Boss Paul Jewell says it’s a concern that Town rarely draw a game and generally lose heavily if they don't win comfortably themselves. The Blues’ fourth win on the trot, last week’s 3-0 victory over Cardiff, was followed by Saturday’s loss to Brighton by the same scoreline.

Jewell said: “It’s a cause of concern for us that we don’t seem to be able to draw games. I was speaking to Lennie Lawrence [the assistant manager] at Crystal Palace the other day and he said they very rarely lose heavily and very rarely win heavily.

“We look at our results and we either win well or lose badly. Again on Saturday it looked like a bad defeat, although it wasn’t as far as the football was concerned, but the goals against column tells you where we’ve got to be better.”

The Town manager dismissed suggestions that the number of games had caught up with his young side with Luke Hyam substituted in the second half: “It’s not as if they are babes in arms, we’ve got a few 21-year-olds and Luke, who has done terrific.

“I just thought he had been yellow-carded and made a couple of tackles and I didn’t want us to be reduced to 10 men. It wasn’t a reflection on his performance, more to make sure he didn’t get another yellow card.

“We’ve done really well of late and I thought we did well in large periods of the game but we’ve been punished for basic errors and bad mistakes by a good team, a team who are quite rightly on the edge of the play-offs and who can give anybody a good game.

“It’s not all doom and gloom, we’re disappointed, more in the result than the performance. The only thing that was missing, certainly at half-time, was a goal.”

Asked whether the defeat would end mentions of the play-offs, Jewell added: “I don’t think too many people were seriously talking about the play-offs. It’s a question that your editors are always asking you to ask, I guess.

“We were in a relegation battle a month ago, so to be in a play-off fight a month later is madness. It’s a tough league, there are no easy games and anybody can beat anybody, everyone knows that. We know where we are, we know where we need to strengthen to move forward for next season.”

Meanwhile, Josh Carson has flown to Northern Ireland for their friendly against Norway at Windsor Park, Belfast on Wednesday. The 18-year-old, who signed a new contract last week, has previously won two full caps.

Defender Tommy Smith has arrived in New Zealand for their friendly against Jamaica in Auckland on Wednesday after a gruelling three-leg flight which he will repeat in reverse in time for Town training on Friday. Smith has previously been capped eight times by the All Whites.

Photo: Action Images

NoCrap added 12:32 - Feb 27 Indeed - Confidence in the defence is certainly an issue, there doesn't seem to be any leadership in our defensive half... players are always looking to each other for guidance and just generally looking a bit lost (in the same way that liverpool's andy carroll does) Personally i think we've got a fantastic academy with some real talent that could make a massive difference to our team - Jewell just doesn't seem to give a stuff about them.

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itfc4eva added 12:59 - Feb 27 Agreed PJ. I am rarely ever a pessimist but despite us being ten points from relegation zone, i am worried about us only drawing 3-4 gams and us going down. However last season or the season before that, i remeber us drawing about 20 games and stayed up. I hope our recent form of late can help us steer clear of relegation zone and finish mid-table
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clarkey85 added 13:03 - Feb 27 Sorry oldbri but sir bobby robson was a GREAT manager sir alex ferguson is a GREAT manager! I like Jewell but GREAT?????
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exeterblu added 13:16 - Feb 27 oldbri like your train of thought - seconded!! :)
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jas0999 added 13:29 - Feb 27 Whether people like it or not, losing 53% of our total games this season is completely unacceptable. Yes, we have won three or four games very well, but sadly we have lost far too many conceeding three goals or more: Peterboro, Reading, Southampton, Burnley, Millwall, Forest (x2), Hull, Brighton, Doncaster and Leeds. That's ELEVEN matches we have lost conceeding three or more goals. The reason is very simple - the MANAGER failed and still has failed to address the CB and Keeper position. It's worrying that going into March - having now had 10 MONTHS to sort it out, that PJ a) still hasn't b) still doesn't realise where the issue lies. On the whole there have been more poor than good results this season. The buck stops with PJ. In a recent poll, 31% of current season ticket holders surveyed said they will not be renewing. Worrying times for ME and Clegg.

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bluelady added 13:38 - Feb 27 Jas please tell me you will be one of the ones who isnt re-newing and that means you wont be on here week in week out with EXACTLY the same drivel....... you are becoming a laughing stock can you not see that? Diss, H32 and others all a balanced view, make good arguments for and against but you just spout the same stuff win loose or draw. what you cant seem to get into your head is no matter how much you wibble and cry Jewell is going no-where, Mr Clegg wont listen to you Jas im afraid your argument is to repetitive and flawed.

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GerryCreaney added 13:40 - Feb 27 All you posters saying we need defenders we need a keeper doesnt the manager know that!! im pretty sure PJ and the club know exactly what is required. After all we were trying to sign a hat ful of defenders in January but no one wanted to come. Thats not the fault of PJ if the players do not want to be here. PJ is not sitting in his armchair week in week out after a heavy defeat scratching his head then decides....i know i shall buy more strikers thatll surely help. Get real people. our time will come. We just need to entice the right players here.

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Dissboyitfc added 13:46 - Feb 27 Oldbri... What are you on about ? Jewell did well at 2 clubs and not very well at 2 clubs , that hardly makes him great, Robson and Ramsey were great. Great managers build great teams on great defences. Look at his defence, cresswell aside , it's woefull. Who has he signed for the defence ? Sonko and ingimarson and sticks with Edwards . I like Jewell, want him to do well, but I won't look at things through rose colored spectacles and defend him, he has had lots of critisism and in the most part quite justified . Everyone is entitled to an opinion , but base opinions on facts, it gives the posts more credibility .....COYB

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Surco72 added 14:15 - Feb 27 Jas surely this defeat was ME's fault as you claimed the only reason we won 4 games in a row was down to him ? Stop talking about pointless defeat percentages which mean nothing and look at points which is how football tables are worked out . Keanes first season Pl 32 Pts 37 4pts from relegation , Jewells first season Pl 32 Pts 40 pts from safety 12 , i would say this is an improvement not what the majority were hoping for but certainly better than the manager you vigourously backed . The main reason we have the defensive / goalkeeping problem is because Keane signed Delaney,Kennedy,Brown,O Connor ,Fulop,Murphy,ALB all not good enough.And got rid of Mac,Wright x 2,Bruce and Harding all who would still be better options than what Jewell was left with

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Sparky85 added 14:19 - Feb 27 Albeit a disappointing result at the weekend lets face it brighton are a good side and their league position shows it. PJ needs another year we had to make wholesale changes in the summer and we did. I think a lot of people will agree that we are a Gk, 2 CB and a right back away from a very good team that will challenge. Unlike last year when we were 11 players from a good team. These things take time. We tried to signing 3 of the 4 mentioned above in the window so PJ does know what he needs. But at the same time those players need to be available and want to leave. Lets have a good strong finish to the season, clear the deadwood (leadbitter, edwards etc) then have a good few months to find, sign and gel these players, not a rushed month half way through the season. COYB!

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ade_itfc added 14:27 - Feb 27 Did anyone see the cardiff goalkeeper Heaton on sunday, He's not their number 1 and only played in the cup games. Why don't we think about giving him a go. He was solid against liverpool. Yes aaron lee barrett has done well but if we are considering promotion next year we need a solid backline!
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AlanMahon2011 added 14:30 - Feb 27 LOL why would Heaton come here? Cardiff could get promotion, our season is as dead as a dodo.
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ade_itfc added 14:41 - Feb 27 he's not number 1 so why would he want to sit on the bench instead of playing first team football, they haven't been promoted yet and certainly aren't going up automatically, flopped both times in the play offs. i would rather be playing first team football week in week out and actually be apart of it instead of sitting on a bench and only being used for cup games.
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mschultz76 added 15:42 - Feb 27 Come on. Not that bad a week. Yes we lost to Brighton but Carson have signed a new deal and if we can keep Martin, Chopra and JET playing like they have the last 5 games and Carson in the site for next season I really think we have a great team going forward. I am sure PJ will once again try and get a keeper and some new defenders in the summer but do feel we have been very unlucky. St Ledger was on the way before leicester changed their minds. PJ will sort it in the summer and next season will be Town's. No one can say Town's game are boring 0-0 draws.

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TractorBoy666 added 16:44 - Feb 27 Has jas actually ever replied to somebody's comment?
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gibbo added 17:58 - Feb 27 For a so called experienced manager, he does not seem to understand much about football !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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Garv added 18:01 - Feb 27 Pearce, Ward and Henderson would have come if we had been in or around the play offs, in terms of football there was nothing attracting them here as opposed to staying at Portsmouth. Jewell failed to really sort out the defence in the summer but after a generally poor first half of the season the January window was always going to be difficult and I don't think you can really blame anyone at the club for failing to bring any defenders in (ironically we went on to win 4 on the bounce with no reinforcements). McCarthy was a loan so it didn't matter to him where we ended up in the table, he was always going to go back to Reading, and Stevenson...well anything is a step up when you've been plying your trade in the SPL for as long as he has, and he recognized the size of our club. Not always, but generally I think if you mess up your transfer dealings in the summer (as we did in terms of defence, otherwise sound) and have a poor first half the season, you're going to be a bit stuffed because no one except loans are really going to want to join. I don't think its been as bad as some people have made out this season, with some cracking results. Obviously there have been thrashings along the way but if if you told me next season we're going to lose 10 games 4-0 but win every other game one nil I'd take it. Let's just enjoy the entertainment for the moment shall we? We now produce the most goals in the league (goals for and against), I guess that's something to be proud of isn't it :/ ? As long as we can start scoring more than we concede it will be! It is comforting that it is only the defence that really needs sorting out in the summer, as opposed to last year when we needed to sort out the whole team, attackers and defenders!

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samitown added 18:04 - Feb 27 need to sort out the defence decent right back with carlos edwards pushed into midfield and a decent centre back pairing
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fourth added 18:34 - Feb 27 We are a couple of players away from being an excellent team. We have 2 or 3 players who are a bit "delicate", need handling, don't have independence and whose confidence, when unsupported disappears. Should we get rid of them? Probably. It gets very tiring doesn't it polishing their brightly coloured boots. And then we have hard workers and those who have stuck in when there seemed to be no hope (remember young Smith sent down to Colchester?). People of character. Stick with the Men, not the boys. Then add a couple of Outrageously Talented Ones. As I say, I think we are pretty close...........

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Ipswichbusiness added 18:39 - Feb 27 First, I don't think we're out of relegation trouble yet as we probably need at least another dozen points to be clear. Second, whilst I have been very critical of the defence and the manager's apparent inability to resolve it, remember that he did try to sort it out by signing Stockdale, Sonko, Collins and Ingmarsson. For a while last autumn when the first three were together it looked as if the plan was succeeding, but then it all went wrong rather quickly. Third, he did try to address the issue again by signing a 'keeper, centre-back and right-back from Portsmouth. That was a good idea, but it didn't happen. Finally, if we do get clear of relegation, then I would like to see him give Cropper and Ainsley a run of games. We won't know how good they are until they've had a chance to show it.

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babyblueman added 18:51 - Feb 27 two players off excellent team wat a load of crap
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babyblueman added 18:54 - Feb 27 oh fourth thats where we b at end of season fourth from bottom
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Dissboyitfc added 18:54 - Feb 27 thanks bluelady, i try to remain constructive and see the argument both ways, but i guess i get too passionate at times and with that comes disappointment, so am also probably guilty of speaking up when emotions are running high. As i have stated many times i have never wanted jewell sacked, i like him and want him to succeed, but i am still not convinced he is the man. Just when i start to gain a little confidence in him he comes out with classics, that quite frankly make me weep, for instance " the captains armband is not important and makes leadboots captain, he is hardly inspirational for a captain, is he? then only last week he says, "earlier in the season we had no plan B " i mean ffs, what do they do on the practice pitch, all good leaders have a plan B, then i read people on here saying he is a great manager. going to back to the start of his reign he said "this is a long term project, i made mistakes at derby, and i wont make the same mistakes twice " what does he do? gets in some old and tired has beens, for a quick fix then admits a while back i tried the quick fix route. Ok now for the positives, we have certainly seen some goals, at times going forward is as good as we have been in a long time, never a dull moment supporting the town. he has made some good signings, i was pleased when he signed chopra,and he is still getting better at the moment, and will be our first 20 a season man in a long while. was really pleased with jet and with the right man management will go on to be something special, then theres Cresswell and Drury and the emergence of Hyam, Jewell can take credit for these. And i love the mans sense of humour,"One day a world beater, the next a panel beater" pure Comedy and all walks of life and business need humour. Must just make a comment on this JAS guy, our minnie run of four wins was not down to M.E, in the same way our comeback at barnsley wasnt, give jewell some credit, only fair if you are dishing out criticism. HE has deserved the stick but please balance it where possible with some positives,because they are there too. I have said B4, if jewell gets in the right defenders he will be in lots of peoples good books( well the fair ones anyway) COYB

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AlanMahon2011 added 18:55 - Feb 27 So Tom Heaton would leave Cardiff who are bound to be premiership bound one day, to come and play bottom half of the championship football week in week out in front of two clumsy centre backs?
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JamieD added 19:01 - Feb 27 What do we want? Exciting wins or boring draws? I'm just happy to win.
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