Boss Paul Jewell says his summer recruitment plans are already well under way and has outlined the areas of his squad he will be looking to augment between now and the start of 2012/13 on Saturday 18th August.

Jewell says he’s already talked to clubs and potential signings: “We’ve spoken to players who are out of contract. We’ve spoken to clubs who’ve got players under contract.

“The plan doesn’t start after the Doncaster game, it’s already started. You never have a nice summer holiday, sometimes you almost work as hard as you do when the games are on because you’re never off the phone trying to get players in.”

Even before knowing whether midfielder Grant Leadbitter will stay — the pair are due to talk today — the Blues boss outlined the positions he is seeking to strengthen: “We’re looking for a goalkeeper, some central defenders, as we’ve only got Damien and Tommy at the club, so we need a couple more at least, we need another midfield player and another forward.

“Everyone talks about the spine of the team and that’s where we’re looking. And around that there may be one or two utility players coming in, someone who can play both positions at full-back, that’s what we’re looking for.”

Jewell says that like all bosses he wants signings in as soon as possible but admits that in reality this rarely happens: “I think every manager would like all the players in by the first day of pre-season, but it never works that way.

“But it’s important to try and get ahead of the game sometimes and we want to move quickly. I’m not confident [that that will be the case], but that’s what we want to do.”

He says season-long loans from the Premier League will form part of his plans: “That’s one route that we’re looking at. The problem is getting in quickly. I spoke to a club yesterday about a couple of their young players and the queue’s a mile long.

“I think taking players on a year’s loan is different from taking a goalkeeper who has to go back. It’s getting the time to ask the managers right - you look at the results on a Saturday and then make the call or don’t make the call.”

The Town boss dismissed reports that exiting Derby midfielder Paul Green has agreed to join the Blues: “I know Greeny, I signed him for Derby on a free transfer from Doncaster. He did fine, but he’s not one we’ve enquired about.”

Photo: Action Images

Len_Brennan added 09:05 - Apr 27 Good that we are moving quickly & good that Green is not in his plans. Good.
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Sindre94 added 09:06 - Apr 27 Good to hear. For a change we could trust the manager and give him our support (i thinks it vital in the hunt for success that we all stay together), would be nice for a change wouldnt it?
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cvillageblue added 09:18 - Apr 27 I've got to be honest - the past couple of weeks have been depressing - and now we're hearing all the same soundbites as a year ago.
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newboy added 09:21 - Apr 27 In jewell we trust not in this lifetime the only place he is capable of taking this club is down. If he spent as much time working as he did talking we might be on to a winner
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nitroblue1970 added 09:32 - Apr 27 this has been said before me thinks.........
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daniel9624 added 09:38 - Apr 27 I have to disagree, the last couple of weeks has seen us move solidly in the correct direction. Released all the "oldGuard" that everyone has been complaining about, Bowyer, Wright, Sonko, close to getting smith signed, already talking to players and clubs, all sounds good to me. I wil only complian if come August none of what Jewell has promised has bee nacheived.
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irishtim added 09:39 - Apr 27 Lets support the manager & see what happens. As Sindre says lets stick together. A united club may become a promoted one.
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buryblue77 added 10:33 - Apr 27 I will still maintain that we made the mistakes we did last year because (as PJ has said himself) a quick fix was needed, he didn't say it was a quick fix to the mess that Keane left but that surely has to be what he meant. Like him or not, want him in or out, honestly who can tell me on here that he didn't have a massive job on his hands sorting out Keane's mess? Some managers are instant impact managers, others take more time and I'm still confident in PJ. I still also think the club needs someone in (maybe director of football type role) to help with the business side of the club as I don't have the confidence in Clegg and Evans as neither of them had been involved in football prior to being with us and I think that's where some of the contract issues have come from, after all, it's not PJ who deals with that side of things, it sounds like it's done directly by Marcus Evans.

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ArnieMsBigToe added 10:51 - Apr 27 buryblue77: I believe that you are spot on. Personally, I feel sorry for PJ. The damage done by RK was incalculable. Jordan Rhodes, Leadbitter, Priskin & many more. PJ had to start with a pile of poo. . . And, to anyone who slags PJ off. . . The reason he has tried to get things sorted out quickly is coz of the pressure that people like you have put on him. . .
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walberswick added 10:53 - Apr 27 Bullard, Ingermarsson, Drury, Sonko, Bowyer, Cresswell, Wright, Stockdale, Ellington, JET, Stevenson, Chopra, Murphy, McCarthy. Take away the players that are gone and the ones who don't play or won't Be here next year. Drury, Cresswell, Chopra. Progress 3 out of 14. Fail.
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Dozzells_Bobblehat added 10:56 - Apr 27 Blimey - mostly sensible posts this morning , give it time though.
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Dozzells_Bobblehat added 11:01 - Apr 27 I know , i know i spoke too soon. Wobbleswick - Wright and Sonko were stop gaps and were useful squad members when called upon (remember how well Sonko did for the first few games). Stockdale and McCarthy were both good, Murphy has been excellent and Stevenson has started ONE match for christ sake. Bullard has been huge disappointment but still could come good. Ellington and Ingarmarsson agreed. So the score would probably be 8/9 out of 14.

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SouperJim added 11:03 - Apr 27 Walbers, what are you on about? JET and Stevenson? I hardly think including loanees in that list is fair either.
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jas0999 added 11:05 - Apr 27 Good to hear. Think we also need a RB and possibly two strikers, if Scotland leaves. As it would only leave Chopra.
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Maccattack added 11:19 - Apr 27 Walberswick, you're clueless... shut up.
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bluekeen added 11:20 - Apr 27 Can see some great things coming in the next few weeks, personally would like to see a new second striker to help scotland out cause he wont play 50 games in a season next year and we will need another 15 goals a season type player. on the 14 he signed last year I feel he did the most sensible thing he could brought in experienced players to help protect from the drop ... and repair morale in the dressing room.......... lets not forget that this was a dressing pulled completely with it seeming like the last man out after RK's horror show. These old heads would have had the brief ... "enjoy the money keep the squad up beat and play with some heart" They did all of things and saved us from the drop.... lets not forget that the seven games bulled actually played in yielded 21 points .... a massive help to us now

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Essex_Tractor added 11:36 - Apr 27 Good to hear this. Will be interesting to see how the summer pans out and if it is any different to last year - lets hope so
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bedsitfc added 11:41 - Apr 27 walberswick a bit harsh i take it your against p.j no matter what. jet stevenson will be here next season so thats 5 out of 14 3 loan deals 2 of which are keepers as one was re-called. ivor, bowyer, wright, sonko all on 1 year deals to help us through a bad spell ( ROY KEANE fault). so thats 12 out of 14 this leaves 2 bad buys Bullard and Ellington and most of us wanted Bullard back after his loan spell here. so in short 1 bad buy out of 14!!!! not a bad return if you ask me.

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roytheboy added 11:42 - Apr 27 Good news, I'm pleased that things are already being worked on re: new players, we all know where the weaknesses are and it would appear that so does Paul Jewell.
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dazz added 11:50 - Apr 27 sindre for manager anyone?
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HARRY10 added 11:58 - Apr 27 "Released all the "oldGuard" that everyone has been complaining about, Bowyer, Wright" Not entirely correct. A week or so back PJ was talking about the new contract he had offered Bowyer, so who is to say he did not offer contracts to the others ? I suggests that it is the reduced contracts as much as anything else that has caused many to leave and others to stall on signing. Whilst I'm sure we all welcome the clear out it is not so clear cut as to why it is happening.

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Dozzells_Bobblehat added 12:04 - Apr 27 HARRY 10 - Dont think you got that quite right , this is what PJ said “I think he's a really good influence with the young players, but obviously he's not getting any younger and that has to be reflected in my decision. “That decision hasn't been made yet but I've spoken with his agent and he knows where we're coming from.” I think thats why he played him instead of Hyam for a couple of games, cos he hadnt made his mind up whether or not to keep him. He wasnt great in those games and that decided it. Could be wrong , but right decision i think.

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bedsitfc added 12:51 - Apr 27 harry10 - paul jewell made an offer to bowyer but it was more of a coaching role rather than a playing one which is why lee turned it down.
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simonsays added 13:01 - Apr 27 Deja vu. It means we will be signing more OAP's who no one else wants!
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Paulc added 13:08 - Apr 27 I'm not a PJ fan and never have been. However no point changing now, no point going back to square 1. This transfer window is his only chance to put it right, so get it right! One big plea though, please stop with the cliched press conferences and have the balls to say "there'll be no press release this week as I have nothing new to say" just tell us when you have some news. cheers COYB for next year!

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