Ipswich trial by TV

Thursday, 08/12/2011

by Sam Broadley, Shoot's Ipswich Town blogger

Ipswich Town manager Paul Jewell is reportedly fighting for his job after seven straight defeats in the Championship.

The former Bradford, Wigan and Derby boss saw a fine run of six games unbeaten in September and October wiped out by this latest slump in form, which culminated in a home defeat to Watford at the weekend. It has been an alarming plummet which has seen Town drop from sixth place to 21st in the table.

Despite the 2-1 reverse last Saturday, it was actually a huge improvement in terms of performance with Town going 1-0 up, but a penalty equaliser marked the usual loss of control in defence and an inevitable winner for the Hornets duly arrived. But the better showing by the players appears to have bought Jewell some time to turn things around at least.

There have been murmurs on the terraces of Portman Road calling for time on Jewell’s short tenure, but the turnover of managers at the club has traditionally been very low. However, owner Marcus Evans has already sacked former bosses Jim Magilton and Roy Keane during his four years at the helm so one would imagine he is growing ever-impatient at the lack of progress in his quest for promotion to the Premier League.

Jewell is not being helped by being forced to deny a behind-the-scenes bust-up with midfielder Jimmy Bullard. Reports told of how a row allegedly broke out between the pair over Bullard’s refusal to move closer to Ipswich, preferring instead to commute from his home in Surrey. The club have denied a rift, but if there has been one it will not please fans as the highly-paid playmaker has been well off form in recent weeks.

Bullard has a chance to put to bed all doubts about his commitment and quality in front of the Sky Sports cameras this weekend as Town travel to Barnsley. Paul Jewell and everyone connected with the club will be praying for a turnaround in results – and what better way to prove the critics wrong than by putting on a winning show for the nation’s viewers.

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