IPSWICH Town manager Paul Jewell has not given up on striker Jason Scotland.The 32-year-old was brought to Portman Road last August by former manager Roy Keane to score the goals that would shoot Town into promotion contenders.
It has not worked out that way with the former Trinidad and Tobago international finding the net just 10 times – with nine of those in home fixtures.
He failed to convert three simple chances in Saturday’s 4-2 defeat at Leicester City and has struggled to impress in the lone front-running role where Jewell has employed him for the majority of games since the new manager arrived in January.
Jewell has gone out of his way to stress that he badly needs more goals in his team, and was seen kicking a plastic water bottle in frustration at one Scotland miss at the Walkers Stadium.
But having confirmed the departure of skipper David Norris, central defender Gareth McAuley and goalkeeper Brian Murphy yesterday, Jewell said today:
“Apart from those three I have not ruled any of the senior players out of my plans for next season.
“It is not about moving players out now and I’m not looking to sell.
“It is about bringing players in.
“I want my players committed to the club and if they do that we carry on. If not we might look at other options.
“But as far as Jason Scotland and Tamas Priskin are concerned if someone rings up with a good offer of course we will have to consider it - like any player here.
“But I’m concentrating on getting players in – not out.”
Jewell sees his working relationship with Town owner Marcus Evans as a potentially successful one.
“We speak regularly and I’m aware of his ambitions and I know that he’s equally aware of mine.
“I understand if the answer is no and there’s no need to have a committee meeting about things.
“I worked well with the top man at Wigan in Dave Whelan and also at Bradford City and Derby County where I asked a question and got an answer.
“I think I can do the same here.
“The owner helped greatly with the loan of Jimmy Bullard and if I see a player who I think can help us and the owner thinks the same way I’m sure we will do other big deals.
“But we do not have a bottomless pit and we have to keep aware that this club went into administration a few years ago.
“We know at the club that we have got to spend money but like other cubs in the Championship we do not have millions.