Ipswich Town 0 Sheffield Wednesday 3

The size of the task facing Paul Jewell’s successor as Ipswich manager was made abundantly clear after the Championship’s bottom club were thrashed at home by lowly Sheffield Wednesday.

Jewell departed Portman Road by mutual consent earlier this week following a disastrous start to the season.

That continued yesterday, as the club’s winless run extended to 12 games with a disjointed display against fellow strugglers Wednesday.

Ipswich are now in the midst of the worst run of home form in their history, having failed to register a win in their last ten league games at Portman Road, and caretaker manager Chris Hutchings issued a withering assessment of some of his players.

When asked if he felt let down by them, he said: “I think so. I said to them they need to look at themselves in the mirror.

“They should be professional people and they should have that desire and drive to go out and perform for anybody.”

Hutchings, who said he didn’t feel he got maximum effort from all of the team, was also asked what he thought of the home fans singing “you’re not fit to wear the shirt” towards some of the players.

“That’s their opinion,” he said. “They probably are (right) for one or two.”

Any hope Hutchings might have had of landing the manager’s job permanently will probably have diminished after this performance.

Former Wolves boss Mick McCarthy remains the bookies’ favourite, while Alan Shearer and Alan Curbishley have both been strongly linked.

Chief executive Simon Clegg admitted in the matchday programme that he and owner Marcus Evans had “ramped up” discussions over an appointment, and it is clear that Ipswich need a new man soon.

Town are the only team in the Football League without a home win this season, and their confidence-bereft squad is in major need of some strong organisation and leadership.

It took just 44 seconds for them to fall behind against Wednesday, as on-loan teenage Everton midfielder Ross Barkley’s low shot squirmed past Stephen Henderson.

The visitors wasted a number of chances to increase their advantage, but doubled the lead after the break when 18-year-old Barkley slammed a thumping half-volley into the bottom corner from the edge of the area.

The rout was complete when Michail Antonio rounded Henderson late on to score.

The win ended a ten-game winless streak for the Owls and marked their first away success of the season.

Manager Dave Jones said: “I said to the players it’s been coming, and we felt that for the last five or six games. We have stuck to what we believe in and unfortunately for Ipswich they probably got the full force of us.”

Gordon Simpson (Sunday Telegraph)