Boss Paul Jewell says he hadn’t planned to bring in short-term loanees such as Richie Wellens, who signed a one-month deal yesterday, and DJ Campbell, who looks set to join him at Portman Road later today, but that he felt they were required to get Town's stuttering season back on track. The Blues manager insists that he still sees building a team as a long-term project.

Jewell said there has been cash available to make additions, but it’s been a case of finding suitable new recruits: “There has always been money available for me to try and get players in, it’s just getting right ones. This is the balancing act.

“I can bring people in, I could bring people in tomorrow. I know that the money’s available, but I don’t think they’ll be the right ones. You’ve got to try and get the right players.

“We didn’t want to bring loan players in, that was our aim, but we might have to bring in some short-term deals to try and get us out of this hole and try and then look beyond when we get to January.

“I keep saying, it was a long-term project when I came here and I understand that my contract runs out at the end of the year, but I think I’ve got to try and make decisions with an eye on the short-term but with a view to the long-term, [making sure they’re] the right ones to get us out of the sticky situation we’re in.”

Speaking yesterday lunchtime, Jewell said that he has liaised with owner Marcus Evans on several occasions this week as they worked on deals to add Wellens, Campbell and Mohsni to his squad: “One minute he’s in Montreal, then he’s in Chicago, then he’s in California. We’re trying to bring a couple of players in as we speak.

“Marcus is aware that we need a little bit of help and he’s trying to help us. I’m not happy with the situation, Marcus isn’t happy with the situation, nobody’s happy with the situation who is connected with Ipswich. But, at the end of the day, we’re going to try to fight our way out of it.”

While there is money to spend, he says it’s evident that there are a number of clubs in the division with budgets above and beyond Town's.

He says that may mean they beat the Blues to signings in the short-term, the future may not be entirely rosy for all of them later on down the line: “I think fans are intelligent enough to realise that when they look around the league and at what teams are spending or have spent that it’s going to be a struggle for us to compete with that.

“Money doesn’t guarantee you anything but it gives you a really good chance when you’re spending the vast amounts of money that some clubs have, not all clubs.

“Certainly I feel in the Championship this year there are a few clubs that if they don’t go up, could find themselves in financial difficulty.

“We don’t want that. As I’ve said a million times before, look at Portsmouth. We don’t want to be one of them, whether when I’m here or in 10 years’ time.

“The club can never be put at risk. It’s been put at risk before and the club went into administration. That’s what people don’t want.”

He empathises with supporters’ frustrations at the current situation, however, and says no one wants to get away from the division’s lower reaches more than himself: “I understand that fans don’t want to be down the bottom, me more than anyone, I don’t want to be down the bottom. It makes your life hell, it really does.

“At the same time, Marcus is being straight and honest with me and it’s not as if we’re penny pinching, we’re just trying to look after the long-term interest of the football club.

“Marcus has been at this club for five years and has spent a lot of money and we haven’t had the success that maybe that investment should have had, and that includes when I’ve been here.

“But when we’re up against some of the big spenders and the big payers, we can’t compete at this moment in time.

“If those lads get promoted, that’s fine. If they don’t get promoted, next year the wages and maybe the owners won’t be about. I’m sure Marcus will.”

Photo: Action Images

Mark added 06:16 - Oct 5 “But when we're up against some of the big spenders and the big payers, we can't compete at this moment in time." The trouble is most clubs other than the likes of Charlton, Millwall and Peterborough seem to be relative "big spenders" so does that mean ITFC accept we will be in a relegation battle this season? I feel there is a lack of direction from the top setting out what our ambition and plan is at the moment, and making 7 loan signings (if we do) doesn't do a lot to help.

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WarkyWonderLand added 06:30 - Oct 5 In jewell we have no trust, this goes against everything he said he wouldn't do and learnt from mistakes. This looks like desperation to me.
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footyblue added 06:51 - Oct 5 Because there seems to be no plan at all, just contradiction after contradiction, want we need another midfielder is beyond me. What does it say to the up and coming players we think.you are good enough, but we are not going to play you anyhow it is becoming beyond a joke!!!!!!!!
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Suffolk_n_Good added 07:14 - Oct 5 Seems to be no direction, can't help but feel that these loan signing are another "sticking plaster" situation, don't get me wrong they are desperately needed, but this is not the answer, when these players return to their parent clubs, the hole left will be bigger than ever, as our own players coming in won't have had any/enough experience. Ps. Couldn't help but smile, how there was a "Pay Day Loan" advert after this report!! Maybe Jewells influence on "Loans" is stronger than we thought!! ;)

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RevAdrian added 07:27 - Oct 5 Oh dear - no blame necessarily on Mr Jewell but WHERE is the direction, the plan, at least a visible attempt to deliver that plan, at what we all seem to love to call 'our' club but is simply now looking like a shambles. The trouble is that banners saying 'Evans out', or 'Evans sort it out' seem likely to fall on deaf ears. Only the players (whoever they might be by next month!) can keep our hopes up, only the manager has the real job of keeping the players hopes up.

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RevAdrian added 07:28 - Oct 5 I have just realised that (see last post) banners don't fall on deaf ears so much as unseeing eyes! Oh well, too early in morning!
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itfc1981 added 07:46 - Oct 5 Just shows that if we had a better manager the players would want to sign for us, as the up front fees are there. We need to wake up and drop the FFP wages policy in the short term (like the rest of the league is doing). However, without Redknapp I dont see how we can turn the club around. I forsee a new manager struggling in the same way as Jewell, who himself is tactically dour.

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TimmyH added 08:04 - Oct 5 'hadn't planned to bring in short term loanees' - so your plan obviously contradicts ME's plan for the future if we have the funds available, I thought it was a case of our club being really tight on money as has been the case on so many transfers going pear shaped. Not sure what to believe, isn't it a case then of FFP being applied to much and not wanting to fork out substantially on permanent signings?

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Doctor_Albran added 08:13 - Oct 5 There is a plan? **** me charlie, who'd have thought it. Would hate to see where we'd be if there wasn't...!
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JimmyJazz added 08:24 - Oct 5 If PJ and ME have been discussing these loans this week don't you think PJ may have had the balls to tell ME to sort out Martin's contract as well, which is much more important than getting sign-off on a few loan deals
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bluearmy4life added 08:25 - Oct 5 Whether these loan signings can help us get out of the sh!t remains to be seen. We have far to many loan players in the team now, and I question ME, SC & PJ ability in running this once great club. There is no direction, no leadership, nothing. There needs to be big changes right at the top of the club.
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nitroblue1970 added 08:28 - Oct 5 A plan? really...theres a plan?...oh wait........ PJ: whats the best way to get a club relegated chris? CH: Paul, buddy, just do what Norwich did a few years ago, along with sapping the confidence of the players like you did at Sheff Weds and then just blame everyone one else like you did at Derby....perfect! SM: and dont forget me buddy....i cant get a job anywhere else so make sure we hang on for a payoff or just run the contract out...... good plan??????

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Bananaman added 09:18 - Oct 5 What exactly is the plan then PJ?
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Kesgraveblue57 added 09:30 - Oct 5 On loans coming into the club it's gone out of control again it seems to me, that we loan a player for month all we are doing is putting him into the shop window for his mother club to sell him.
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Kesgraveblue57 added 09:34 - Oct 5 ps Get Michael Chopra out of this club and put him on loan
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upthewallpaul added 09:37 - Oct 5 There's a plan?
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Danfootie added 09:44 - Oct 5 No loan players this year, learnt my lessons from last year: Higgingbottom Murphy Lugamo (predictive txt on phone, gave up spellin it correct) Moshni Wellins DJ I accept some we needed, but most of these if PJ would of done his work in the summer we wouldn't! In my opinion we needed another Cb instead of a CM, a Rb so Edwards can push forward, and finally let Murphy play in his favourite position! Striker.... Good news is Jewell accepts he prob ain't going to be here in 10 years time!

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cornishnick added 09:55 - Oct 5 A shambolic state of affairs. Should PJ go now? Yes course he should. But while he is still manager, I support the club and hope we win on Saturday, and the game after and the game after that. I will probably always have my doubts about him after all that has happened in the past, but just hope he proves us all wrong.
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hairbear added 09:56 - Oct 5 Come on Evans get rid of this clown. JEWELL OUT!!!
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cunning_stunt added 10:01 - Oct 5 Same old, same old
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Legend added 10:21 - Oct 5 'Short term loans were not part of the plan' So there is a plan then? Maybe its a cunning plan? would they mind sharing the plan with us fans then!
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Bluetone added 10:26 - Oct 5 All these cunning plans when did Baldrick sign for us?
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Tractorog added 10:35 - Oct 5 Let's bring in short term loans then undermine them by saying they're not part of the plan.... PJ please stop talking to the press, you're not doing yourself any favours. The comments about "Marcus is being straight and honest with me" say it all. I think we now all know that PJs contract will not be renewed at the end of the season.
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Warkys_Tash added 10:44 - Oct 5 @Danfootie You forgot N'Daw
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StowTractorBoy added 10:59 - Oct 5 Jewell is not my flavour of the month at the moment but none of us know the financial restraints he is under. He gets the players into the building and then it is up to Evans and Clegg to tie the deals up which on several occasions they have failed to do. None of us really know who he has had in the building but I suspect more than we think and if I were PJ I would find it difficult to hold my tongue with the true version of events on this subject. We are in a mess now and as now is all that matters loan signings are the only option so lets just get behind those players we have brought in whether it be in the short or long term and see what happens.

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