Manager Paul Lambert hit out at “negativity attached to the football club” in his post-match press conference following the 0-0 draw at Oxford and accused the media of feeding it.

Asked for his assessment of the match, a game of few chances for both sides but with the home team having the better of them, Lambert said: “Really pleased because of what’s happening, absolute nonsense criticism, so for them to be the way they were. Half the team is kids, we’ve got nine injuries.

“I’m really pleased and proud of them with how they performed because the criticism the guys have taken I think has not been right and it’s going to make or break them.

“There are a lot of young kids there and if they don’t handle that, the club’s going to lose good players.”

Has the criticism bothered them? “You [the media] stoke it. I don’t read what you write or hear what you say. You stoke it. I know from their side that they feel it, without a doubt. They’re young kids trying really hard to play football.

“It’s not easy, the expectancy level at the club’s huge. It’s not right, there’s a lot of negativity attached to the football club, and it’s not right.”

When it was pointed out that much of the criticism has been from fans rather than the media, he said: “I’m not blaming anybody, there’s a lot of negativity attached to it. We’ve lost two games, we’re sitting in fifth, four points from first place. That’s not bad. And we’ve got nine guys out injured.

“You’re telling me we’re sitting fifth, four points off the top, OK if Hull win their two games [they’ll be further ahead], but there’s still a helluva long way to go.

“I’ll put that on record. You asked me a question, I’m giving you the answer. It’s unfair, you’ve got to watch you don’t break the kids.”

Lambert was asked whether he was concerned about his side’s lack of a goal threat with the Blues not having scored for three matches.

“Everything you say to me is negative,” he hit back. “I’d hate to be married to you! That [the players available] are what we’ve got, that’s exactly what we’ve got. They’re giving me everything. As long as they give me effort, then I’m totally fine with it.

“We’re up against brick walls with the guys that have been injured. At times we’ve lost guys from forward areas, we’ve lost a whole midfield, we’ve lost centre-backs, we’ve lost every position going. We’ve got nine players out at the minute.

“I’m not going to sit here and criticise the guys one iota. I’m the manager and I’m proud of them.”

Regarding Jon Nolan’s return after two games out with a groin injury, he added: “He shouldn’t have played, maybe he shouldn’t have played because he hasn’t done anything since the Shrewsbury game. But I had to play him because we don’t have Brett McGavin, he took ill during the night, so we had to play him.”

On Armando Dobra’s full league debut, he said: “I thought he did really well. Young kid, he’ll make mistakes like everybody else, really good.

“What you do get with Dobs is great endeavour, you’ve got a devilment there that’s going to stand him in good stead and hopefully he’ll be another good player at the club in the coming weeks, months and years hopefully.”

He said he was pleased with the clean sheet: “I am, I can’t ask any more from them. Half the guys are academy guys, young guys. The centre-backs, Woolfy’s 21, Mark McGuinness 19. Jack Lankester’s a kid, Andre Dozzell’s a kid, Dobra’s a kid. Liam Gibbs was on the bench.

“We’re so lacking in depth because of the injuries we’ve got but I’m really proud with how they played.”

The clean sheet was the first in the league for both Cornell and McGuinness since they joined the Blues.

“McGuinness, I’ve no problem with because I think he’s really good and could be excellent,” Lambert continued. “He’s strong, aggressive, he’s 19. Really, really good.

“Cornell, I thought was really good, he had one save here in the second half. I’m happy with him.”

Lambert was pleased with the impact subs Oli Hawkins and Kayden Jackson made in the second half.

“Oli gives us something different,” he reflected. “I thought Aaron Drinan and Jack Lankester did well for the first hour.

“We put Kayden on and he looked lively and Oli looked lively as well. I’m happy with how we played. We came to a difficult place.”

However, he is disappointed that Andre Dozzell will miss the trip to Plymouth having picked up his fifth booking of the season.

“That’s the way things are going,” he said. “But the point, it stops the run of two defeats. It gives us that point with a long journey on Friday and we go and try and win.”

Any chance of Emyr Huws coming back for the weekend, the midfielder having picked up a back injury in training.

“I don’t know, we’ve got too many [out],” he continued. “I’m not sure when they’re coming back. We’ll have to wait and see”

Reflecting further on an injury situation which saw 12 players - and then McGavin - unavailable, he said: “And we’re still sitting fifth, four points from the top.”

Asked whether the criticism has bothered him, he said: “Did you see what happened at Celtic the other day? The protests outside. I’ve played in front of that, I know exactly what it’s like. Does it bother me? No. Does praise bother me? No.

“I’ve played with big clubs, I’ve been a manager at big clubs. I’ve had a career when the pressure’s incredible, absolutely incredible. I’ve never wilted once and I don’t expect to wilt again, unless Marcus says something different. And that’s no problem.”

Lambert said he’d spoken to Marcus Evans after the game but said the owner hadn’t ventured into the dressing room.

“No, he wasn’t in the dressing room,” he said. “He’s pleased, we had a good chat. No problem, no stress, nothing. He was happy.”

Seven of the side were aged between 19 and 22, which Lambert feels puts the result into context when playing against a more senior Oxford side, who may be down in 20th at present but had a much better 2019/20.

“We don’t have anything else, we have to play the guys,” he said. “And we played against a really experienced team. They’re a good team, they were in the play-offs last year. Karl’s got a good team, so the point was good.”

The other side of that is that Oxford hadn’t kept a league or play-off clean sheet since February, 19 games ago and the Blues managed their first shot on goal in the 90th minute.

Is it fair to say his team didn’t create enough chances? “Yeah, but we’re doing everything we can. The big thing for us was not to lose, definitely not to lose.

“We gave it everything, that little bit of quality is maybe just missing at the minute but the endeavour and the work-rate and everything that goes with it, I’m really pleased.

Coming back to the criticism, it was pointed out that in the last 42 league games they have lost more than they’ve won in a division in which a club of their size ought to thrive.

“You’re one of he guys that the players have got a gripe with because of the negativity you write is incredible,” Lambert responded.

“I don’t read your stuff. You’re probably better hearing it from them. But they’re certainly not happy with you. And I get it because the negativity attached to it is incredible.

“They’re at a big club, some of them are young, some of them have come from different teams. It’s a massive club Ipswich Town, but the negativity attached to it is huge.

“That’s just my opinion on it, but there are a lot of young guys in there, who have to perform.”

Does he feel the criticism is unfair on young players? “And the older guys.”

Last week Lambert was asked about claims he had been harder on younger players himself, something he dismissed before turning back to the summer furore regarding a number of young players not being included in the first-team photo call.

“No I wasn’t,” he insisted. “I’ll tell you what, I’ll tell you right now. You want to go on record here? The photo thing that you wrote or one of your colleagues wrote was a load of nonsense because the kids got told [they weren't involved], and [assistant manager] Stuart Taylor told you what actually happened - we couldn’t get them in because of NHS stuff.

“But you go and write a negative thing about them and it filters right through. How does that work? Tell me how it works.”

It was pointed out that the players - Dobra, McGavin, Drinan, Idris El Mizouni, Corrie Ndaba and - weren’t in the squad photo.

“Exactly, and you still go ahead and write it,” Lambert continued. “Because they couldn’t be because NHS is only three letters [the players and staff formed the letters NHS in a socially distanced team photo]. Am I right or wrong?”

Lambert added: “You go and write negativity, it goes right through the club. I’ll tell you what I will do, I’ll stick up for them, I’ll stick up for every player in the dressing room, every guy in the dressing room, I’ll put you in your place because what you’re writing is garbage. I’m telling you you’re creating something that’s incredible.”

When Lambert came in as boss just over two years ago he spoke about the negativity and apathy at the club at that time.

“There was no anger because people had switched off from supporting the club,” he recalled. “I spoke to the Blue Action guys, they told me about the apathy here. I spoke to them all.”

Does Lambert believe the media are feeding or reflecting the negativity? “I think you’re feeding it. You can have a go at me all you want. I’ve been in the game a long time and it’s not helping the guys, it’s not helping them.”

Photo: Pagepix

BettyBlue added 12:32 - Dec 2 Lambert is the Huge Negativity Attached to the Club.
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Skip73 added 12:44 - Dec 2 One of the reasons for the criticism are the constant injuries. The fact that the club cannot keep players fit is a complete joke especially when those players are ever present before they arrive and after they leave. I am getting pretty close to turning my back on tbe game completely.
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leroy2488 added 12:59 - Dec 2 Ipswich Town fans have always supported the youngsters and especially so the home grown academy players and have given nothing but encouragement to them 99% of the time? Ipswich Town fans are however entitled to call out poor management decisions and an inability to play in more than one way, which is a pretty negative style 4-5-1 system, whoever is fit and however any other team sets up against us, when actually pretending, on paper its a 4-3-3 attacking system? If fans giving feedback on poor management the manager then try's to deflect that onto his players, especially young ones, rather than take responsibility for himself, then that's down to him. Maybe he would be better using his impeccable experience and mindset to get the very best from a squad of players that most teams in League One could only dream of, then he may keep the job, assuming it's not too much trouble for him.

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Duly38 added 13:10 - Dec 2 Everything most of you are saying makes sense, and this isn't in any way defending Lambert at all because I have the same views... However, what is the guy supposed to do when we have 10 first team players injured, and are relying on guys who are playing U23 games to come in and compete at the same level in leagues much higher than they're used to. With a new manager coming in, he'll have no financial backing either - I don't think the manager is the first person to look at. From a footballing side of things it's not great, however our squad depth isn't good enough.

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itsonlyme added 13:15 - Dec 2 Duly38 - I hear what you say and of course you are right with the injury situation but it is the way the players are being coached which is the biggest problem. No creativity and the style of football is all down to PL and the coaching staff. No shots on target being a telling factor.
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Kingfisher49 added 13:22 - Dec 2 Many people are calling for PL's head and it is understandable. Seeing ME is not listening to those calls the best way forward next is to give PL a period of no pressure with positive vibes and hope the rot can be stopped. If the injury situation gets better in the next few weeks then so will the performances. A few members of the squad are vital to getting better performances. Edwards is the supply route to goals and scores his fair share to. Bishop has increased his goal tally this season and is the quality player in the middle. Downes is another who is missed and if only Vincent Young was available then I am sure it would lift the feel good factor. With supporters back watching soon then they must be show positivity to start with and then the fifth place can be improved upon in the weeks ahead. One thing I would add is the club ought to tell the supporters when Vincent Young is expected to start playing again because his injury last season was at the time the rot set in, and although one man does not make a team his performances were well above average and would inject some quality into the team on his return. January is going to be an important window to let some players go and bring in a couple of quality players to give the squad a lift. If PL is given a few weeks to calm down and be left alone to get his head right it could see us still in the mix come January when then with a couple of new heads the season might well get better. I live in hope but do understand the frustration.

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smithy0981 added 13:45 - Dec 2 Too fcuking right there is paul what is there to be happy about, our club has been completely ruined by Evans! Your not a fan you haven't had to put up with this rubbish for the last 10 years
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Westy added 14:09 - Dec 2 The negativity is because fans cannot see progress. It was not a forgone conclusion that we were going to get relegated from the Championship after PL took over. It was a similar situation to what McCarthy inherited and he turned it around immediately although we all know how ithat ended. Under PL we have stagnated and I get the impression that the players aren't happy either. I honestly believe our players are good enough to get out of this Division but PL is not getting the best out of them. Were good enough last Season too - and it showed with early results. Only went wrong when PL started.delaying games and embarked on his inexplicable team rotation.

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BangaloreBlues added 14:12 - Dec 2 Yes Paul. They are young kids trying to play football. The problem is, you're not teaching them how to play football. Stop blaming the fans or the media. The fact is even with our strikers fit we have little attacking threat, and that can only be down to the style of play and the buck stops with the manager. You've now lost most of the fans and likely some of the players.

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HUTCHITFC added 14:18 - Dec 2 I've been a supporter of town since 1990. Is it just me but over these last few dreadful years have we suffered with more injuries than most other clubs ? I'd love to see a league table of whose had the most injuries. I'm sure we would be up there. So in that case why are we not looking at our medical staff, physio's, rehab methods etc as clearly something isnt right.

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herfie added 15:19 - Dec 2 When the manager's deteriorating relationship with local media becomes the main item of interest and intrigue, it inevitably heralds the beginning of the end. History seldom lies!
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Henrietta_R_Hippo added 15:20 - Dec 2
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ringwoodblue added 15:33 - Dec 2 He churns out the same ole bullsh1t every post-match interview but the tone is getting increasingly defensive and paranoid to the point that Evans must intervene and get rid of this clown soon otherwise all the good PR that Lambert did at the beginning will have been undone and we'll be back to the position we were when Wurst left except a league lower.
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FromIpswichToPhoenix added 15:48 - Dec 2 Our first shot on goal was in the 90th minute yesterday. Is that the fan's fault? Players are being played out of position. Is that the fan's fault? Three games without a goal. Is that the fan's fault? Almost 18 years of average, run of the mill football. Is that the fan's fault? A string of uninspiring managers and poor ownership. Is that the fan's fault? We've given every manager a chance at Town. Every damned one of them. And they always turn on us after we tire of losing. After we tire of season after season of being average at best, and relegation fodder at worst. We've had nothing to celebrate in years. We're at our lowest point since 10 years before I was born. I'm 46 and Ipswich have never sucked this bad. And frankly, I'm tired of the fans always being blamed. I'm tired of watching players who earn more in a week, than many do in six months, put in lazy and uninspired performances, have who seem to be there for the paycheck alone. I'm tired of hanging on to the laurels of a legacy that hasn't been valid in almost 40 years. I'm tired of supporting a team where I get so little back from it. And I'm tired of always being in the crosshair when things go wrong. Fans pay so much to be part of this and judging by the fact we do shows we want this to succeed. We pay for tickets, shirts, memorabilia, food, beer, and those of us out of the country, iFollow. We pay our share to get this ship going. Which makes us investors. We feel ownership over this, so yes, we are bothered when things are going wrong, and certainly when we're blamed for it. And this is a shame, as Lambert's efforts at first started off so well. I really thought we'd repaired that bridge between manager and fans after the MM, PH, PJ, RK eras. There is no way back from this point now. This attack has made this issue irreparable.

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madmouse1959 added 16:04 - Dec 2 Obviously Marcus Evans is consistently getting the wrong advice. The players being signed are of little help . How come some players are entitled to many years at this club and others are given a very limited time . Just look what Kieffer Moore is doing now, yet cashed in for profit . This club has made some players martyrs of ITFC , certain players believing they are cult hero,s at this club. Always on the team sheet or getting game time regardless of ability. Marcus Evans is possibly asking the wrong questions to the wrong people. People on the payroll are certainly not going to rock the boat. Release the rot out of this club, recruit some quality and find a manager who is allowed to rock the boat. It has been too cosy for too long .Find a young European manager & coach with no ties to this club, a dynamic manager who can move this club forward.The supporters would be on-side if they believed we were going in the right direction. Certainly a manager who can converse with the media without blowing a fuse. Maybe a European manager with better contacts to find some good quality players. A manager not afraid to instill a better discipline and work ethic at this club. We will not gain promotion WITHOUT playing attacking football !!! It all comes back to Marcus Evans . Can he admit his many years at this club has been a success ?

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Duly38 added 16:11 - Dec 2 itsonlyme - I'm with you here, agree with the way they're playing. No creativity at all, but looking through the side apart from Gwi, Dozzell & Bishop... Technically do we have much to offer? In my opinion we don't. Shots on target.. yes that's an issue, certainly when your best striker (Jackson yesterday) is sat on the bench. For me, with Gwi out I really don't see us creating much or looking likely to score because we simply don't players that are good enough. Coaching wise it doesn't look great but i'd be surprised if you could look through our side and pick more than 5 that could play at Championship level.

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WorcesterBlue added 16:11 - Dec 2 Yes it is and has been for a while. But we aren't aiming it at the young players are we Lambert - that's your sorry department. Lambert addressed this for a while, despite taking us down and had we recruited sensibly instead of sticking with a core who weren't good enough to keep us up and had we got rid of those who clearly weren't up to it and had we played a style that suited our players (particularly the young talent) then who knows? The owner, director of football and manager are to varying degrees responsible for why we didn't (or agin this summer) so all should expect some flak and negativity.

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mib added 16:44 - Dec 2 Counagoal. Very constructive comments. NOT. . kingfisher49 very well said.
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dirtydingusmagee added 16:50 - Dec 2 its not ALL negative , the Dcrew are happy Paul. That radio Suffick Sport interview was one small step short of MM'S F'OFF , not good,
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Saxonblue74 added 17:05 - Dec 2 Gcon, I don't see our immediate plight as one of ME's making. We have many talented individuals in our squad, most of whom are moving in the wrong direction in terms of their development. I'm afraid the blame for that lies firmly at the door at our manager.
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Cheshire_Blue added 17:07 - Dec 2 The negativity on here just proves his point. This is supposed to be a SUPPORTERS forum. Clearly many do not understand the meaning of the word. There is a history here of hounding a succession of managers who are having to work with one hand tied behind their back at present exacerbated by the injury situation. There isn't a manager on this earth who could do any better in the current situation. The record speaks for itself. Keane, Jewell, McCarthy and now Lambert., all with a proven record of success elsewhere. Just shut up and let the man manage.

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jas0999 added 17:18 - Dec 2 Before last night it was seven defeats from ten. He obviously thinks that's good enough. Deluded, just like Evans.
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Saxonblue74 added 17:53 - Dec 2 Sorry Cheshire blue but I have to disagree. Lambert does have the players, albeit with lots of injuries at present. There are many other managers who could get more from our current crop. And as for his "record of success elsewhere"?🤔
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BettyBlue added 17:59 - Dec 2 why do managers put up Evans as owner? Is it because he gives you time and support or is it down to the MONEY! £1,000,000 a year
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BettyBlue added 18:00 - Dec 2 WIV with
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