UNDER-fire Blues boss Paul Jewell knows a section of Ipswich fans are calling for his head.

But he has no intention of quitting while he still enjoys the unstinting support of the club’s reclusive owner Marcus Evans.

On the eve of the Blues trip to Birmingham City, the pressure is on Jewell to start turning round a grim run of two wins from 13 matches.

And the manager admitted: “I understand the frustration and all the criticism I’m getting. I know most of the Ipswich fans at the moment would say lets have a change, and I have to take that on my shoulders. It is not a pleasant place to be but the owner has faith in me.

“I will soldier on as long as Marcus believes in me and I believe in myself. We all have our pride and my pride is hurting at the moment. But because the owner has been supportive of me, I couldn’t even think about walking away.”

Despite Jewell overseeing such a dire run, both this season and during large parts of his first year in charge at Portman Road, he refutes claims that Ipswich are a club in crisis.

He said: “It is a club in a relegation fight. A crisis is when you can’t pay the bills and you are looking at administration.

“But certainly from a financial point of view, the club is not in crisis. It is a tough, tough time at the moment. There are a few teams who think they should be nearer the top of the division and they aren’t – and we are one of them. We have to get our hands dirty and fight our way through.”

And Jewell reiterated his own praise for Evans who appears to be keeping faith in the manager despite increasing concern from the terraces.

“I know the way football works and how life works. People can change their minds, but Marcus has given me the green light to go ahead and do what I think is right,” Jewell explained.

“I think he’s seen what I want to do for the future, my vision, and he likes it.

“He knows it is long-term – he didn’t come here for a quick-fix. He has been absolutely brilliant in this time of adversity.”