the fact that this is a team he has built, and in the last 12 months we've had some of the most disastrous results in ITFC history. I'm sure there are lots of nice people who aren't very good at their job, so on your bike PJ & let's get a new hungry young manager in.
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jaydee added 09:46 - Jan 11 Warkys-tash Spot on great post
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brittaniaman added 09:58 - Jan 11 I was looking at Norwich statistics (silly me) for 08/09, they went down on 46pts, but I notice on Jan.17th. they had 26pts. and they achieved this with loanees. I remember Gunny saying we have got 20 games to get out of this muddle they did not. A lot of our supporters cheered !!! UNFORTUNATELY the shoe is on the other foot now and of coarse we do not like it , !!!!!!!!!!! They still had crowds of 24---25,000 then, arent we fickle ????? SO COME ON TOWN AND DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT !!!!!!!!!!!!!

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Sindre94 added 10:00 - Jan 11 Pjba! Ijwt
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Surco72 added 10:12 - Jan 11 Be judged on a full season Mr Jewell ,you have half left to turn it around or leave in the summer ,good luck to you hopefully some of your players will pull their fingers out and play to their ability and for some of our fans to realise we are a championship side ,we have been for years and stop expecting that we should have a guarenteed place in the premiership because we did exceptionally well in the past . We are in a slightly better position than either of Keanes seasons in charge at this stage and he was allowed 2 summer pre seasons and transfer windows and a Jan window so lets give Jewell the same courtesy

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StavangerBlue added 10:13 - Jan 11 Warnock would destroy the club and Billy Davies is not the right man. We have to face facts. We pay less than other teams and have less money than other teams...lower Premier sides have better chances landing the players we want. I think Town have wised up to that hence Ledger (reject from Leicester) and many loan signings. The fact is loanees do not make a team and we suffer big time for that. Keep Jewell to the end of the season.

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SouperJim added 10:18 - Jan 11 I'm willing to be on board Paul, but we need to put some points on the board fast and stop the rot. If we continue to ship 3 goals per game and slide toward the bottom three, all this very honest and encouraging talk won't change the facts. I've done my best to stick with you, but your comments last week about all the loanees and retirement contracts being solely down to you, in an attempt to get promoted in one season, has quite frankly made you look incompetent. I wouldn't weep if Warnock came in tomorrow as I'm confident he could turn this season around and keep us up. I'm not so confident that you can. So prove me wrong or start looking for another job.

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