IPSWICH Town manager Paul Jewell admits he was surprised to hear that former player Shane O’Connor had criticised him with a strong four-letter expletive on social networking website Twitter.

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Having failed to make a single league appearance under Jewell in little over a year, O’Connor saw his contract terminated towards the end of last month – the player accepting a financial package to end his deal five months early.

Upon signing for Cork City in his native Ireland, the left-sided player – writing via a Twitter account understood to be his – said: “Can’t wait to get started now, hopefully be successful, get back to England and prove all them doubters wrong.”

He then ended that message with a hashtag (the site’s way of grouping subjects), a four letter expletive, followed by Jewell’s name.

When informed of the outburst, Jewell said: “If Shane wants to have a pop at me on Twitter that is the least of my worries.

“All I can say is the only reason he didn’t get picked was because of football. It was nothing personal, I thought he was a nice lad. “Port Vale, Yeovil, Southend – maybe he will have a pop at them too because he couldn’t get a game there either.”

When asked if he had any advise for his young players when it came to writing on the public website, Jewell – with a wry smile – added: “I would advise young players not to call their manager that particular swear word. I don’t think that’s a good move.”

Following his criticism of Jewell, O’Connor later became embroiled in an angry exchange of words with Ipswich supporters on Twitter before eventually calming the situation.

He wrote (sic): “Na in all seriousness like he not the most favourite person but have respect for him. I do hope ye do well and If ye can get behind the team like the manager they will turn it around!”

The former Liverpool trainee – signed on a free transfer by Roy Keane in July 2009 – made 15 starts and seven substitute appearances for the Blues.

14 comments

  • Rex Ide, I think you will find that Keane has a rather colourful vocabulary too, just read his book.

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    Brian Betts

    Saturday, February 4, 2012

  • Jungle boy imagine you are doing well at work then your manager decides to loan you out to a markedly inferior competitor. What would that do for your confidence and self esteem. I suspect you would never be quite so effective ever again. Now imagine being treated this way three or four times.

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    Rob Steroo

    Saturday, February 4, 2012

  • I have no positive comment on anyone using poor language on twitter or any social media. However, Shane is a young man who played with passion and drive and as a mere true blue my view is that there is more to this than we will ever know. So many young players that could have created the ITFC of the future. I stand firm on my assessment of Roy Keane -the man would have been a True Blue - sadly we dumped our courage, conviction and principles somewhere recently. ME do you know anything about this?

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    Blue and true since 1962

    Friday, February 3, 2012

  • Rob Steroo - It's not just Jewell who thinks O'Connor and Peters are rubbish, they couldn't get games when on loan to League 2 clubs. And don't give credit to Keane who let Trotter go for peanuts, giving games to sub-standard players is what got Keane sacked.

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    Roy

    Friday, February 3, 2012

  • Well that makes a change, a town player actually saying exactly what he thinks about jewell, instead of what the player thinks jewell wants to hear. Well done that lad 10 out 10.

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    ged scott

    Friday, February 3, 2012

  • not suprised he had a pop look at some of the stuff pj has recruited one of which hes already got rid ie iceman so does pj no what he is talking about when it comes to signings at least shane seemed to be proud to put the shirt on

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    gutted

    Friday, February 3, 2012

  • For me, O'connor is in the wrong here. He needs to learn some manners, and move on. All of you who think that he and Peters had a future here, think again, Both these players hardly got any games, when they went out on loan, to lower league teams. Then you need to ask yourself, who is knocking down the door trying to sign them. Looks like O' connor might end up in that hotbed of football at Cork City. If you are saying Jewell is wrong, you surely must be saying that many other managers judgements are at fault. Can tell you now, a big fault with both these two players, is their awful positional play, and general reading of the game.

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    jungle boy

    Friday, February 3, 2012

  • It's no good telling us how bad he was when he left Jewell - he looked more than useful before you arrived !!!!!!!!!!!

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    Old Timer

    Friday, February 3, 2012

  • Its even weirder that these contributors are suddenly finding that Keane wasn't so bad after all.Quite amazing , they spent all their time trying to get rid of him. Perhaps Mr Jewell knew him better than we did, doesn't sound a particularly edifying individual. Decent blokes don't go round using language like that and putting it in print. The same goes for unpleasant individuals who try to defend it Mr Steroo..

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    Rex Ide

    Friday, February 3, 2012

  • I am a bit suprised to hear that Paul Jewell made his decision based purely on football ability because quite frankly I thought Shane had always played his heart out for Town and not without a little skill. I remember Jewell remarking shortly after he arrived at Town - when asked about Shane's omission that he thought the lad was good on snow. By implication then, I think he was inferring that those kind of conditions are a great football leveller and hide the true qualities (or otherwise) of a player. That said, he should have waited because Shane would be in his element now presumably!

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    FRANK WESTON

    Friday, February 3, 2012

  • Twitter is for twits - that is all ........

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    Pencil Pete

    Friday, February 3, 2012

  • So Jewell is another of the PR hierarchy surprised to learn that he has come in for some criticism, (Cleggie was also amazed that he was unpopular and subject of criticism some weeks back). I don't know what expletive young O'Conner used about Jewell but sometimes the truth hurts and he was never given a 'sniff' of a chance by this manager rather like Jamie Peters. I was never a staunch Keane fan but he did give O'Conner a contract and played him several times and he never let the team down. So he didn't do well out on loan but can imagine just how the lad's confidence had been bruised by Jewell's attitude towards him. Anyhow, the lad can move on now and good luck to him in the future.

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    Brian Betts

    Friday, February 3, 2012

  • Whilst I would not have used the wprd Shane used, who knows what would have happened this season had Shane been given the chance that Drury and Hyam were. Jewell's comments in response are even worse, as he should have known better. The last match Shane played, he was MOTM so perhaps his frustration is more than understandable.

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    Kevin Bailey

    Friday, February 3, 2012

  • It's wierd how clueless managers see something in some players yet go out of their way to alienate others. Keane, to his credit saw something in Peters, Trotter and O'Connor and gave them games (while alienating a host of others). Yet for some reason you would now have us believe that Peters and O'Connor are useless - rather than Jewell's obviously erroneous judgment and seriously flawed man management.

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    Rob Steroo

    Friday, February 3, 2012

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