WHEN Damien Delaney walked into Ipswich Town for the first day of pre-season last year, there were just 15 members of the first team squad.

So when manager Paul Jewell embarked on a season of incomings – finally stopping at 10 new signings and six loan players – it was expected.

What was also a predictable outcome was the fact that the only thing consistent about Ipswich this season has been their inconsistency.

Jewell currently has to divide his time between winning football matches and the contract negotiations of his seven potential free transfers in the current first team.

But identifying new recruits for next year is never far from his thoughts – even though he doesn’t anticipate such a hectic off-season.

The Blues boss said: “Certainly when you are bringing in so many, it is going to take a while for them to settle. “If we can tweak it a little bit each year, that means you are happy with what you have got, with little improvements here or there.

“We are working towards that, but I wouldn’t say we are there yet.”

That last comment suggests Jewell feels that he needs more than just a couple of new players if he is going to mastermind an assault on the top of the Championship.

The smart money is on five or six new players while Town will also look again at the loan market, should the need arise.

With just six games to go, starting with two matches in 48 hours over the Easter weekend, Jewell believes the rollercoaster nature of this season will stand his squad in good stead for whatever next year throws at them.

He explained: “We have had a really tough season, on and off-the-pitch, with different things going against us.

“But we have come out of the other side and hopefully we will be stronger and better-equipped as a team for next season.”