Lambert: Oli's Been Really Good For Us - Ipswich Town News
Blues boss Paul Lambert has been delighted with the start striker Oli Hawkins has made to his Town career, even if the former Portsmouth man is yet to score his first goal for the club.
Hawkins, 28, joined Town in August having been released by Pompey at the end of last season.
Having been a little off the pace fitness-wise when he joined the club, the 6ft 5in tall frontman has started the last three League One matches.
"Brilliant, really good, a really good guy as well,” Lambert said when asked about the start of Hawkins’s Blues career.
"He gives us a totally different option to what we had. I’ve been absolutely delighted with him, I really have.
"Against Rochdale he could have had a hat-trick but his general game has been absolutely great. Really, really pleased with how he’s started, on and off the pitch which has been important.”
Town’s goals have all come from midfielders, wide players or defenders this season with no one starting in the central striking position having found the target as yet.
While the role helps to facilitate the likes of Gwion Edwards, who has scored four, and Jon Nolan and Teddy Bishop, who have netted three each, grabbing goals, Lambert wants to see Hawkins find the target himself.
"I want him to score, you want him to score because that is his goal,” he said. "But he definitely brings people into the game with his general movement, his hold-up play. I’m delighted with him, I’m really, really happy with him, how he’s performing.
"He’s bringing people into the game, he’s setting people up, which is great. Oli’s been really good for us.”
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