What an utter shambles – both on and off the pitch.

Town’s players were inept last night as they crumbled to yet another last-gasp defeat to sink to the very bottom of the Championship, and that was followed by total chaos and bizarre happenings off the pitch.

As Paul Jewell failed to appear for the post-match media conference, rumours started circulating like wildfire that he had quit the club and left the ground.

We heard that his assistant Chris Hutchings would speak to the waiting reporters. Then it seemed as though chief executive Simon Clegg would do the talking – surely a sign that Jewell had, indeed, gone?

Eventually, it was the ever-chirpy Hutchings who turned up – to reveal that Jewell was in his office at Portman Road, watching a DVD of his team’s latest shocking surrender.

Why exactly was he doing that, when all hell was breaking loose around him? Wouldn’t the DVD wait until the morning?

Hutchings’ response was along the lines of: “Because we’ve got an important game coming up on Saturday.” So, business as usual, then, Chris?

Surely not. That must be the end of Paul Jewell’s hugely underwhelming spell in charge at Portman Road. The loyalty of owner Marcus Evans and Simon Clegg has, in a way, been admirable.

But they must act now. Paul Jewell has been in an untenable position since his admission on Saturday that he was thinking about quitting. He has to go now, even if Evans doesn’t have a successor lined up. Hutchings or academy chief Bryan Klug can step up as caretaker for a few days, or even a couple of weeks.

Perhaps the only reason for the stay of execution was the fact that Evans, we are told, is thousands of miles away in Barbados.

He needs to either jump on a plane back to the UK, or call Jewell and tell him it’s over.

Because our club is at rock bottom.