h32 - we agree on one thing, that everyone is entitled to their opinions and no one's are better than any others. You obviously dont rate Jewell, and that is fine, you are more than entitled to express it on here. However what absolutely astonishes me is that because a lot of us dont agree with you, we all lack ambition for the club.
What the hell gives you the right to declare such a sweeping statement. You have no idea what each individual town fan expects or wants for the club.
For the record i honestly believe that we have the stadium, fanbase and infra-structure to be a mid table Premier League club (Fulham for example).
I just dont expect it to happen overnight, especially when PJ has had to pretty much re-build the squad that RK left ( and yes he is still in that process). Look at Robson here and Ferguson at MUFC, they took years to get success.
Feel free to express your thoughts but please do not tell me and many others that we are lacking in ambition just because we have some patience.
Your last post confirms this attitude completely.

well looing at trends helps to predict about 80% of outcomes however there are a few issues here and so I have to say it will be a wait and see situation for the large part of what is left of this season and throughout the summer break to see what we will do next season exactly but my gut tells me next season will be huge for us as a club.... consistancy will be the watch word over next season getting in and getting the job done either pretty or not doesnt matter weve got to get results and we need to be able to sit on the defensive line if necaessary and grind out the result....we can score goals thats never been an issue its just the amount weve needed to score to be where we are its been a lot to ask of the lads up front to keep that goal rate up...so in my view we need in a new number 1 not that ALB is a bad keeper just that we do need more experience in this position to command the defensive play...again no slight on ALB his done supurb releatvily speaking....Im sure he will feature next season also even if we do get a number 1 in, a new center back who/how and where he will come from I dont know but we need one and repostioning of key players needs to be looked at also.
In relation to PJ I actually think he could be the man to get us there ...yes he does have some flaws but flaws that he is over coming ...if you think about it rather a manger who we have input a great deal of time and energy who has to my mind responded well and has turned a corner...and a team that is responding to him.
I also think yes we could get in a new manger but getting a feel for players abilites and the way things work at this club is a big gamble he will have to commmand respect from both the players and the board and be able to run the team on a strict budget that in itself defeats good Managers...so that said lets look to play some of the young ones and if we can get hold of good players like Boyd then get the deals done early as possible.
I am not a season ticket holder myself right now but will be investing in one for next campaign and would urge you to do the same I really do beleive that either way we will have a far better campaign next season and very enjoyable one my trend preditcion is that we will be in the play offs and get this at the very least...ok you heard it here first...and thats regardless of the other big teams flashing the cash we have the bulk of players we need to do the job already so COYBs supporters cheer up were on our way!!!! try and be optimistic...ill take the kicks if Im wrong but I truly beleive we will be going up next season.

jas0999 - we don't have the worst defensive record in the Championship any more. Donny are three goals worse off, with Barnsley only two and Posh three goals behind us. The "worst defence" tag really originates just from those two games in August, when we shipped an awful lot of goals in a single week, skewing the statistics against us.

And I don't know where you get the 12 defeats conceding three or more goals from. I can only count 10: Soton, Reading, Forest and Donny at home; Brighton, Burnley, Leeds, Posh, Forest and Milwall away. In nearly a third of those we only actually lost by one goal.

The "rubbish PJ delivered up until 31 Jan" included a six-game and a three game unbeaten runs, two 3-0s, a 3-1 and a 5-3 as well as the defeats.

poor second half yesterday players looked tired. mate works for ipswich and said that chopra and jewell had a bust up after the game and he could be on his way and leadbitter has agreed to middlesbrough in principal although nothing has been signed as yet

Jas in disagreement with pj shocker. Until jas explains why he supported RK fully for his disastrous 18 months but has been against pj since day one, and tries to inject some sort of balance in his posts, he can never be taken seriously. Funny though.

I remain unconvinced by PJ and his ability to take us further. Other posters have made the point, correctly in my view, that while progress has been made it was difficult for things to get much worse before the recent upturn in form.

Jewell has done some decent things like getting the best out of Martin, Drury and JET look to be coming good as signings and he managed the Chopra issue well in my opinion.

He has failed miserably when looking at the Goalkeeping situation and the GA column this year makes for embarrassing reading.

The points this year have, by and large, come from 2 periods of good form. Firstly in Sept / Oct when the Diamond formation worked for a while and secondly after the new year when he went with the 4-2-3-1 formation.

He admitted to 'stumbling' on the Diamond formation, which was quickly found out by the opposition and the 4-2-3-1 was forced upon him by a lengthy injury list. This doesn't fill me with confidence that he has the tactical acumen to turn ITFC into genuine promotion candidates.

That said, there are no names that spring to mind of who I would like to see replace him. Continuity can be a good thing in football and despite my doubts I would give him next season in the hope that I will, as usual, be proven wrong !

Progress?
Its all relative really isn't it? But i don't see it myself.
A mediocre manager (Derby fans would says worse) who has cobbled together a mediocre,inconsistent and irregular team who have bumbled their way into 15th place in a league of 24.
Saturdays selection and tactics defied logic and if Jewell is progress then we have very mediocre and uninspiring times ahead.
Lets hope not .COYB.

TampaBay fair post but I fail to see how he 'stumbled' upon the 4-2-3-1 formation? Who told him he had to play Martin through the middle?

Many fans wanted Josh Carson to play every minute of every game but instead he saw Murphy as the much much better option, despite being a loan which for some reason Jas especially hates even though every manager uses them, including Keane numerous times.

And what's more he stuck with a winning team, and trust me, although many like to think of Jewell as a tinkerer he changes his team around a lot less than some managers. If we win a game, GENERALLY he will stick with it. He did it with this recent formation and also the diamond, and he had good right to (the diamond should have been ditched slightly earlier though).

Fair point Rosseden.

Garv - I noted that the 4-2-3-1 formation was the result of a lengthy injury list, particularly in central midfield. I recall Leadbitter, Bowyer, Andrews and Bullard all being injured / unavailable, which left Hyam and Drury as the only recognised central midfielders.

As you (and my post) say, the decision to play Martin through the middle has been one of the best tactical decisions he has made. When playing 4-2-3-1 it would have been easy to play JET off the striker and Martin out wide so credit where credit it due.

You make a good point about Jewell not being a manager that overly changes his side.

Yep. No one can deny Drury and Hyam was forced upon him, but at the end of the day that's what you have a squad for. Jewell brought Drury to the club and clearly had Hyam training well enough to step in when needed. The fact both of them probably should have been used earlier is irrelevant here really, though Drury's loan was paramount to his form I think.

This is my view on it and people can take it how they want.. Jewell made alot of signings at the beginning of the season! And it took awhile to gel but the signings he has made? Have been very good if you ask me! Jet is proberly one of the most exciting players in the championship on his day! And is getting better! The same with lee Martin! He didn't get a look in.. Jewell knows how to get the best out of certain players! Over the last couple of seasons! We have never been near the top scoters in the league this year we Are! That's an improvement right there that everybody was calling out for when keane was in charge!

I feel with a couple of additions! In the areas we need in the summer! And a good pre season! I feel we will be challenging next year!

Also.. I don't think therea many other teams capable in the championship of stuffing westham 5-1 this season..

Daleyitfc - I like your apt way of describing the 'progress' !!! - some see as being made.

Anyone care to sign up for a course on:- Making Real and Sustained Progress.

Seems there is a complete lack of understanding of the subject by some - I would be more than happy to take your enrolment forms, and be the Tutor.

Daley - you don't need it. But Jewell has to be top of the list, followed by his easily convinced ??? !!! - 'see no wrong brigade.'

h32 - glad you agree with daley. Totally confirms all my theories.

Bobblehat - seriously concerned about all your theories - I think not.
Get real and do yourself a big favour.

If we're being positive and comparing life before and after the 5-1 WHU result, we've made huge progress- average 1pt per game now up to almost 2. Ok doing that for only 1/3 of a season gets you nowhere come end of season but we've managed this run despite areas still needing improvement, so with a bit of summer tweaking, and continued improvments in the younger members of the team, we must have a great chance of top 6.
Apart from Southampton and Reading- who'll be up and out of our way- and i think Brighton, nobody has matched our run. So most championship fans are sitting today with less to be positive about than us.
As I said at beginning, we've only done it for 1/3 of season, but what is there to say we can't keep it going thru 2012-13?
Re Norwich, still think Lamber will be headhunted sooner or later (Europe even, with his German league experience) then who's to say wher they'll end up?

the " see no wrong" and "see no right" brigades are both as bad as each other, jewell has made mistakes and still does, this is his first full season in charge, and i for one want to see him start the next season and see where we are come xmas. I am sure glad that the powers that be stuck with Sir Bobby back in the day! How many people who post on here, were Bobby knockers? more to the point will any admit to being one, probably not many if the arrogance shown on here is anything to go by.
Coyb

Very miniscule progress has been made I believe and certainly not enough to get us near the play-offs next season. To summarise not good enough. Big season for Jewell coming up, bad start and he should be sacked.

Dissboyitfc - the 'arrogance' doesn't just come from the anti PJ's either - just a reminder

Not all Managers are going to be 'Sir Bobby's' either - least of all PJ.