IPSWICH TOWN Football Club is still fortunate to have owner Marcus Evans.

That was the view voiced by a 66% majority of supporters polled on this website.

The Blues have gone steadily backwards since multi-millionaire Evans took over the club in 2007, with the last three league finishes being a disappointing 15th, 13th and 15th.

However, fans appear willing to look past that fact and evaluate how much worse the picture could have looked without his investment.

Manager Paul Jewell has another rebuilding job to do this summer following the departure of a number of players, with Evans keen to show patience following his quick-fire sackings of Jim Magilton and Roy Keane.

Both will have learnt lessons from their time at Portman Road, with fans hoping that their team will soon be stronger for all the recent pain.

“I know I have the support of Marcus,” said Jewell. “I have huge respect for him, the way he stuck by me when we lost seven games on the spin. It was a lonely old place and I appreciate him standing by me.

“Marcus Evans has not got where he is in life by making rash, trigger-happy decisions. Even when he gave me the job, I have learned since, there was a lot of people in for the job.

“He doesn’t do anything without considering it carefully. He is a bit different to me as I am more of a hot-head and reactionary. He makes a good point – try not to make a decision the day after you have lost a game or won a game. You have to make your emotions calm down.

“Marcus has thrown a lot of money at it and he probably thought he would be in the Premier League by now.”

– See today’s EADT (online version available at http://www.eadt.co.uk/home/e-edition) looks at both sides of the Evans debate. We look back on a decade in the Championship, speak to two different supporters’ clubs with differing views, as well as getting David Sheepshanks’ reflections on selling the club.