PAUL Jewell has given his old guard a huge vote of confidence.

Despite the Blues boss desperately searching for younger legs, he yesterday allowed Ronan Murray and Shane O’Connor to depart on loan.

And Luke Hyam would also have also followed but was unable to secure the right move.

The trio have all, at one time, been hailed as stars for both the present and the future.

But Jewell clearly thinks they are not the answer to solving the Blues’ problems in the short term after giving all three the chance to play regular football away from Portman Road.

The Town boss is putting his faith in the ‘Dad’s Army’ side he has assembled alongside just one or two youngsters like Aaron Cresswell.

Jewell, who let four players go in the last 48 hours, said: “We are trying our best, but at the moment we are going through a sticky patch.

“But I defy any team not to go through a sticky patch. I am more than confident that in the squad we have got, we can climb up the table.”

Despite losing four games on the bounce, Jewell looks set to largely keep faith in his thirty-somethings.

Some fans hoped Murray would force his way in after scoring twice for Town in Tuesday’s friendly win over West Ham.

But rather than impress the manager before tomorrow’s crucial home match against Reading, it appears as if it just put him in the shop window, the 21-year-old joining Paolo Di Canio’s Swindon Town last night as the deadline passed for loan transfers.

O’Connor joined fellow League Two side Port Vale but Hyam, a former Northgate High School pupil, was unable to secure a loan move..

Jewell said: “These lads need to play games. The clock is ticking for them and they need to go out in the real world – they’re keen to do it because they’re good lads.”