Loan midfielder Richie Wellens laid into Town’s permanent signings after Saturday’s dismal defeat to Sheffield Wednesday, claiming he and his fellow temporary signings are the only ones who care. Caretaker-manager Chris Hutchings similarly pointed the finger at players in his post-match press conference after the game.

Wellens, who is with the Blues from Leicester until November 10th, said: “A new manager needs to come in and put a rocket under their backsides because there are not enough people who show they care about losing or even their own careers.

“One of the coaches said that the old manager got stick for bringing in loan players, but it is the loan players who are showing they care and that is a sad indication of what is wrong.”

He refused to blame those coaches for Saturday's display: “There is a full week to get someone in but everything Chris [Hutchings] and Sparky [Mark Kennedy] have said and done in the days before the game were spot on.

“If we are allowing balls to drop in the box and not clearing the ball or not stopping shots, or winning a header, you are going to get beat and that is not down to the coaches.”

He added: “We need people to show passion, to show they care. It is difficult when you are getting the ball and no one else wants it. It is human nature when you are under pressure to go and hide but we need a better attitude, and to act like men.

“I have always thought of Ipswich as a nice club and that was confirmed when I got here. It is a little too easy, too cosy.”

The 32-year-old former Manchester United trainee continued: "Defensively we were a bit of a shambles. We did not compete with their physicality and they won every headed ball in both boxes.

“When you go a goal down after 40-odd seconds in the situation we are in. We showed some character and came back for a while after going a goal down and were the better team.

“The second half was terrible. It is difficult to put a finger on why but we need to sort it out."

He says he takes defeats such as Saturday's to heart: “I care — I care about football. The easiest thing for me would be to let the game pass me by but that is not me.

“I have had four games and lost four and that hurts me. I won’t speak to the wife and the kids will be put to bed. It ruins my week.”

Wellens says he wouldn't have been out in the circumstances some of the other players were in midweek: “In training when we are asked to work they do put it in.

“It is not for me to say when people go and have a drink. But if it was me I would have looked at the situation.

“Do I need to go out and be having a drink? If I was a supporter I would not have been happy. It was about six or seven and you can’t judge the whole group by those players."

He also issued a warning for the future: “I can’t see Ipswich ever winning a game unless they are at their best and everything is going for them.

“To be a strong club in the Championship you have to win when things are not going well. I can fully understand why the club have been done by five and six goals this season.”

In terms of the new boss, he wouldn't be drawn: “It is not my place to say about that. They need to get to get the decision right because we had it at Leicester.

"They sacked Nigel Pearson who was doing a good job but then we had to go through two or three managers before we got him back and now he is doing very well. Whoever it is needs to get the players on board as soon as possible.”

Meanwhile, interviews for the manager's job continue with this morning's papers again mentioning Blues interest in Blackpool's Ian Holloway. However, as of this weekend, Town had not made contact with the Seasiders regarding their boss.

Mick McCarthy and Alan Curbishley remain the two frontrunners for the job.

Photo: Action Images

Pessimistic added 17:12 - Oct 29 We don't need to name and shame them because they stand out in every crowd. Carlos Edwards has a big mouth but quite frankly he can only talk the talk and most of that is contradictory at best. I would take the armband off him and consider giving it to Richie Wellens until he goes or even Luke Hyam so desperate are the choices available to us at this moment.
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Bergholtblue added 17:14 - Oct 29 I would strip Edwards of the captaincy and give it to Wellens. Then we may see who wants to stand up and be counted . It may not produce results but it may give an indication to the new manager who needs shipping out.
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Seasider added 17:15 - Oct 29 Further to previous post understand he has now moved from Surrey to the area;but this doesnt change anything really especially reagarding his negotiating skills.
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martleshamitfc added 17:37 - Oct 29 I have always said that youth team players should be made to do a work placement for 3 months during the summer months. then they may realise what a privileged job being a professional footballer is. It would also give them some idea of the "real" world and have respect for the fans for help pay their wages. Many fans work hard all week and the weekend game is what they look forward too so to hear comments that players don't care at this club is disgusting. If this is true then get rid of them!

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fifeblue added 17:43 - Oct 29 I sort of agree with Daleyitfc. PLUS, a LOAN player who makes such comments should be drummed out of the club IMMEDIATELY. Talk about disruptive. Go away back to Leicester you stupid man. WHo do you think you are trying to impress? Get out of our club.
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fifeblue added 17:43 - Oct 29 Why are people feeling sorry for Paul Jewell all of a sudden? If he ever had a plot, he lost it a long time ago.
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Morgan added 17:46 - Oct 29 Well said Wellens, you have just gone up in my estimations having some serious balls to shine a spotlight on the cancerous elements of the squad. It won't make you popular but I hope it has the desired effect. If I was hutch I would take as many of them out with me as I could after it is obvious that they have pretty much cost pj and him their jobs. But I'm a sad bitter man ;-) Get shot of them all and stick the youth team in until they have learnt, we can't do any worse! It irritates me that we may need them to get out of this mess.

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wrightyblue added 17:55 - Oct 29 McCarthy's blue army!!!!
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Dissboyitfc added 17:57 - Oct 29 you have to espect Wellens for this, takes a lot of bottle to do it. There is a saying that goes a little like this, " you are either part of the solution, or you are part of the problem!" We need more players to fall into the solution category. Richie, respect! As for the ones he refers too, no respect! Get rid!!!
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Taricco_Fan added 18:02 - Oct 29 It takes a brave man to come out and say these things. Well done Richie, it needed to be said and confirms what we all suspected. Extend his loan period. We need anyone that cares at the moment so we can clear out the bad eggs, mercenaries and troublemakers.
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dubblue added 18:27 - Oct 29 Very worrying - new manager is going to have a hell of a job! It's not just a hard manager we need, Keano proves that. We need a manager that can motivate the players but be ready to punnish poor attitude where necessary.
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jas0999 added 18:40 - Oct 29 Sadly I can't say I am surprised. Time to draw a line under the abysmal PJ regime and move on - hopefully Clegg will announce an appointment within the next day or so.
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R_LAMB3 added 18:48 - Oct 29 All these names being named to get the town managers job just look who the bookies think and you work out who it is by just looking at the betting Mick McCarthy is 4/9 ON so theres the new manager Holland assistant manager and Kevin Bond a coaching role As for Ian Holloway he is not even in the betting for the town job but he is 4/6 ON for the Blackburn job the only way big mick wont get the job is if he turn it down himself so Richie Wellens will get his wish big mick will come in with a iron fist and sort them out

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Ipswichbusiness added 18:59 - Oct 29 Imagine yourself as an Ipswich player at the start of the season. On the face of it you have every reason to care and put in the effort, not least because you have a shot at the Premiership and the adulation and wages involved. That said, why have they then apparently given up? Is it despair at useless management? That would make a certain amount of sense. After all, take Loach. Last winter Mr Jewell wanted to sign Henderson. He failed so in the summer he went off and signed Loach as his permanent keeper (a decision very popular with us fans as I recall). Then a few games into the season (alright Loach had had one stinker), Mr Jewell went off and signed Henderson on loan and dropped Loach. If you're Loach that's hardly going to give you much confidence, not least because it makes you look like second choice all along. Similarly with N'Daw; signed on loan, played a few games quite creditably, then suddenly Willens is signed on a short-term loan to replace him. Hardly likely to make him feel valued is it? I fear that Mr Jewell has left behind him an utter shambles which is going to be very difficult to resolve.

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PSGBlue added 19:05 - Oct 29 Well said Richie, we need players like you in our club. He points th figure at several players. yet agian, not for the first time Chopra leads the way - what a complete waste of space he is! Don't worry Richie, you will soon be on the winning side. November 17th to be exact when you return to Leicester and play against us. Whoever comes in, don't expect any turn in fortune until Jauary and we can start sorting this mess out, by then of course, it could be too late.

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StochesStotasBlewe added 19:16 - Oct 29 The problem is that players generally have the power, even at our now low level. They need to get in the real world, yes Chopra, that means you too. Pampered beyond belief, overpaid in many cases, couldn,t care less that the majority of Town fans work bloody hard for a fraction of the money they earn. Agents don,t help, greedy money motivated leeches on the whole. Let,s just hope & pray that whoever our new manager is, he is given carte blanche to sort this dreadfull mess out by Evans/Clegg. I also find it very sad that it has taken a loan player to have the bo***cks to come out with these statements. Respect Mr Wellens, shame on our senior players.

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livrich added 19:16 - Oct 29 I am slightly more concerned that this shows massive discord in the camp and a two camp mentallity - loanees and contracted, we know there are massive problems. But there has been a knee jerk approach to problems - bad game, new loanee, bad game, another new loanee. Whoe ever comes in need to take stock and work from first principles, clean slate for all. This offload this player offload that is nuts, whether they are contracted or loanee, one we can't afford to buy out contracts and two I'd rather the new guy had all these players to work from and see who cuts the mustard, hopefully with better direction. I am not surprised both contracted and non-contracted players (loan) are narked with the latter day desperation in the loan market. For the last 12 games, we have been rubbish, with few shining lights,but they all have now a chance to show the new guy they are worth the effort and can contribute. That said donot like giving short-term loans captaincy unless there is some pre-agreement for longer term. Hope this is all over soon and we get some optimism and postiveness back, but please do not expect the demands of signing a quality centre half, left back, right back, striker to be met over night, we are going to have to get behind the new guy and see if he can make the same bunch of players work as a team

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Stato added 19:20 - Oct 29 I can't help but compare the honesty and courage displayed by on-loan Wellens with the negative tweets posted by Chopra slagging off his own fans.
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Strikes added 19:37 - Oct 29 Well said sir! As your convelescent home where you get fit for your own club, you're one person who will be fit to wear the shirt very soon (trouble is, it'll be a Leicester shirt)
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R_LAMB3 added 19:44 - Oct 29 Both Holland and Bond watching a town match with the directors probually mean some coaching work for them both with big mick McCarthy the boss
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TimmyH added 19:52 - Oct 29 Personally feel Paul Jewell sowed the seeds for this unrest, triggered by taking players in and out of the starting 11 almost weekly and discarding a few almost totally and thanks to some of the players big ego's a state of 'I'm bigger than the club' prevailed. As mentioned on paper at times the squad doesn't look to bad certainly for the position we've been in the season which equates to 2 things, bad management and are the players pulling their weight? - the first we've known for some time but the latter we're just finding out about (which doesn't surprise me coming from a senior loanee). I could draw up a ego list and I think we all know which players would be in and who'd be near the top. The poll for McCarthy over Curbishley as next manager speaks volumes for the supporters wanting a take no sh%t manager - a number of our players need to be sorted out or can leave!

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Talbs77 added 19:59 - Oct 29 I have worked today which has involved several visits so been in car and listened to Talksport ridiculing us all day. A team of loan players, a laughing stock, they even managed to get wind of the players out on the lash etc. Its hard to argue against any of that. Wellens is right. Says it all that a player at the club for only a month has come out and spoken what we have thought for a long while, the players are not giving 100%, always coming out with excuses or saying a winning run is just around the corner blah blah. But the truth is there is no winning run coming. The problem is we need a massive clearout of players but we cant do that. A transfer window for a month wont be long enough so we have to try to get the players we have playing for each other and, more importantly, the club and us. Whoever comes in wont have a bigger job in his life. God help us.

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itfchorry added 20:04 - Oct 29 Yes - Goid post Seasider - Clegg has been an absolute disaster for our club. He really has been found wanting time and again. With his lack of football knowledge I really fear who he is likely to bring next in to the club. Clegg Out
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BrandonsBlues added 20:18 - Oct 29 Wow so this club really is rotten to the core. So why do our actual players feel like this. Because of Jewell or not. Well it looks like some real bad players at this club and the sooner we get rid the better. Clearly some are not part of the team at all. Maybe if this sort of thing had come out sooner things might be a bit different.
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feelinblue2 added 20:23 - Oct 29 I very rarely comment on here but alas I couldn't help myself. This situation has been coming for years, you only have to look at the results over the seasons and the same issues related to this once great club. I too find Richie's comments refreshing whether they are for presonal gain or not, as for blaming Henderson on goals conceded we have shipped goals for 3-4 seasons, we have always cried out for decent defenders, as for strikers we as just miles off the pace. It is a defining moment for this club and can't help agreeing with some that a fall from our pedestals would be welcome to rebuild and to take out the trash! New manager from a lower league, new start, less expectation I think would see us quietly crawl up the league....................lets hope!

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