PAUL Jewell has confirmed his disappointment at a failure to sign central defender Sean St Ledger from Preston North End.
“I know Preston chairman Maurice Lindsay and while I was out of work towards the end of last year I asked him what fee would he want for Sean,” explained Ipswich Town manager Jewell.
“He told me a price, and we made a bid. But it now appears that the player’s value has gone up by £1million.
“I’d spoken to Preston manager Phil Brown, and it’s disappointing how it’s worked out.”
The Lilywhites are understood to want £2.5 million for the Republic of Ireland international, with Lindsay saying that bids for St Ledger, Billy Jones and Andy Lonergan have all been rebuffed.
“Ipswich wanted to sign St Ledger and we said ‘no’. Along with the other two bids we have seen off it shows that we are not a selling club.
“We are trying to strengthen in our battle to avoid relegation.”
While Town have signed midfielders Jimmy Bullard and Andy Drury they failed to add to their list of strikers.
Jewell says that he wants to see goals spread around the team being happy with the defensive record of his team.
“We looked a bit one dimensional against Millwall, but in the second half against Doncaster we looked much more like a team that can create chances,” said Jewell.
“We will be looking to carry on from that display against Derby.”
Jewell doesn’t expect a great welcome tonight after failing to hit the heights in his previous managerial job at Pride Park.
He went on: “I cannot say that I did well there, but there were mitigating circumstances.
“Am I a better manager for my experience at Pride Park? Time will tell but I think so – I made a lot of mistakes, but they were not all my fault.
“I could have been more patient, and now I am not so impatient and perhaps a bit nicer.”
http://www.greenun24.co.uk/ipswich-town/jewell_surprised_by_extra_1m_added_to_st_ledger_fee_1_788844
“I know Preston chairman Maurice Lindsay and while I was out of work towards the end of last year I asked him what fee would he want for Sean,” explained Ipswich Town manager Jewell.
“He told me a price, and we made a bid. But it now appears that the player’s value has gone up by £1million.
“I’d spoken to Preston manager Phil Brown, and it’s disappointing how it’s worked out.”
The Lilywhites are understood to want £2.5 million for the Republic of Ireland international, with Lindsay saying that bids for St Ledger, Billy Jones and Andy Lonergan have all been rebuffed.
“Ipswich wanted to sign St Ledger and we said ‘no’. Along with the other two bids we have seen off it shows that we are not a selling club.
“We are trying to strengthen in our battle to avoid relegation.”
While Town have signed midfielders Jimmy Bullard and Andy Drury they failed to add to their list of strikers.
Jewell says that he wants to see goals spread around the team being happy with the defensive record of his team.
“We looked a bit one dimensional against Millwall, but in the second half against Doncaster we looked much more like a team that can create chances,” said Jewell.
“We will be looking to carry on from that display against Derby.”
Jewell doesn’t expect a great welcome tonight after failing to hit the heights in his previous managerial job at Pride Park.
He went on: “I cannot say that I did well there, but there were mitigating circumstances.
“Am I a better manager for my experience at Pride Park? Time will tell but I think so – I made a lot of mistakes, but they were not all my fault.
“I could have been more patient, and now I am not so impatient and perhaps a bit nicer.”
http://www.greenun24.co.uk/ipswich-town/jewell_surprised_by_extra_1m_added_to_st_ledger_fee_1_788844
