Ipswich captain Carlos Edwards has laid his cards firmly on the table to own up: “We are playing to keep the manager in his job.”

Successive away draws at Barnsley and Brighton may have ended a depressing run of three defeats on the trot but Town are still second from bottom of the table with Saturday’s defeat to Championship leaders Cardiff continuing speculation regarding Paul Jewell’s future.

Edwards admitted: “It’s all down to the players once we cross the white line and whatever team the manager picks we must go out and give 100 per cent.

“We can only do what we can when we are out on the pitch to help his cause and make the owner and the board of directors give him a bit of extra time. We can only do so much to try to make sure his job is safe.

“He will accept his fate and even if I would love to see him in the job for some time to come I am just one player.”

Edwards said the manager’s position is not proving a distraction and added: “It is not a big topic among the players and they tend to just get on with their jobs.

“We hear the whispers but the last thing we want to do is talk about whether or not the manager is going to be sacked. We don’t want players in a corner of the dressing room speculating about what is going to happen.

“We come into training every day and yes, we do have our concerns, but we just keep them to ourselves. Once the games come round and the manager picks his team we are all in it together.

“We are a good group of lads and when we lost three in a row recently we did not think it was the end of the world. We knew it would get better and we came back with two good away draws.”

Photo: Action Images

dreamer added 14:43 - Oct 10 Carlos you are a jewell. Jewell you are ........ not
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Legend added 15:02 - Oct 10 Carlos will be gone at the end of the season anyways. Hopefully Jewell will be gone by the end of the week. If he stays the ITFC will be gone by the end of the season. It wouldnt be so bad Carlos if you and your mates produced the goods on match day!
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irishtim added 15:09 - Oct 10 Butcher with Burley as Director of football?? ITFC Warriors.
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Premiertown added 15:22 - Oct 10 Pity John Wark isnt a manager, Scottish too.
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Ravenblue52 added 15:23 - Oct 10 A tough spot to be in Carlos, every player will stand by their manager no matter what the results, but this is a results business and unless things change PJ will find himself out of a job.
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BigAlwasmyhero added 15:29 - Oct 10 With friends like this playing for you, who needs enemies!
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Edmunds5 added 15:34 - Oct 10 Typical footballers interview really, trying to sound as professional as possible when we need the opposite, especially from someone like Carlos. As others have said, if all the players got together and had a meeting and got everything out in the open then we would probably be in a better place for it. The problem is we do not have a natural leader and a young squad so I cant see this happening, nor can I see Jewell doing this to be honest. I think Darren Ferguson did this at Peterborough and they've improved since. Seeing Joe Hart coming out after the Madrid game saying how upset he was at what had just happened is what we need, players should see this as a challenge not a demorilising experience. Where is that Steve Williams by the way, that Olympian who Clegg hired for phschological benefits, this kind of situation is what he should be used for especially when errors such as Loach and Cresswell's communication problem for Helguson's header, which is probably based on confidence. I haven't heard much from him though, he's not exactly a massive figure this bloke but he doesn't seem to be helping the players much.

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levington added 15:39 - Oct 10 Edwards shouldn't be allowed to give interviews, they're even worse than his stupid right back charade.
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Dozzells_Bobblehat added 15:52 - Oct 10 Norwichbeater - i was happy with two away draws, and IMO any sensible person would be. Its the three home defeats that we should be worried about.
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Surco72 added 16:16 - Oct 10 Reddust ... why would you want Owen Coyle ? He had a team littered with Premiership talent on Prem wages with a much bigger spending capacity than us and managed 4 more points so far ? In our games so far we have played 2 relegated sides ,and 5 teams who got in or pushed the playoffs last season and Huddersfield who seem to be the promoted side off to a flier this year . So what right have we to beat the likes of Blackburn,Wolves ,Cardiff,Brighton,Blackpool,Watford,Boro all who have spent more or have much bigger squads . So in reality we should be disappointed at three results Huddersfield , Charlton and Barnsley . Fans need to wake up to reality and realise where our club is at the moment

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NoelTheDub added 16:22 - Oct 10 We are playing to keep pj in a job........ FAILED.We are 23rd in the LEAGUE....FAILED.We cant defend...FAILED.We cant score....FAILED.No short term loans....FAILED.Im looking forward to league1 and the youth pj said was his plan,pj is no different to keano now if not worse.We have a glimmer of hope if the board acts now,or the players should be brave enoughtosay they let him and us down...

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Edmunds5 added 16:28 - Oct 10 Surco72 Good point but i would disagree a little, just because teams in this League spend more money doesn't mean we shouldn't be getting results against them. If we spent money more wisely during the market we would have a team that could really compete, much of the sides if the top half may have spent a fair amount of money but clubs have made really clever signings, Matt Phillips cost £350,000 from Wycombe a few years ago, Tom Ince taken from Liverpools reserve side for nothing, both players could potentially be the key to getting Blackpool promoted.Likewise Stoke didn't spend much when they got promoted, both of these sides have compotent managers. Of course you need some money and a decent sized squad but in this League I think it is more how the money is spent rather than how much you have.

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Surco72 added 16:47 - Oct 10 Edmund 5 to a point i agree with how the money is spent and you have named a few players who have cost little money ,one who had a good year last season but is doing little this and you could say Jewell has done this also with the cheap signing of our player of the year last season ? But at the end of the day the sides who spend the most and have the bigger squads will be at the top of the league simple fact QPR,Newcastle,West Ham,West Brom,Saints in recent years,Cardiff,Brighton,Leicester,Wolves ,Leeds this year just look at the premier league . And to be honest after watching the games against Boro,Wolves ,Cardiff and Brighton i would say we are competing and results will follow especially against imo poorer sides of the league

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dirtydingusmagee added 17:03 - Oct 10 gibbs123 ,PJ has hardly steadied the ship,at the end of Keanes term [and i am no Keane fan ] he left with Town out of relegation zone, PJ is running the ship onto the rocks from the sandbank we were on with RK . Edwards saying the team are playing to keep him in a job is a pointless, even rediculous thing to say.Icant believe M E and Clegg ,can keep him on if they are serious about success for the Club.Jewell has to go .

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Edmunds5 added 17:15 - Oct 10 I agree with that and naturally some teams do just have better squads, and can sell players like Wolves did with Fletcher and Jarvis and therefore invest millions on players, on the flip side we have had money also?, Keane sent much of that down the drain and we came 15th, and when Magilton had less to work with we came 8th? Jewell spent £1.5m on Chopra, £1.5m on JET, he has spent £1.5m+ on Taylor and as you say our best signing has aguarbly been Cresswell who has cost less which just emphasises my point. Leicester had money under Sven and he waisted most of it on the wrong type of players, Bolton have a strong squad but are struggling. Southampton didn't spent that much as they just spent wisely on players like Lambert, Do Prado and Hammond. Leeds dont have huge money available, Warnock hasn't spent too much on players and has mainly signed players for frees or small fees. We've done this but not properly, Bullard, Bowyer, Sonko to name a few. It's all about finding the right criteria of player and having a good manager and scouting system to do that. Sorry for going on

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scottmdp added 17:26 - Oct 10 Fingers crossed you all keep losing then!!
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jocasaja added 17:27 - Oct 10 I have said it before - and will say it again-we do have a decent team and squad who are not getting the results YET. I know it is dissapointing, but I am more encouraged by the football being played than I ever was under RK. It is not PJs fault that his goalkeeper drops a couple of clangers. We know the team has fragile confidence and sit back and try and defend a slim lead - unsuccessfully. It is not PJs fault that he has had to get more loans in, and I think that they all offer something. Also we have to remember that Taylor who looks really promising was unlucky to get injured. I know that it is a results business, and I am sure that PJ is aware of this as well. However I do believe that he and his squad are capable of climbing this table and I would give him at least another couple of games, and I honestly feel that we are capable of a couple of wins to get us going- we will see? COYB

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Norwichbeater added 17:42 - Oct 10 Gibbon itfc. good idea give up commenting.
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h32 added 18:05 - Oct 10 Plenty of evidence of 'the easily satisfied brigade' rearing their non expecting heads - the very people who I have termed previously as forever being satisfied as long as a ball is kicked at Portman Road (at whatever level) - his Club is absolutely doomed with such support, and current leadership. R.I.P IPSWICH TOWN.
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h32 added 18:11 - Oct 10 GibbsITFC - yet more unbelievable drivel from you ..... just keep coughing up and keep quiet - and please don't bother to post.
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h32 added 18:28 - Oct 10 ..... apologies missed the 't' out of 'this'.
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Bergholtblue added 18:28 - Oct 10 Premiertown - John Wark did manage. He was joint manager with Paul Goddard. Didn't do too well as I remember.
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h32 added 18:38 - Oct 10 This Club is like a Ship on the High Seas - without a Captain, without a Crew, and Passengers about to abandon Ship ....... sensible one's anyway.
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yorksblue added 18:59 - Oct 10 I'm in a pub in Liverpool listening to scousers moaning. Boy, they think they're hard done by.
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StuartBrett8 added 19:27 - Oct 10 I just get the feeling that Carlos and the player's don't care whether P.J stay's or goes... D.J Campbell interview yesterday was very similar....
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