Town boss Paul Jewell says he will speak to trialist keeper Marian Kello about joining the Blues, but worries that employing three keepers might be too much for the budget. Slovakian international Kello, a free agent after leaving Hearts at the end of last season, played the full 90 minutes of last night’s 1-1 draw in Den Bosch having played half of the previous friendly at Helmond Sport, which also ended 1-1.

Jewell said: “I think he’s done OK, Marian, he hasn’t had an awful lot to do in the one and a half games that he’s played, but it’s something that we’ll look at.

“I think I’ll speak with him and see what the situation with him is. We’ve got Arran Lee-Barrett as well, so we may not be able to have three goalkeepers on our books.”

Kello, 29, started his career with FC Košice in Slovakia before moving on to Czech side FC Vítkovice, then Lithuanian club FBK Kaunas before joining Hearts in 2008, initially on loan.

In 2010 when his Kaunas contract had expired he signed a two-year deal with the Jambos. He terminated his contract with the Edinburgh side in April and came close to joining Aston Villa early in the summer.

The Blues boss has already added one keeper to the squad this week and he was delighted to have landed Scott Loach from Watford: “We think he’s got huge potential. He’s played for England’s U21s. He’s played a lot of games for Watford and we’re really pleased to have him.

“It had been going on a while, to be honest, and I think the fact is we think we’ve secured a really good goalie.

“We’ve had to wait and there’s been a lot of speculation about other players. He’s was our number one target for a while.

“We thought that this summer might be the time that we might be able to get him and that’s proved right. I think we’ve got a really good deal.

“I know he used to be in the academy before he moved away, so he is an Ipswich Town fan and he’s delighted to be here. We’re pleased to have him and he’ll be looking forward to starting training with the lads on Monday.”

As for Town’s two French trialists, left winger Plaisir Bahamboula and left-back Soualio Bakayoko, Jewell feels the 21-year-olds have been left exhausted by the pre-season training regime: “I think you could see they were really tired [during the Den Bosch game].

“We really have worked them hard. It’s difficult coming into a team that doesn’t speak the same language. They’ve done OK, but today was just about giving them 45 minutes each and they did OK.”

The Town manager says his fourth signing of the summer is close with work on deals ongoing despite him being in Holland this week: “We’ve got a few things going on. We’ve got to be patient at the moment because we’ve got a month and I want to make sure that we get the right ones in.”

Speaking at yesterday's press conference to formally announce Loach's signing, chief executive Simon Clegg was similarly confident that another addition might not be too far away: “One deal is moving from tepid to fairly warm. I’m hopeful that over the next couple of days we can make another announcement.”

Jewell says there has been no progress on cutting through the red tape which is preventing Cheick Kourouma from signing on the dotted line and that the Blues have received no offers for any current members of the squad: “We haven’t had any interest in any of our players as far as I’m aware. We’re more interested in bringing people in.”

Photo: Action Images

superblueflude added 09:01 - Jul 20 let Lee go, simples
0

BROTHERBLUE1974 added 09:02 - Jul 20 Sign him up, competition is always good. Keeps them on there toes..
0

Lesta_Tractor added 09:03 - Jul 20 PJ had two good keepers at Wigan when they won promotion.. makes sense to have a bit of competition
0

MaySixth added 09:15 - Jul 20 Let ALB go then. Need two quality keepers and ALB is not good enough.
0

JewellintheTown added 09:16 - Jul 20 So the two trialists, is that "OK" in a high pitched voice rising at the end, or "OK", low pitched dropping? OK's a bit vague and depends on how you say it as to what you mean? Or maybe he's not being upbeat to knock the wages/ price down. Play it cool Paul, play it cool.
0

shoopdelang added 09:19 - Jul 20 Get rid of Arran Lee-Barrett then! Although I would be happy to keep him on as third choice keeper budget allowing. He has made alot of mistakes but at times also pulled off some very good saves
0

itfc1981 added 09:19 - Jul 20 Why is the club as poor as a church mouse, that's just had an enormous tax bill on the very day his wife ran off with another mouse, taking all the cheese? Come on Evans, sort it out!
0

Maverick_Mitch added 09:21 - Jul 20 OK so ALB had a few howlers last year but he also made several match winning saves as well. Its easy for numpties to criticise but some have short memories. I'm sure he'll benefit from having Loach to compete with.
0

Guthrum added 09:21 - Jul 20 Funny how people are raving about the arrival of Ipswich-lad-and-Academy-product Scott Loach, but are cheerfully suggesting - nay demanding - that we discard Ipswich-lad-and-Academy-product Arran Lee-Barrett, who has become something of a hate-figure following one game the season before last.
0

bigolconnor added 09:23 - Jul 20 Oi think jewell is trying to say is that if he can offload ALB then kello can sign. Easier said than done. I don't see him wanting to leave.
0

ThatMuhrenCross added 09:26 - Jul 20 Get Kello in, loan either Loach or Lee-Barrett out. It's nice to have a third keeper to call upon, but it could be argued that Kello's experience would be most beneficial to Town at this moment in time.
0

PunchNoHopers added 09:31 - Jul 20 Why may we not be able to have three goalkeepers on our books, surely you need to have three in this day and age, imagine going into the last few games of the season or dare we say it even the Play-Offs, with one injured or suspended, and no cover on the bench! WIth Loach and ALB, we have to have a third GK, then send one out on loan, to cover some costs and to keep that GK fresh with an 24-hour call-back!

0

pitseablue added 09:35 - Jul 20 Dont know why people are so keen to knock Lee-Barrett.......Just have a look at the defence he had in front of him last season !!!!
0

buryblue77 added 09:42 - Jul 20 I hope thw budget allows for three keepers, if we only have two and one gets injured who takes up the spot on the bench? As for the ALB knockers, poor lad no wonder he makes mistakes from lacking confidence with you lot on his back. He is a good keeper and has kept us in games at times. As has been mentioned the irony of the excitement of recruiting an academy product who supports the club and the wanting to get rid of an academy product who supports the club.

0

itfc1981 added 09:47 - Jul 20 Guthrum and others who rate ALB. To suggest ALB was poor in only one game is quite odd. I take it you all dont rate Jewell anymore as he thought ALB needed replacing? Sorry my mistake needed competition! snigger.
0

gorse added 10:05 - Jul 20 TBH while ALB appears to be a talented keeper he lacks consistency -- which I assume comes from experience, primarily of the first team variety. Loaning him out makes sense to me if he's gonna be 3rd choice.
0

MrCool added 10:08 - Jul 20 Whoever we sign/play in goal, let's hope that they are introduced to those chaps playing just infront of them this season...
0

dirtyboy added 10:22 - Jul 20 Why do people 'expect' Evans to dig into his pocket every time? Get in the real world. He's a businessman. He seems okay to me, just not willing to splash massive amounts. Presumably, like most people, he had a budget to spend, and now that's gone (Keane era) he's approaching things in a different way now, and if that makes our club financially independent, i'm all for it. Evans won't be around forever.

0

CLOUD added 10:25 - Jul 20 @ThatMuhrenCross 'Get Kello in, loan either Loach or Lee-Barrett out. It's nice to have a third keeper to call upon, but it could be argued that Kello's experience would be most beneficial to Town at this moment in time.' OR screw your head on maybe?...
0

jas0999 added 10:35 - Jul 20 Great news. Would be very pleased. After the debacle of the loanee situation last season - and with ALB being below average (good shot-stopper mind), have two decent keepers competing would be good. Kello, is according to reports, better than Loach! Get the deal done!
0

RetroBlue added 10:45 - Jul 20 Some on here don't seem to appreciate that we are limited to spending a cefrtain % of our income. Its not about being poor or rich. Evans simply isn't allowed to pump whatever he likes imnto the club. It has to be a proportion of what this club can earn. Hence I suspect the need to "sell" the stadium name !
0

Langdon_Blue added 10:45 - Jul 20 Pitseablue - I agree, ALB was left exposed by his defence a lot last season...and is a very good sho stopper. I think most would agree that Stockdale was a fantastic keeper for us, but little he could about the 7 at Peterborough....oh that games still makes me shudder.
0

bluey420 added 10:51 - Jul 20 According too many reports Ipswich closing in on signing Emile I can see him being a good target man n useful for Chops n hopefully Baldock but never going too score many goals I'd rather go with Fuller goals workrate v good ability n a year younger
0

Karlosfandangal added 10:59 - Jul 20 Agree with town fans have short memories, Look how they slagged off Richard Wright the other season yet the season before he got 13 motm by the fans on here. Alb has been good for us even when he knows he will not be first on the team sheet, we go on about loyal players yet a player commited to Ipswich still gets a bashing on here
0

Jesney_Havoc added 12:03 - Jul 20 Do we really need him ? ALB is a decent enough 2nd.
0

Blogs 295 bloggers

Ipswich Town Polls