Early Jewells

Having started his Ipswich Town managerial career where the previous manager had left off, with a defeat, it would have taken a brave Ipswich fan to predict that it would need the league leaders to inflict Paul Jewells second defeat, some seven matches later.
Whilst a two goal defeat at the hands of QPR would have been entirely predictable a month ago, the circumstances leading up to the match meant that many Town fans had genuine belief that their side would be able to test the champions-elect.
As it was, a two-goal defeat told anything but the story. Town played with a verve and confidence that has been rapidly restoring itself in recent weeks, dominating the play for much of the first half and only finally coming undone in the latter moments of the game.
Jewell has coaxed improvement from varying areas of the Town side, but it remains that the improvement that continues to be of most influence comes from an external source. Fresh from sitting out Saturdays match with parent-club Hull City, on-loan Jimmy Bullard was the outstanding performer against a QPR midfield that seems inevitably poised to perform in the premiership next season. Increasingly, Bullard suggests that it is a level he belongs at also.
As well as performing on an individual basis, Bullards metronomic passing appears to have instilled confidence in teammates who, only a matter of weeks earlier, were anxious and hurried in possession.
All over the pitch, players seem confident to take an extra touch, find a teammate, search out a forward run and generally become more productive with the ball at their feet. But that is not entirely down to Bullard; it is down to a team shape and framework that essentially suits the personnel. David Norris, Carlos Edwards and Connor Wickham have shown the biggest improvements in the last month, yet are all playing in new roles for the team which, whilst different in name, have allowed them to play to their strengths without restricting others.
To name those three deliberately ignores one player who has transformed his career most dramatically. It is impossible to talk about improvement when referring to a player who simply hadn’t played a first team game for Ipswich Town this season. Yet Lee Martin is perhaps the perfect embodiment of the changes which Paul Jewell has brought to the football club. In looking to add creativity to the Town midfield, Jewell turned to a player that Roy Keane had seemingly disregarded. Within a month, Martin has blossomed as a result of the trust placed in him by a manager who has picked him in every single match since his arrival.
To that end, Martin also becomes the perfect example when re-assessing the Roy Keane era. With each passing performance, Keanes reputation for working with the players at his disposal grows unavoidably weaker. Yet, by the same token, with each passing performance, Keanes dealings in the transfer market become retrospectively stronger. The signings of Damien Delaney, Tamas Priskin, Mark Kennedy and Martin have all come under heavy criticism from fans at one point or other for being failures, yet all have gradually proved those opinions to be hasty. Even Colin Healy, discounted in transfer value as much as he was discounted by Town fans, has proved himself to be a very able performer at Championship level.
Yet, Healys transfer fee was a rare exception under Roy Keanes management. Jewell has quickly set about re-instating a scouting network that had been slowly dismantled over a period of years, appointing former Derby and Wigan Chief Scout, David Hamilton, to his staff. As if to emphasise the wider transfer policy, the performance of Andy Drury on his full Ipswich debut, replacing Bullard against Hull City, served notice that Jewells ability to spot players at lower league level, or non-league in Drurys case, is undiminished.
Yet there is still plenty of work to be done. In the last four matches, Town have allowed a very familiar failing to re-emerge as, once again, late goals have robbed the side of points which the rest of the match had deserved. It is an issue which Roy Keane strived to rid the side of, but which may only truly resolve itself with the kind of experience and know-how which Keane was desperate to bring into the club.
Equally, the new manager has found similar complaint in the inability of the side to produce the goals, and therefore wins, which the approach play has merited. Jewells ill-fated attempt to sign Charlie Austin, alongside his stated desire to play with two strikers when personnel allows, indicates that he shares his previous incumbents concern at the lack of firepower.
However, whilst no Town fan would have predicted a six-match unbeaten run so soon in Jewells Ipswich career, they equally wouldn’t have predicted all Towns ills to have been conquered in such a short space of time either. As it is, they have seen a series of bright and cohesive team performances, which is more than sufficient for most at this stage.