General manager of football operations Lee O’Neill has defended the Blues adding four more loan players to their ranks during the January transfer window, despite the club and manager Paul Lambert having previously stated that that was an approach they didn’t want to take.

Josh Harrop, Luke Thomas, Troy Parrott and Luke Matheson all joined the club during January, taking the total of loan players to six, one more than is allowed in a matchday squad.

O’Neill says that the restrictions of the League One salary cap and the financial situation created by the Covid-19 pandemic meant that loans, ideally of players under-21, as is the case with Thomas, Parrott and Matheson, were the only route the Blues were able to take as they looked to add during the transfer window.

“People might ask why we have gone into the loan market when we said before that we didn’t want to bring in loans and that we wanted to develop our own players, but the fact is the football landscape has changed so much over the past year that we had no choice,” O’Neill told the club website.

“The Covid pandemic and what’s resulted from that is one aspect and certainly the introduction of the salary cap has had a major impact.

“It is going to be a very challenging fixture schedule, with a lot of Saturday, Tuesday, Saturday games over the second half of the season and we felt that we needed to add some strength in depth in certain areas.

“We were right at the maximum on the salary cap going into January so it was always going to be a challenge to get players in with the restrictions we are under. It’s not just us, every club faces the same issues and that’s why 70 per cent of the deals done in January were loans.

“Every club in League One and maybe League Two have had to go into the loan market. It’s a needs must situation.

“We knew that we would be looking at players that are under-21 but we also wanted those players to have first-team experience and that were readily available to go now and play straightaway and we are delighted with the players we have been able to bring in.

“They will add quality to the squad and they will be competing for a first-team place and not just here to provide cover.

“Obviously with Keanan [Bennetts] and Mark [McGuinness] already here on loan, we now have six loanees and we can only have five in a matchday 18 so that will take some managing but we have spoken to the clubs and they understand the situation and they have all been great.

“I want to go on record and express my thanks to all the clubs that we have worked with to make all our loan deals happen.”

Regarding the addition of Irish international striker Parrott, O’Neill says that came about due to a strong link the club has with Spurs.

“We have got a really good relationship with Tottenham and that certainly helped with Troy coming here,” he added.

“Obviously Bryan [Klug] has been at Tottenham [as assistant academy manager and head of player development] and has got those links and Troy knows some of the other staff here as well.

“He’s has been at the training ground before. We have played games against Tottenham here at academy level and he’s a lad we have been aware of for a while, going back to the days when he would come over as a young lad from Ireland.

""“He spent the first half of the season on loan at Millwall and wants to get some more game time over the rest of the season. He had a lot of options so we’re delighted he wanted to come here.”

Despite the new players coming in this month, O’Neill says the club’s own youngsters are still viewed as a key for the club going forward.

“We have got some promising young players coming through the ranks and it will remain one of the cornerstones of the club that we look to develop our own young players and give them a chance to progress into first-team players here,” he said.

“But, as I said earlier, this year is different and we face the most testing fixture schedule over the next few months and we need players that have had the experience of playing first-team football.”

Photo: TWTD

Saxonblue74 added 17:07 - Feb 3 Can't disagree with Oneill. With regard to our own "wonderkids" I think most have had a fair crack of the whip but have failed to shine. Offload some of the deadwood? Doesn't there have to be some interest from other clubs whilst they're still under contract? Bit like calling for a new owner when nobody wants to buy! Another transfer window been and gone without the worry of losing any star players.....sad indictment.

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Bluebongo added 17:15 - Feb 3 How many players ar e on the payroll now.
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heathen66 added 17:15 - Feb 3 The real problem happened a while ago, when offering contract extensions to the likes of Chambers, Skuse and Sears, and then to compound the problem sign Ward, who is no better (and that is being polite) than what we already had, and has brought nothing better to the table. Now these guys are struggling at this level, although that could also be down to coaching, but are too slow and stuck in their ways and have no motivation to progress this club. I am sure they possibly see another season or two at this club / level as it is a lot easier than trying to find another club at this point in their careers

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DaGremloid added 17:18 - Feb 3 I know some of you won't like to hear this but I think we'd still be in the Championship if MM was still here. But before you rush in in to 'minus' this comment, I wasn't a MM fan myself. We were warned to be careful what we wished for and tragically that came true.
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dieselmorris added 17:25 - Feb 3 more loans than barclays
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Cloddyseedbed added 17:39 - Feb 3 We have a squad that is far too big and many of them lack motivation. This is not helped by too many old players that seem to set the tone of things at the club. Too many injured or under performing players that can not all be put down to bad luck. Our own youngsters who have been brought into the team have not progressed as much as I had hoped and not performed consistently or improved to my mind. I feel this has a lot to do with being over hyped and the term one of our own used too much. I refer to them as youngsters but in fact most of them are now not. There are younger players playing week in week out in the premiership and doing well. It sums many of them up as no clubs have come in with high figures wanting to prise our youngsters away. In actual fact it speaks volumes that non of our senior players are seen as exceptional and clubs desperate to sign them. It leaves us as a club with a huge playing squad of very ordinary players that we can't seem to trim the ones that we need to move on. Every year a different team is put together to try and compete, often it is put together at the last minute with what is left available. So ITFC Evans and O'Neil we are in this mess, not just this season but every season. No building for the future, just a mish mash of players put together with what we can scrape up. It is your fault, this has been going on for years and will continue. lack of funding in every league we have been in and now your blaming Covid and salary cap. Every other club has the same problems, but when you watch them play they other clubs seem to get more out of their players than we do. So Add to the list Lambert and his coaches, who like the owner are under performing and feeding the supporters bullsh*t.

20

runningout added 17:40 - Feb 3 Wishing and risking is all part of football. Getting back to the Premier league and staying there was and should be the aim. Embarrassing advice to our owner was and still is responsible. Mr Evans needs to take a real hard look at who he's listening too. They have been pulling the wool over his eyes
4

Blue_Meanie added 17:42 - Feb 3 Club needs a proper football CEO not O'Neill, have a look at his profile on Linkin
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grow_our_own added 17:45 - Feb 3 Short-termism isn't necessary if you get the long-term fundamentals right. First stage towards that is to recruit a decent manager.
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blues1 added 17:47 - Feb 3 Betty blue. As usual showing ur total ignorance of the situation surrounding the salary cap. Even if we offloaded those players, we couldnt replace them. Those under contract players are classed as earning £113,000 a week. Which is the only reason we can stay within the £2.5m cap. Any player we signed would have to take a wage, which frankly I doubt any player worth signing, would accept. And anyway, if we were, as u say, to sack them, wed have to pay off their contract, which would still be classed as part of our wage bill. So couldnt sign anyone to replace them anyway. Good job ur not in charge of the club that's for sure. Absolutely no idea whatsoever.

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BettyBlue added 17:51 - Feb 3 the CEO is a PE teacher......
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Bluearmy_81 added 17:53 - Feb 3 Theipswich, if Evans did make a statement I wouldnt bother reading it personally, would just be more spin and empty platitudes...
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LimerickTractorBoy added 18:17 - Feb 3 Sad and rudderless, what a mess we have become. However, Troy Parrott going to score and win a penalty on Saturday and generally terrorise the Blackpool defence.
0

capncub added 18:17 - Feb 3 Oh good I see some of these newcomers are superstars on a computer game, does that not fill people in the real world with a whole heap of confidence? Abundance of decent players in Div 2 and the National League but no we pin our hopes on a striker with a worse scoring record than the lot we already have.
0

pazzy added 18:21 - Feb 3 its not the players its the tactics of the manager 1 up front and so bloody slow getting the ball forward we pass about at the back so the other team can filter back the faster we move the ball out the better.i have a feeling he is going to play five across with wing backs WE HAVE TO PLAY 2 UP FRONTwe are not good enough to play out from the back and the keepers worry me holy is nearly 7 feet tall and should command his area much more i will shut up now

5

istanblue added 18:34 - Feb 3 Lee O'Neill: A PE teacher masquerading as a football operations manager. In reality he is just the Mouth of Evans. #PELeeOut
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Phil1969 added 18:35 - Feb 3 One has to wonder about the average IQ of the Ipswich supporters on here. Current squad isn't doing it and need reinforcements, moan, add some fresh blood in the only way we can by borrowing, moan, when are we going to sack Evans, Lambert and O'Neill moan. How is that going to help mid season plus how do you sack oneself when owning the company lol
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dirtydingusmagee added 19:23 - Feb 3 I cant summon up a dreg of hope for this season, and to be honest with the general state of things at present i cant even say i care that much anymore. Sad having been a supporter since mid 60s. I HAVE BECOME, COMFORTABLY NUMB .
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ringwoodblue added 19:30 - Feb 3 That's fine but can Lambert also change his mind about playing two upfront? Thought not.
3

shakytown added 19:57 - Feb 3 What it really proves is that we have a lot of non performing and past it deadwood in the squad. No matter what happens there is a real need for an honest evaluation of each player and a serious clear out of the squad.
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timkatieadamitfc added 20:06 - Feb 3 Phil1969 - most of the people's iq on here is fine, however it's people like yourself that need to question there own, can't you see that most negative comments on here are born out of pure frustration, watching a once great club( in mine and your lifetime) plummet down the leagues, playing sh1t football under a manager who is absolutely clueless. People have had enough of a bilge spouting manager who simply refuses to change his system of play WHO ANYONE CAN SEE SIMPLY DOES NOT WORK. How can anyone be happy watching there team play the way we are at the minute Knock it round the back slowly No pace getting it forward Most of the games we are not getting a shot on target until the second half(TRUE AND ABYSMAL) We play 2 up top and score within how many minutes on Saturday but you can bet he'll be playing his trusted 1up top this Saturday. Never thought I'd hear myself say this about an Ipswich team but we are a boring team and terrible to watch PEOPLE HAVE HAD ENOUGH AND IT IS A SHAME NO FANS ARE ALLOWED IN AT THE MOMENT AS I AM PRETTY SURE LAMBERT WOULD BE OUT BY NOW ITS LAMBERTS FAULT WE ARE IN THIS MESS AS HE PICKS THE TEAM S AS ND HES FAILING MISERABLY Can't believe the mentality of the man, doing things like getting shot of Donacien when we hav Ed no cover at rb whilst playing an awful CB there LAMBERT OUT

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BeattiesBackPocket added 20:09 - Feb 3 Blues1 you must be one of the people grateful to evans for putting us where we are 🙄
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Phil1969 added 20:15 - Feb 3 Tim it's their not there. I need not say anymore!
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Dissboyitfc added 20:22 - Feb 3 Dagremloid Record and broken springs to mind.... you cant say that for sure, bart kept us up the season before MM left. MM going was 100% the right decision, Wurst and Shambert were the wrong appointments.... I will always have a problem with bringing in 18yr old loan players, Say a miracle happens and we got promoted, we are sending the loanees back and we are left with the 18yr olds deemed not good enough for the 3rd division! how many loanees would we need in the championship? Anyway we wont get promoted and next seasion we will start with the players not deemed good enough this season! Play our own and improve our youngsters, not other teams younsters, just wrong!! Lambert and O'Neil out, pathetic alround, could do a lot worse than give the job to Dyer and Butch.

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stiggytrunk1955 added 20:32 - Feb 3 lets face were going nowhere get rid of the three stooges and we mite lambert taylor and oneil get in the cowley bros in and burley or butcher
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