Town chief executive Simon Clegg believes that manager Paul Jewell is still the man to take the Blues back into the Premier League despite conceding that 2011/12 was another season of “mid-table mediocrity”. Jewell, who was appointed in January 2011, has another year on his contract at Portman Road.

Clegg said: “There were a lot of people calling for the manager’s head at the back end of last year when we were going through that difficult phase.

“The owner and I discussed it and were absolutely confident that Paul could turn things round, and we continue to believe that he’s the right man with the right experience to take us back into the promised land. Only time will tell.”

He admits though that 2011/12 has been another under par campaign: “Let’s not kid ourselves, it’s mid-table mediocrity. That’s not where we want to be, that’s not where we aspire to be, so in that context we have to be disappointed.

“We were always going to play catch-up after that disastrous run at the end of last year, which really tested everyone, but I think that once we started to turn things around — Barnsley, West Ham — then we had a very reasonable run.

“Four losses in the last 19 games is not a bad way to finish the season but we didn’t play with the level of consistency throughout the season which is going to be necessary if we aspire to promotion to the Premier League.”

Jewell has admitted getting his transfer business wrong last summer but Clegg says he and owner Marcus Evans were also involved in the process which saw a number of high profile senior players brought to the club, an approach which failed to work out: “Let’s take collective responsibility. It’s not appropriate to point the finger and say that that’s one individual’s responsibility.

“I think we all have to take a degree of collective responsibility but I think it needs to be recognised that in the main the issue of player identification is down to the manager, and the owner and I feel an obligation to support him in that.

“But ultimately, the three of us have to carry some responsibility for the decisions which have been made. We tried to go up one route, invested a lot of money and it didn’t work.”

Jewell himself says going into the final year of his contract, with no discussions so far regarding a an extension, doesn’t add any additional pressure: “I know it is a year to go, but it wouldn’t have taken a lot of money to get rid of me last year, so it won’t be a money issue. And if I felt it was the right thing to do, I would walk away for free.

“I just hope I am here for a long time and I can bring success. I love working here, I love the area. It ticks all the boxes but the one at the top of the list is getting the team right.”

Photo: Action Images

Photo: Action Images

Behind_Enemy_Lines added 10:23 - May 3 He has done really well , the fact that drury was all set to leave in the jan transfer window had it not been for Crawley backtracking on the agreed deal and Hyam was only given a run when PJs hand was forced due to injuries along with the signings of ingi, Ellington or replacing the cbs or getting an experienced rb and bad tactics, spouting his gob off even more than ever how can he still be the right man for the job.

0

sonian_blue added 10:24 - May 3 Some of you on here are as deluded as clegg and Jewell. IMO (based on missing two games this season) Jewell is not and will never be the man to take this club forward. Too many mistakes in personnel, selection, he cannot get away from the 'old guard' approach and he has failed to motivate on a consistent basis those players that in the main he has brought to the club. I have never believed in constant changing of managers but our problem has been failure to identify the right man for the job in the first instance. Lets get rid of Jewell, get Clark/Robinson/ODriscoll in on a 3 year contract and lets see this club rebuilt from the youths/lower leagues. The players are out there, we need the person in who can see beyond mates from the past. Jewell out now.

0

blueblood66 added 10:31 - May 3 Time will tell..I think we need to be firmly top half by November.
0

Behind_Enemy_Lines added 10:34 - May 3 If the ambition was there we would go for Martinez IMO I think he would come if sounded out, 5 yr Plan easy peasy pudding and pie.
0

itfc1981 added 10:41 - May 3 Martinez. More chance of getting the Pope to partner Chopra next season, hang on he's the right age and has the hand of God. Maybe we can get Martinez after all. ;)
0

jas0999 added 10:44 - May 3 The great thing about football and sport generally, is the many different opinions from many different people. I think Clegg is wrong - PJ - other than a few excellent results - has delievered very little in a season and half and last year got his recruitment strategy completely and hopelessly wrong. IMO this club will not move forward under PJ - if anything this season was a backwards step - lots of loans, old players and a point / two places worse off than the previous season. Not good enough in my opinion - but accept some will disagree! However, I will continue to support the PLAYERS at every home game - regardless of whether I believe the manager is the right man or not. I hope PJ proves me wrong, but sadly I doubt it.

0

bluearmy89 added 10:56 - May 3 Just get Mowbray in ffs!! We get rid of PJ and Boro sack Mowbray (somehow) then we get the legend in! Everyone is happy, we can all dream hey.
0

Guthrum added 11:27 - May 3 I do wish people would stop using that phrase: “mid-table mediocrity”. We're not in the lower tier of some poxy two-division set-up, we're in the top half of one of the strongest league systems in the world! Only six teams in the entire country have consistently finished as high or higher than us in FIFTY-THREE seasons. There have been 145 relegations to the third tier in that time and NONE of them have involved Ipswich. Maybe if we started taking pride in our CONTINUING heritage and achievements (more current than our glorious but now historical trophies) rather than constantly moaning because we're not Man U, then it would improve morale, stop our constant underdog mentality and gain us the confidence to push on up!

0

eaii added 11:29 - May 3 Reading this is nearly as bad as listening to the water companies explain why they have sold off land (to pay shareholders dividends) which has lessened the capacity for holding water?
0

buryblue77 added 11:43 - May 3 The problem is we've been too incosistent under PJ, although I will continue to back him until around the Autumn. By then three scenarios exist in my opinion. A: If considerable improvement has been made then good, we've made progress and looking like a promotion chasing club, we're consistent with the management and players then everyone is happy. B: Signs of improvement are showing through early season, as in we're mid table with the chance of play offs then PJ should stay untill January to see if he's capable of making the extra push up into the play offs, if not then I think his time should come. C:Absolutely no improvement has been made by around early November then there is no other answer, PJ will have to go. Of course, it's all relative to the quality of players we can (afford) to bring in, if we're only at getting lower Championship level players then to expect too much is unrealistic to expect us to be pushing (despite what we all want as fans, if funds aren't there, which I'm dubious about then it's increasingly difficult to match the rich relegated sides and the bigger clubs like Middlesboro and Leicester) I hope scenario a comes through, we need some stability but equally we can't go on with mediocrity.

0

walberswick added 11:56 - May 3 Yes, we conceded 77 goals but we were only really trying in 50% of the games. And Paul has promised to look at the defence next season even though he can't promise he'll bring in any new defenders.
0

Len_Brennan added 12:00 - May 3 Jas, good post, fair comment. I would say that the second half of the season showed reasonable signs of progress. Had it been the reverse and we started well but finished badly, PJ would have little chance of defending himself after a year and a half and the team deteriorating. Maybe by Christmas I'll be agreeing with everything you say, but I'm happy to start next season with the view that he is building a decent and improving side, in not the easiest of circumstances.

0

nitroblue1970 added 12:07 - May 3 Sonian, JAS and bury blue I like what you have to say! I have heard on here that the last 19 games was promotion form, well 2 wins in the last 9 games certainly is not! Including a frankly embarrassing home defeat to Millwall and the obligatory pointless games against Watford, will we ever beat the Hornets again? The table doesnt lie, the only movement we have made is backwards, end of!

0

Strikes added 12:17 - May 3 Jewell's had a season and a half. Chopping and changing managers as often as the kit just because they haven't got us up is not going to bring the stability the club needs in the long term. I don't recall anyone calling for John Lyall's head after a similar season in 1990-91, and we all remember what he did the following year. And when the fans turned against the great Sir Bob in the late sixties, the board stuck with him and the rest is history. My point being, in this era of instant success managers do not get time to build a team, a club... or put right any mistakes they might make. If PJ repeats the mistakes he has made this season in the next 6 -12 months however, I suspect his time will be up. Then we'll need to get a manager in on a 3-4 year contract and, crucially, back him!

0

walberswick added 12:23 - May 3 Every manager meeds time to build a team, but PJ has just wasted a year. He hasn't built anything yet. He's an experienced manager who is now learning on the job. In any club in the league he would have gone. Don't reward abject failure. Sack the tw*t.
0

lscooper23 added 12:27 - May 3 All the same people on here moan about getting new players in every year and how we won't get anywhere if we keep changing the team but surely that's the same with the manager ain't it? GIVE THE MANAGER TIME!
0

buryblue77 added 12:28 - May 3 thanks Nitroblue. Strikes, you seem to be echoing my thoughts and I'm hoping PJ can turn things round. The trouble is PJ is not only having to rectify his own mistakes but also that of Keanes, maybe similar to John Lyall had inherrited the John Duncan era and had to put that right. Whilst I've said mediocrity can't continue, it would be nice to have some consistency with both our playing staff and the management, Lyall had 5 years, Burley 7 and Royle 4, we're now on our 3rd manager in 6 years ( 3rd in 4 years since Evans came in) and there lies one significant problem.

0

corunnaviking1759 added 12:40 - May 3 Let's face it, we are a medi-ocre mid table side now unless things change, alot of bad decisions have been made in the past and are going to continue. It's such a shame as we have the set up for the Premier just not the TEAM behind it! 10 years and more to follow!! :(
0

Surco72 added 13:02 - May 3 Teams that have sacked their manager during last season in top two divisions Chelsea ,Sunderland ,Wolves ,QPR,Doncaster,Forest, Pompey,Bristol City,Leicester,Leeds . Constant sacking may work if you have multi million pound squad or millions to spend but the majority become worse off. A lot keep saying we need youth and to stick with them for consistency and to play a settled side with no loanees ,the same must be applied to managers ,if Jewell has not performed over his contract then look elsewhere

0

Strikes added 13:25 - May 3 Walberswick, I would not class this as "abject failure". The word is defined thus; Adjective: 1.(of a situation or condition) Extremely bad, unpleasant, and degrading. 2.(of an unhappy state of mind) Experienced to the maximum degree. If we'd have been relegated then I would have described that as "abject failure". What we have seen this season, set against the ambitions of the club, is just plain old "failure". But I guess we just come from positions of differing expectations. And "any other club" would have got rid of PJ by now? This is one of the reasons I enjoy supporting ITFC; we're not just "any other club", we are Ipswich Town. I would much rather support Ipswich Town when they are doing terribly than support any other club in the world, ever.

0

Garv added 13:31 - May 3 "At any other club he would have gone". Why do many idiots use this as an excuse to sack OUR manager. It's ridiculous. Roll on the new season.
0

Lightningboy added 13:31 - May 3 Do we really trust in Jewell to get this summer's transfer dealings right though? I've liked some of his signings : Chopra,Bullard,Jet,Cresswell,Sonko,Drury,Stevenson... ..but you have to question the likes of Ellington,Ingimarsson,Murphy,McCarthy,Bowyer plus the continual loanees. I've a feeling we're going to be looking for a new manager come october/november.
0

blueconscience added 13:32 - May 3 The dreaded "Vote of confidence"?
0

Dog added 13:32 - May 3 I think we all agree that a manager needs to be given time to fashion a side together and progress. Where we all differ is that we are not sure if we think Paul Jewell is the man for the job. A manager needs time and Paul Jewell has to be given that. Of course he has made mistakes, but which manager hasn't. What we need is for the board to back him and allow him to make responsible signings (not pensioners or loan signings - but players for the future). If the board, do not back him - and let's face it they have just come out and supported him - then i think you all need to accept that no future manager will be supported and the club will be mid table for ever and a day. I hope he does sort it and we finish 8th or above (preferably play off's) because that will be a vast improvement. If he looks like he is not going to finish above 12th then we should just allow his contract to run out and see who else is out there.

0

walberswick added 13:35 - May 3 So we are expected to support failure because it's ITFC? and we also have to put up with another wasted season when we amicably part company with PJ in December.
0

Blogs 297 bloggers

Ipswich Town Polls