Boss Paul Jewell says his side have got to be mentally stronger if they are to compete at the top end of the table next season. The Town manager says that all too often — even before he took charge - the Blues have got themselves into good runs but have then failed to keep that form going.

Jewell said: “If you look at Ipswich even before I was here, as soon as we’ve promised a bit, we’ve let ourselves down, we haven’t got to that next level. That’s got to be a mental thing.

“When the chips are down we’ve got to make sure we fight. Or when we’re expected to win, we don’t blow up.

“Since I’ve been here we’re had too many false dawns. We get ourselves in a great little position where people start to think that if we win our next four games we’ll get in the play-offs. Then we get beaten 5-1 by Norwich, 4-1 by Swansea and 4-2 by Leicester .

“I wasn’t getting carried away about promotion but as soon as we gave our supporters a bit of hope this year, we lost against Leicester when we should have won the game.

“Then we want to put on a performance [against Millwall] we lose 3-0, even though it [shouldn’t have been] a 3-0, it was still a defeat.

“We’ve got to get to a level where our team goes out expecting to win and deals with the pressure of expecting to win. That is a mental thing as well as a physical thing.”

He admits the spell late last year when Town lost seven on the trot was hard to take: “I remember [in the bad run I was] asked if we were to get beaten on Saturday would it be curtains.

“But I have to say the owner and my staff have been terrific because there were a lot of low points this season.

“I’m a human being and I feel it as much as anybody. It was a lonely couple of months, tough. But as they say, what doesn’t kill you, makes you stronger and I think I’ve come through it a better manager, a stronger manager and when you have those times, which everyone does in their career, you’re ready for it.

“Hopefully I won’t have too many of them because if I have too many of them, I won’t be doing too many of these [press conferences]!”

Jewell says he’s happy living in Suffolk after 15 months in the job: “I’m settled into where I live. I’ve moved house, I’ve settled into the area, I really enjoy the area, I enjoy the football club and I’ve got a feeling for it.

“The hard part is to get the team right on the pitch. I know what it takes to get out of this league, I’ve done it twice before and I feel as if we’re closer this year to having a better squad than we were last year.”

Now that the season’s over, he says he’ll have a short time off but with preparations for next season already in his thoughts: “I’m looking forward to having a couple of days off and seeing my family, however, the work never stops, but I’m excited.

“It’s always an exciting time trying to bring players into the club and we go into the new season with the same aspiration as everybody else, which is trying to get out of the league.”

Photo: Action Images

AlanMahon2011 added 12:10 - May 2 Next Jewell will be releasing an official statement saying we need to win games of football to get promoted. ...Why oh why...
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cromwellblue added 12:22 - May 2 No doubt if we don't get a daily article there will be complainst about lack of communication but this is the same old stuff over and over. Lets have radio silence until we actually sign someone. The rest is getting boring
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Bluetone added 12:23 - May 2 So players be mentally strong and focussed but not too mentally strong and focussed or you will be told to ‘get a life, you boring bastard!',"
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davidsc1971 added 12:23 - May 2 More statements of the bleedin obvious. While we're about it: mentally stronger, physically stronger, the squad needs strengthening as does the beer sold in the ground (as it's the only way I can cope with the displays on the pitch) @alanmahon2011 - the best avatar I've ever seen, without exception. Classic I'm forever Blue but god this needs to change. Blend youth with experience, add some flair, give Chopra the ball and shore up the defence. These would be a good start. It's going to be a long summer people. COYB

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mightytown added 12:28 - May 2 Alanmahon: Agreed, a fair amount of cliché from the boss in this article. however, what do you expect? seasons finished, no more games, no transfers in - just rumour (for now).Not really much to talk about, just the gaffer answering questions for the media. However, he does give an honest assessment of the season and highlight an area in which he needs us to improve. Couldn't tell if your comment was a dig at jewell? There is no real news at the moment, given this is the quietest time of the year for our club (unfortunately). TWTD is a great website, providing the latest news on Ipswich town for people that want it straight away, you obviously do as you were the first to post.

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MickMillsTash added 12:31 - May 2 who is in charge of PR at Portman Road? Shut up Jewell Having a clear strategy that we stick to on and off the pitch and do not change mid season may help all concerned with ITFC focus on the important matter of winning football matches.
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walberswick added 12:39 - May 2 “If you look at Ipswich even before I was here, they were rubbish. As soon as we've promised a bit, we've let ourselves down. That's a mental thing, I know I am and we're not going to change that. When the chips are down I haven't had a clue what to do. When we're expected to win, we blow up. That's the hallmark of all my teams. It's always an exciting time bringing new players in. But at the moment I'm most excited trying new pies and trying to get my handicap down. We go into the new season with the same aspiration as everybody else, which is getting paid as much as possible for for doing f**k all.”

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MaySixth added 12:39 - May 2 Stop letting the players go on the piss in London after defeats then.
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Tiggs added 13:11 - May 2 Well said MaySixth. Progress made on all fronts this year is NIL and it will be the same next year too with the present management team in charge.
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radiogaga added 13:19 - May 2 The fundamental problem is that we have too many players with no guts and fight when the going gets tough. We need more players who will throw bodies on the line to stop goals (i.e. Cresswell against Birmingham the other week) and be brave enough to put themselves about in the opposition penalty box whether they are winning, losing or drawing. Southampton, 2 or 3 outstanding players apart, had a group of battlers who never gave in & that is the kind of spirt we need!

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walberswick added 13:23 - May 2 Paul, please go on holiday and shut up. At least for a few days. Noboye cares what you think at the moment. Go and have a pasty and play some golf.
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DanLyles added 13:27 - May 2 I think we do have battlers: Stevenson, Drury, Cresswell, Martin, Chops works hard, Tommy Smith, Hyam
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Special_A added 13:32 - May 2 Calm down a lot of you..... PJ is just having a bit of banter and taking the pressure off the lad. If he didn't the fans would be asking when he will be in the first team and expecting him to be a world beater!
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JewellintheTown added 13:32 - May 2 Whilst I agree with the principle and sentiment of AlanMahon2011's avatar, I have to ask the question ... "who has the biggest salary between you (the reader) and Cleggy?". So who's the biggest "idiot" now then? Doesnt sound too much of an idiot to me if he can get that sort of wage.
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i_like_that_bolder added 13:36 - May 2 Agreed with all of the above, same old comments over and over, can we take Cromwell's suggestion please! Trying to think of current players I'd put in the "roll the sleeves up and battle" category and it's not that easy. Delaney seemed to have thrown the towel in well before the end of the season, Leadbitter I'm glad to see the back of, and only Cressy and Martin seem to obviously keep the effort up until the final whistle. Haven't seen enough of Stevenson yet, hoping he'll bring some fight and energy to the middle of the park along with Drury. And what will we see of Bullard from here on...

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tractored added 13:45 - May 2 Well said Paul. Ignore all the moaners, the vast silent majority are all 100% behind you.
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leroy2488 added 13:46 - May 2 JEWELL NEWS: 'it's a game of two halfs'
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poggie added 14:54 - May 2 Football has become a game of platitudes ... are these managers etc paid by the word these days???
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Lightningboy added 15:39 - May 2 Mental strength comes from the manager PJ...shame you didn't show a little more of it before dropping Hyam (who was doing well with Drury) before reverting to type and bringing in your favourites (Leadbitter/Bowyer - who had done nothing all season). I'm 50/50 on Jewell now..still think he's capable of getting us into the play-offs,not convinced he'd keep us up though...this is why I think we should be looking further ahead by appointing a "cleverer" manager. Ideally i'd love to see Burley or Magilton back at the helm but if I was Marcus i'd have a go at Glenn Hoddle..let him take full charge of footballing things at all levels..no pressure,just take us forward from the dirge of the last few seasons and he'd do it playing great football...I just see Jewell as a stop gap until the next mistake.

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WickedBlue added 16:34 - May 2 Instead of bitching about articles and what PJ has to say there is a simple solution. DON'T CLICK THE LINK! You doughnuts......
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jas0999 added 16:39 - May 2 PJ certainly talks to talk. Sadly, he has of yet failed to back all this up - despite having a season and a half in charge. Here's hoping he delivers next season!
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TractorBoy666 added 17:20 - May 2 At least PJ's favorites are out now, Leadboots & Bowyer. Hopefully we'll see Hyam with Drury again, as they were great together. But we really need to build from the back and get some CB's in!
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Bluemoss added 17:52 - May 2 The club has been saying this for years!
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h32 added 18:11 - May 2 ........ maybe he meant:- 'supporters need to be mental' - to keep backing me. That's more like it.
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tractorboybig added 18:45 - May 2 Who installs the mental strength? Who brings in players with the apptitude for this mental strength? Are you suggesting Gunner? Or is it you paul?
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