With time running out, Jewell refuses to pay over the odds for players
By Stuart Watson
Friday, January 27, 2012
7:00 AM
IPSWICH Town manager Paul Jewell says insists the club won’t be forced into paying over the odds for players before next Tuesday’s transfer deadline.
The Blues boss admits that he missed out on many of his top transfer targets last summer before ultimately ending up with a host of loanees and ageing players on short-term contracts.
And with his side currently just four points above the Championship relegation zone following a return of just eight points from a possible 45, he is desperately trying to land the young recruits which will give frustrated supporters a chink of hope for the coming months and years ahead.
Bids have been lodged for five players, but at present it’s far from certain that any of them will sign.
Some have begun to question negotiating powers of owner Marcus Evans and chief executive Simon Clegg. Jewell, however, says signing players is not as simple as many think.
“Please don’t blame them (Evans and Clegg) for everything,” said the Blues boss, in an exclusive interview with the EADT.
“There are lots of players that we haven’t been able to get, but I can assure you no player has slipped through our net through lack of trying.
“Marcus has put a lot of money into the club, but there is a misconception out there that we blow others out of the water with wages – we don’t.
“Not all deals can happen because, at the end of the day, we are in an economic slump here and football isn’t above that.
“I have a lot of input with transfers and will always say when I think a player is not worth a certain amount.”
The EADT understands that a second offer for 19-year-old centre-back Murray Wallace – believed to be around £300,000 – was accepted by Scottish second tier club Falkirk yesterday, but that Town face stiff competition from Brighton and Huddersfield.
An offer of around £2m for a trio of Portsmouth players – including Jason Pearce and Joel Ward – could all depend on how serious the financial situation at the south coast club gets.
And it looks like the Blues have baulked at Crewe’s asking price for teenager Nick Powell.
Meanwhile, 6ft 3in Crawley striker Tyrone Barnett – who saw a £900,000 move to Blackpool fall through last week – is understood to be among a long list of potential Town targets, but with no bid having yet been made.
More Ipswich Town news
- Carlos Edwards may have been given the captaincy – but he is still waiting on contract offer
- Roy Keane itching to get back into management
- Andy Drury had concerns when Ipswich Town blocked his move to Crawley Town
- Josh Carson set to sign new Ipswich Town contract
- Jack Ainsley nets winner for inexperienced Ipswich Town reserves
- Town’s Fab Four, one short of the Famous Five
- Fans speak: Luke deserves a longer contract
- Poyet’s words make a mockery of Town fans’ pipedream
- We love you too: Paul Jewell thanks Ipswich Town fans
- EX-Norwich man insists Town can make the play-offs
10 comments
We need to buy! buy! buy! Now! Or it'll end with a bye, bye.
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Jerry1961
Saturday, January 28, 2012
never mind we will again up with no one !!! the management of this club are taking us all down the river !! SORT IT OUT NOW BEFORE ITS TOO LATE
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Nick Ward
Friday, January 27, 2012
over the odds. good players are not cheep. wake up.if you will not pay top fees look what you get over the hill players who dont care and a manager like you. that is why we are near the botton of the leauge.
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mike benham
Friday, January 27, 2012
That our team becomes demoralised is down to the coaching staff, so try getting some new ones in, we've already got the players, many of them youngsters so why all this fuss about bringing in youth? Senior players that care, like Jason, play them, senior players that don't care, and we can all see who they are,get shot of them.
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JOHN BURLS
Friday, January 27, 2012
Sounds likely that we are being prepared for a gentle "let down" and that nobody will be signing permanently this window. We heard all the - "we've tried and failed" & "won't pay over the odds" stuff all summer long. For me I actually think our inability to sign players could be a blessing in disguise. It makes the job of the next Ipswich manager much easier as he will have very few players foisted upon him. With so many contracts expiring and with loanee's going back to their clubs the new man, which surely must come when 90 minutes is up against Doncatser, the new man will at least have a clean slate with which to work. Other clubs sign players and must face the same problems which make it so difficult for ITFC to do likewise. I heard Owen Coyle yesterday saying how he phoned Tim Ream personally the day after his wedding and during that call Ream not only agreed to sign but also put off his honeymoon in Tahiti to do so !!! Perhaps it's the ability of Jewell & Clegg which is the root cause of our problems - that and the terrible state of the club in general.....must be a very hard sell at the moment.
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bluearmy78
Friday, January 27, 2012
Let me tell you Jewell the economic slump gets worse when your customers finally realise that the product on sale is just not worth the money being asked for it and decide an afternoon at the local park watching local sport is both more enjoyable and makes more financial sense.
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SussexTractorBoy
Friday, January 27, 2012
Jewell: “Please don’t blame them (Evans and Clegg) for everything,” - Oh, really, I don't Paul. I blame you. After all, ME has authorised (if not paid for personally) considerable amounts of cash for each of his 3 managers for them each to then spurt it in all sorts of bad places. Even the bunch of players we have now is nowhere near bad enough to be in the position we are in, and that is a stark reflection on Jewell's managerial responsibilities. I don't particularly rate Clegg, but don't see all things going on behind the scences so am not really qualified to judge entirely. I do see the end product of Jewell's work though, and it is dismal. My prediction is that we will end up with 1 plyer (at most) in this window and ME will finally come to his senses by the end of Feb latest- although next Tuesday night would be a better time.
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I am Spartacus
Friday, January 27, 2012
If, as you rightly say, we ended up with “a host of loanees and ageing players on short-term contracts” that indicates we don’t know what the “odds” were, whereas other competing clubs did, hence not ending up with “as host of loanees” etc. What it indicates is that the upper echelons of the club are not capable of recognising the going rates for players (rejected – rejected – rejected – rejected), are not capable of getting in there and doing the deal and not able to plan realistically. This is why our squad is, yet again, a shambles and heading for another disastrous attempt at rebuilding in the summer. This is truly the most parlous state the club has been in since it moved up from the lower leagues many decades ago. It may as well be run by proprietors of whelk stalls.
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Pete James
Friday, January 27, 2012
To be honest, I am not really interested whether Jewell, Evans or Clegg are to blame. All I do know, as per the evidence, is we are incapable of signing players, whereas other clubs do not have the same difficulties. The time will come, when this hurts, and if we don't sign anyone this window, this time will come very quickly. The frustration at the poor running of the club is bad enough, the obvious inability of those doing it to even see that they are in any way responsible is woeful. Until they accept the responsibility, they will be unable to correct their behaviour. and as we are a long way from this.....the pain for us, the long suffering supporters, is set to continue. In our current state, what is over the odds?
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Kevin Bailey
Friday, January 27, 2012
11th hour yet once again.. when will Clegg.less wake up?
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david bradley
Friday, January 27, 2012