Blues boss Paul Jewell has revealed he has made two enquiries regarding central defenders since Ibrahima Sonko suffered his rib injury during Saturday’s abandoned game against Middlesbrough. Sadly, the two targets were unavailable to come in as cover for the Town stand-in skipper, who is out for up to a month.

Jewell said: “I’ve had two conversations with two managers and the conversations didn’t go our way.

"We know we’ve only got Damo and Tommy as senior centre-halves, so we need to try and bring another player into the squad to help with that short term.

“That won’t happen before Tuesday. We were straight on the phone on Sunday morning but the couple of players we asked about are not available.”

Sonko’s absence gives Damien Delaney a chance to win back his place in the side: “You always say to players that when you don’t think it’s going your way, you’ve got to keep on fighting because you’ll get an opportunity. Damo will get an opportunity and it’s up to him to take it,” Jewell said.

The Town manager feels the Blues have been defending better as a team in recent weeks: “We’ve had trouble with our back four with the way we’ve conceded goals, but there’s more to it than that - it’s about the whole team defending as a team.

“I think what we’ve been doing in the last two games is defending from the front better with Chops, JET and Daryl Murphy closing people down high up the pitch. It’s helped the back four.”

Photo: Action Images

commuterblue added 06:39 - Feb 14 lee martin was excellent at closing down against West Ham. Can't say I noticed JET doing it that much.
0

Sir_Bob added 06:42 - Feb 14 Oh dear, Delaney & Smith return for the first time since the Posh game. Not only will JET & Murphy need to defend high up the pitch they will have to play alongside S & D. I could right a whole page about this situation but quite frankly what's the point, these two will probably still be playing together, conceding stupid goals, in 12 months time
0

blrmy added 07:28 - Feb 14 That's it Bob, stay positive ;) personally wish them luck, a more confident team brushes off on players. Wouldn't be my first pair but here's hoping for 3 points tonight.
0

Dissboyitfc added 07:43 - Feb 14 birmy...we all wish them luck, well we should do, but water finds it own level and smith and delaney are out of their depth. we shouldnt be in this situation,should we, we are and lets all hope for best, not good enough for a team aspiring to premiership football is it? what are the foreign scouts up to? why no trials from cb's from outside the uk? its probably some how down to penny pinching, this is all simply not good enough...coyb

0

Dissboyitfc added 07:50 - Feb 14 ps.. i do like jewell as a person and in recent weeks i have slated him, but do you know what? i actually feel sorry for him working with clegg....i am determined my next post will be positive, might take a while though, all the incompetence at the club clouds my vision...coyb
0

WorcesterBlue added 07:50 - Feb 14 So that's Collins not wanting to come back then.
0

Dissboyitfc added 07:58 - Feb 14 ok just thought of something positive, look at Portsmouth and be thankful we are not in the same mess, although defensively they are better :)
0

Karlosfandangal added 08:20 - Feb 14 WorcesterBlue Why do you say Collins dont want to come back I think his family play a big part in where he would like to go at the minute and also it may be possible that Stoke wont let him leave at the minute Just because you think town are a S@@t club dont mean that everyone else does
0

bedsitfc added 08:23 - Feb 14 colins and macmanus
0

mschultz76 added 08:54 - Feb 14 Stay positive. The whole team are defending a lot better. JET covering for Edwards and Hyam and Drury helping the back 4. Town to win 3-1. Said it before the west ham game. I got a feeling about tonight
0

jas0999 added 08:59 - Feb 14 I am afraid PJ has had since MAY 2011 to sort this out. He simply can not attract players unless they are generally injury prone has beens or other clubs don't want them. It is completely unacceptable that we only have two fit CB's. Sonko is injury prone - everyone knows that. Worse still after PJ's little 'I've learnt my lesson about loans' speech, it's bitterly disappointing that we are yet again going to rely on erm, loans. PJ has failed. Two wins in the last two games was decent, but overall this season we have lost over HALF of our games. PJ has to take the responsibility for this.

0

muhrensleftfoot added 09:14 - Feb 14 It's a poor old show when we have no cover at all on right side of defence. PJ must accept some criticism here, in that we've not had a right back since David Wright, and we've failed to replace MacAuley, other than the desperate signing of the injury prone (& accident prone) Sonko & the ageing Ingimarsson who's so slow and old, that he's now retired! I can't believe that we couldn't have got a decent centre half & right back in from Div One or abroad during the close season.

0

walberswick added 09:36 - Feb 14 Doesn't PJ learn from his mistakes. Here we are again no CB.s. Is the plan to limp to the end of the season, avoid relegation in 18th position and do it all over again next year. Not much to look forward to. Porstmouth 3 Ipswich 1
0

icetruckiller added 09:56 - Feb 14 How long does it take PJ to learn we need at least 2 CB's. Now into his 2nd year in charge and still he's scratching around without a clue.
0

brittaniaman added 09:58 - Feb 14 Now that Rangers are in trouble,, any chance of us getting Neil Alexander back here on a permanent ??? best goalkeeper we have had here for a while imo !!
0

meekreech added 09:58 - Feb 14 I am so glad ITFC can call on such strongly positive support from people like jas and walberswick !!!!
0

slowerball added 10:03 - Feb 14 Then look harder PJ.
0

MattinLondon added 10:06 - Feb 14 When you have a rubbish defence the only way forward is all out attack. Maybe a bit naive but playing defensive with our defence is just asking for trouble
0

Sindre94 added 10:09 - Feb 14 JET's been working ok, he really has
0

bluelady added 10:17 - Feb 14 hey Jas another good chance for you to have a good old moan eh? Injury prone has beens such as Jet, Chopra, Cresswell and a revitilised Martin do you mean? Agree about the CB situation totally very poor that for one reason or another it has not been sorted, but you grab every single chance you can to moan moan moan, it really is dull dull dull......
0

mawwam added 10:23 - Feb 14 *****Dissboyitfc added 07:50 - Feb 14 ps.. i do like jewell as a person and in recent weeks i have slated him, but do you know what? i actually feel sorry for him working with clegg....***** Highly agree with you here Dissboyitfc, I know we are away at a very tight Fratton Park, but we really must play an attacking game tonight and try and play as high up the pitch as possible for a whole 90 minutes!!! COYB

0

daniel9624 added 10:25 - Feb 14 Apart from the odd exception you guys on here infuriate me!!!!!!! Obviously we need defensive cover, obviously PJ has made mistakes, and obviously Clegg is taking a long time to work out his job!!! But you lot coming on here story after story complaining about it is changing nothing. We are off the back of two good wins, and two more good performances before that. We have issues that need to be resolved but so does every club, and it is only by getting behind the players and the whole of the club that we can help move it forward. I have the same feeling about tonight, 3 points and another good performance, and expect DD to have a great game, yes i may be disapointed, but i'll be much happier if proved right!

0

PauloJulio added 10:39 - Feb 14 PJ try harder you moron!
0

MooseJuice added 10:41 - Feb 14 Thats a very good point Brittainman! Could do worse that trying to raid their youth team and anyone not in their starting 11 too for a couple of defenders.
0

Guthrum added 10:44 - Feb 14 So the trend of improved performances over the last two-and-a-bit games (or even as far back as Birmingham) are cancelled out by one failure six months ago (in which one of tonight's CBs was on the pitch for only one minute)? If the new-look attacking team can score plenty of goals, then the odd mistake at the back will matter less. And while we've got the ball, they can't score. Could well be a tough game, tho. Pompey will probably be up for it, due to the circumstances, siege mentality, crowd behind the manager and players in opposition to those running the club (or failing to).

0

Blogs 295 bloggers

Ipswich Town Polls