Town owner Marcus Evans popped in to Playford Road yesterday on a prearranged visit to lend support to his struggling club and under-pressure manager Paul Jewell. Evans, who is based in Dublin, continues to back Jewell despite the Blues sitting in 20th in the Championship.

Jewell said: “I asked Marcus to come up about three weeks ago. He’s a very busy man, he spends a lot of time out of the country and he’s managed to fit us in today, which is great. He’s come in and having a bit of lunch with us.

“He’s a very low-key owner as far as publicity is concerned but as far as supporting and the long-term vision, he’s top class.”

The Blues boss says Evans visits on a fairly regular basis: “He comes down every so often. It’s nice that he keeps it quiet, he can come down the training ground and come and have a bite to eat and go through what we’re trying to do transfers-wise and in the future.

“I asked him and this is the first available day he’s had. I think he’s probably having lunch with some of the players at the moment.

“Before we started training this morning I told the players ‘If you see a strange man walking on the training ground, don’t worry Chops, it’s the owner’.

“It’s been planned and I speak with him on the phone two or three times a day, so it’s not as if he’s come down here to give me a pep-talk, it’s just because he likes to come down every so often.”

Despite the poor results and the current position, Evans hasn’t wavered in his support of the manager, who was appointed a year ago this week, seeing things as a long-term plan: “When I’ve been speaking to him on the phone after games he’s picked me up because with the results you’re not going to be happy. He’s been positive, he’s told me to stay positive and believe in myself.

“I’m having a tough time at the moment, I know that. I was wanted to be railroaded out of Bradford early on and I managed to turn that around, same at Wigan.

“I’ve been down this route before, it’s not a nice route. It’s tough for me at the minute, it’s tough for the fans, tough for everyone. But if you’ve got an easy life, then you’re a lucky man.”

Jewell says nothing Evans has said to him has given him the impression that the end is close: “He hasn’t said [I’m under any pressure] and from conversations you can normally tell.

“I haven’t got three games, or if I have he hasn’t told me. It’s a really boring comment I’ve got to make as all he’s saying to me is 'Keep going and keep believing in yourself and eventually we’ll get it right'.

“Maybe the fact that I’ve been promoted from this league twice and kept two teams in there for three years and got to a cup final, perhaps that’s why I’ve got a bit more time than maybe people might have thought.

“Someone was telling me that Bobby Robson was very close to the sack here,” he added, “and however many years later the club was full of success. I’m not putting myself in the same category as Sir Bobby, of course.

“I understand fans’ disappointment because they have been terrific with me and results haven’t been good, and certainly not in the last two or three months they’ve been unacceptable, I know that. All I can do is to try and put that right. I can’t do anything other than try my best.”

The Liverpudlian says he can understand Evans’s determination not to become a publicly recognisable face: “Absolutely. He can go on the tube, he can do anything he wants and nobody bothers him. That’s his prerogative. He’s a very private man and from a footballing point of view he’s been nothing but supportive to me.

“The owner’s been terrific. I know that’s not what people want to hear but he has been supportive of me and he knows times are really difficult for me at the moment. Hopefully I can repay him in the long term.

“Hopefully, we can get some players in before the end of the window to make sure we’re going to be OK this year and then to move on next season."

Photo: Action Images

Burwell_Blue added 08:16 - Jan 14 OK? I don't want to be just `OK` Maybe that's the problem.
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sharvey22 added 08:27 - Jan 14 Agreed poobum, although it's good to see Jewell still has a sense of humour - “Before we started training this morning I told the players ‘If you see a strange man walking on the training ground, don't worry Chops, it's the owner'.
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Fabians_Stepover added 08:48 - Jan 14 Ahhh poor lamb, what a sob story! I thought he said earlier in the week we can't go around feeling sorry for ourselves? That's exactly what this sounds like to me! Holloway will smell blood today and he'll have Blackpool hungry for 3 points he knows are there for the taking. I think its going to get very ugly at PR this afternoon with the fans finally turning and getting vocal towards outing Jewell regardless of Evans' programme piece! I assume he'll be there today if he was over yesterday?

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Ipswich24 added 08:50 - Jan 14 PJ is just a joker no wonder the players don't take him seriously. It is not very professional is it? And if you are so sure you are the man to be here long term then why not move your family down here to live?
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tractorboy1961 added 08:54 - Jan 14 I agree with previous post. A bad result and things will turn ugly for sure!
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WarkyWonderLand added 08:55 - Jan 14 Sounds like the last supper! Jewell still spinning to detract from what a crap job he has done. I work with Southampton, Cardiff and palace fans and they have all said that given the players we have on paper we should never be where we are and that's down to the manager. Today could see people show what they really think. Size of crowd will be interesting. Does sound like Evans is out of touch with what people feel and he needs to know.

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CornardBlue added 09:02 - Jan 14 All we need today is all the supporters getting behind the team, a little bit of luck, fair officials and 3 points. COYB
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bobble added 09:22 - Jan 14 i assume he bases himself in dublin not for the love of a fine pint of porter but to take avail of hibernias self-defeating low rate of corporations tax.
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Bergholtblue added 09:34 - Jan 14 I keep being told that ME has a long term plan for the club. It would be nice of him to let us know what it is!
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righty added 09:41 - Jan 14 Marcus Evans not a clue how to run a football club 4 years of hell goodbye Evans Clegg and take Jewell with you
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grumpyoldman added 10:07 - Jan 14 rigthy do you actually live in the real world!, yes you could argue about getting rid of Clegg & PJ, but who do think has been keeping the club afloat and paying for the transfers and wages for the past 4 years. Until Evans appeared we were going nowhere fast, yes we flirted with with the play-offs, but were never in serious position to challenge. With the extra revenue from Sky relegated teams are even more financially stronger now then before so the chances without Evans would be even less. Without Evans money Wickham would have been sold off earlier for less money, the same with Walters. This club is losing money every year every year, do you want the club to go into administration, have ten point deducted and bit up sh*t creek without a paddle!

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itfc1981 added 10:35 - Jan 14 I hell will let loose todey
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oldegold added 10:46 - Jan 14 Let's stop whingeing and get some bloody decent results and start moving up the table. The rest is just pure gossip.
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Vic added 11:09 - Jan 14 Haven't read all the comments but the first two say much that is wrong with the way so many are looking at things at the moment. You want success now - not 'OK' but we have got to get used to OK for a while so that we can get to better and then good. it's what long term is about. Yes, he's screwed up at times this year, but at least he realises that and is now hopefully back to planning much more long term. So 'OK' will be fine this year, then next year it's a bit better - maybe comfortable all season and no relegation worries (that would be better than the last three years) and the year after we might flirt with the P/O's and then after that look for promotion. THAT's what they mean by long term; anything else is a bonus.

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Bluejake added 11:43 - Jan 14 Stop giving the bloke a hard time and let him get on with his job - the owner clearly intends to keep him at Portman Road for a lot longer than many of his detractors would like, so live with it and get on with supporting both him and the team. Articles such as this are simply PJ answering a question that has been asked of him at a pre-match briefing or by a journalist and is not PJ getting on a soapbox and spouting off - if he's asked a question, he's simply answering it honestly, it's then down to the press etc to put a slant on it and sometimes make something out of it that wasn't there, just like they did with the so-called assistant referee sexist comment.

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bigfatjoe87 added 13:43 - Jan 14 half of you lot need to get a grip. paul jewell hes admitted he got some signings wrong so give him a chance to bring in players and see if he gets it right ya cant get in right first go everytime. what do you want to ask a manager everytime they get one thing wrong. get a grip.if he sorts out the defence and he got rid of ivar which was good cos he was past it shame he didnt work tho, always liked him, just to old now tho. jewell in and COYB

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MVBlue added 22:12 - Jan 14 Magilton doing an OK job at Melbourne Victory
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