Clegg: Jewell Still the Right Man for Town
Thursday, 3rd May 2012 08:42

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

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TractorBoy666 added 18:36 - May 3 You people wanting Jewell out...do you want a NEW manager AGAIN?! Getting another new manager is just going to nothing. 15th....if we finish 12th or below this season, then maybe it is time for a change. But not yet.
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Tampa_Florida_Blue added 18:36 - May 3

I sometimes wonder how many people read the articles here, and just comment on the headlines.
I will say, I was shocked at PJ being named our manager, remembering more about him at Derby, than Wigan and Bradford was my thinking there. But he is our manager, and I have given him a chance to turn things around from the mess RK left.
Why is every one blaming PJ for signing old players? In this article, Clegg states that ME SC PJ together decided to go that route. In other articles it has been said that since ME has owned the club he throw lots of money at players to try to buy instant promotion. Then there is the many youth players that we have let go. How many of them are playing at a higher level than ITFC week in week out? Not to many that I can think of.
It looks to me like ME is learning from mistakes, and can see building the club from the bottom upwards is the only way forward. I do not think there will be high money signings this off season, but more of the narwich and southampton way of building the team, ie: lesser known players. If these players come in the mold of Cresswell, Dury, and Stevenson, I will not complain one bit. But I also think if the right player came along that cost over a million, I still think ME would back this.
Lets be honest, who in the right mind would build a multi million pound house on marsh land with no foundation? only a fool.
I personally would be happy seeing just 3 or 4 new players on longer contracts, come in this off season to try build stability in the team. It is no difference to working a new job in an office, you still have to find out all the strengths and weak points of every one. Last year we had 13 new players come in, and we wondered why we was a shambles for the first half of the season.
I am all for us building a team of players who want to be here because its ITFC, not because of some big fat wages.
My other belief is that having very few reserve games was a big downfall last season, as fringe players did not get a chance to get match fit. Just look at how good Dury was when he came back from playing for Crawley, he was match fit, sharp and brimming with confidence. If we need to see what confidence do for a player, look at the two different players Tommy Smith has been for us this season!

h32 added 18:44 - May 3

Sindre94 - I sincerely hope you are right, and we are all proved wrong - what I want is a return to the succesful Club we have the history of being.
I really couldn't care less who the Manager is, as long as he is up to the task - AND DELIVERS.
Right now, Jewell has a task comparable with trying to make a 'Rolls Royce' out of a 'Banger' in terms of the team.
Collectively, he and Clegg have the task of restoring credibility to the Club - a task not too disimilar to the above.
Evans, in so paying these guys well to do this, has every right to sit back and expect deliverance.

And people cannot keep blaming Keane for everything anymore - that's old hat and needs forgetting.

h32 added 18:52 - May 3 Righty - agree with every word of your previous to last post.
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wewerefamous added 19:03 - May 3

There is massive disappointment amongst all of us (and correctly so) about how our club is struggling to perform to our expectations, and the dream of premiership football seems to be just that… a distant dream. However, I do agree with TractorBoy666, do we really want the turmoil of a new manager - again? We are where we are and let's give PJ a fair crack at the new season before we start the anti-manager posts again!

Dozzells_Bobblehat added 19:08 - May 3

Righty , I don't agree but that's fine, I could be wrong, we will find out. I don't see the problem with him having his family home up north. He stays down here doesn't he ? It wouldn't suit me but we don't know his family circumstances. As for not getting years, well maybe they should. Look at the majority of succesful clubs and the manager has been there a long while. Plus I agree with other post stating that the football under RK was dour and he sold all our creative players. I like Carson but PJ did come out and say that he came back to pre season overweight and too cocky, so if that's true then he needs to be brought down a peg or too. I don't agree with everything he does or every team selection but he knows more about it than me and I would venture maybe you, and sees these players every day so at this point I'm willing to back him still.

mripswich147 added 19:30 - May 3

I am frankly disgusted by some of the drivel i read on this forum on a regular basis, whatever happened to supporting your manager!!

When Paul Jewell took over at Ipswich i was not bowled over by the decision but i understood why they took on a manager with a good track record at getting promotion... the problem for some deluded Ipswich fans is that you expect instant success.

I used to be proud of the fact that i was an Ipswich fan, the club that always gave managers a chance to prove themselves, the fact that some of us are stating that he's not up to the job is laughable. Yes he made some poor signings last season but what manager hasn't, at least he has had the bottle to admit it and is not sticking by players like Priskin (for example) who never put in a shift but came in for a healthy sum that had to be justified!!

I think we should all get behind Jewell and start recognising that Ipswich are competing in one of the most competitive leagues in the world; if he does get us promoted next season it will be a great achievement but at least give him another season with our full support!!!!!!!!

Rant over!!

TimmyH added 19:42 - May 3

'Only time will tell' - really? - 16 months into the job and it hasn't so far, time hasn't changed the inconsistency of the results, time hasn't accounted for PJ's head, but time will account for another new bundle of faces again in the summer so we're really not going anywhere at the moment. I too will give PJ till autumn to see if results have improved if not then time for the chopper to come down on Mr Jewell's head (metaphorically speaking). Some shrewd signings (but not to many need to be made).

s6blue added 20:25 - May 3 highly debatable
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righty added 20:29 - May 3 mripswich I suspect you wanted Keane as did I so why would not you give him more time or Magilton for that matter and as I have said before I support Ipswich town but not the management I think also you only took notice of his days at Wigan and Bradford not Derby or Sheff W. I dont want instant success I just want the club run properly.
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mripswich147 added 20:51 - May 3

righty, if you read my post properly you will see that i dont advocate sacking managers, i still believe that the club should never have sacked Magilton, he did a terrific job on a shoestring budget. Given another season he may just have got things right.
As for RK, i'm afraid i have never rated him as a manager but always gave him my full support home & away!!

If you take a look at PJ's record you will see that at Derby he only got 1 season where he took over a poor squad of players in the prem and when he took over at sheff wed they were debt ridden so i think its unfair to compare those teams with the setup we have at Ipswich now... on the contrary he had 6 years at Wigan and not only got them to the prem but established them there!
With a bit of investment he may still be the right man for the job, i guess we will have to wait and see!

billlm added 21:01 - May 3 surco72, spot on
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buryblue77 added 21:05 - May 3

righty, but point is Bullard hasn't really been anywhere near the first team since his antics and if you dropped Chopra and gave him too much time would he return to his old gambling ways?
I have to agree with mripswich, Magilton should have been given more time and the only reason he was sacked was because Evans wanted a high profile name to fit in with his multinational corporation, to put Ipswich Town on the map again but this time as an Evans company. And as you also point out (a fact the PJ haters focus on more than the jobs he did at Bradford and Wigan) he had 2 very hard jobs with no money available so success was always going to be difficult.
h32, in one way I can see why you say people still can't blame Keane, we can't blame Keane for the signings that Jewell made this season who haven't worked out, but (as PJ said himself) a quick fix was needed and mistakes were made. So had Keane not left such an average side, low on morale maybe PJ wouldn't have made the mistakes he made.
The problem I can see is he's going to have to go for similar this year to build up the playing squad to replace the players that have been lost.

ITFCsince67 added 22:03 - May 3

Not read every comment but I will have my say.
The whole club is a mess, we have a Manager and coaching staff who's tactics are a out of date and devoid of ideas. Jewell and Hutchins and the other bloke are old school and have not moved with the times. We have a CEO of knows nothing about football and an owner nobody has seen.
The clubs needs a massive clear out and start with a group of young coaches supporting a young manager. Accept that we will not go up for a few years and build a strong a hungry for success club.

bournemouthblue added 23:09 - May 3 The dreaded vote of confidence, oh dear!
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Warkys_Tash added 23:17 - May 3 ITFC1981, I have to agree with you. Lee Clarke for me, he would be great down here and a breath of fresh air. Jewell, like Ellington has not done it since Wigan. and whilst you are at it, Mr Clegg, get on your hands and knees and go buy Jordan back. Do what it takes to put bums on seats and make ITFC great again.
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ericgates added 06:44 - May 4

I think most of us would like a young,vibrant,winning and cohesive ipswich town. This however would take a long time to achieve such as has happened at reading,southampton,norwich, and defeats along the way.
So you can't really blame current managers,paul jewell included, in solely looking at the short term,ie" I need results now or I'm going to lose my job". I'd say that is why he has signed the players he has and why our youth is not really considered anymore or good enough to keep us in this division.
The messages coming from simon clegg and marcus evans are mixed but mainly revolve around promotion asap.(Proved in short contracts for players and the manager). If Jewell were told you've got years, build a team,build a pattern of play right through all age levels that supporters would appreciate, get the fans back to portman road, I know I would accept relegation to league 1 if it meant we were getting some identity back and a proper team back. ie 1 step back in order to go 2 forward. We are however doing nothing, we are stagnating in this league with a few maverick, off the cuff results which get people saying "we can compete with anyone in this league".
But I don't want us to compete for a few games a season. I want us to compete in every game. I want us to be able to beat a west ham on a saturday and then beat the watfords,millwalls etc also.
I don't think Jewell is the right man to take us forward but is stuck between a rock and a hard place. Please the owner or please the fans, and I don't think he is or will ever do either.

WorcesterBlue added 08:15 - May 4 ITFCsince67 - couldn't agree more. We need new ideas, new coaches and a new strategy but this is unlikely so maybe let's see if Jewell can pull it off. Lee Clarke for me though - good football, young and ambitious.
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