| In three games' time .... 08:45 - Oct 17 with 2401 views | SomethingBlue |
... we will be a third of the way, more or less, through the season. Win two of them and we'll be on 20 points, which would mean we've taken 10 points in October — that was my "bare minimum" projection at the start of the month. Do that and you wouldn't quite be laughed out of town for suggesting things have turned in the right direction for a play-off push, although there'd be considerable caveats too.
Anything less, and what do the club do? I get that resilience can be one of the last things that develops in a team but then I look at the way others (Wigan) have made light of that concern. One of the excuses people have given Cook is that he's worked across two different squads and none of it should be compared. I think the exact opposite: when the exact same mistakes and weaknesses — primarily a chronic inability to manage a game or handle the lightest squall of pressure from an opponent, meaning both sets of players have capitulated time and again — then the alarm bells ring pretty loudly for me. It couldn't really be clearer.
Reading people say this is a two-year project drives me mad. It's not true. This particular squad of players was built with this season squarely in mind and if we fail then 50% of it will churn and we go yet again. Anyone fancy that? It's good that fans are still onboard and coming through the turnstiles home and away. That's vital. But the debate on this board used to be about whether 15th in the Championship was enough. Now the merest flicker of quality in a game is used to justify being 15th in League One. We need to get real, it's just so far from being good enough.
I'll maintain that six points from the next three just about give Cook, a good guy who I really really want to make it happen for us, licence to carry on into November and hopefully beyond. Less than that and where's the justification? I don't see any.
[Post edited 17 Oct 2021 8:57]
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| In three games' time .... on 08:50 - Oct 17 with 1973 views | Dubtractor |
Completely agree with all of that. Both about Cook's performance and our lowering fans expectations.
You can bet that that there are some difficult conversations being had already between Ashton and game changer. |  |
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| In three games' time .... on 08:51 - Oct 17 with 1963 views | Lightworker |
Totally agree. I also said 10 points minimum for October and I have to say I don't see it happening sadly. If we fail to win either of the next two then he has to go for me. |  | | |
| In three games' time .... on 08:56 - Oct 17 with 1931 views | Herbivore |
Can't disagree with any of that. It's been so far from good enough since Cook came in, and our inability to manage games and cope with pressure, especially away from home, has been a huge Achilles heel since he came in. Last season that was pinned squarely on the players, what's the excuse this season? Have we been really unlucky and signed a whole new team that has exactly the same shortcomings? Or is it more likely down to tactics, coaching, motivation etc.? We need to see a real upturn very soon to justify Cook having more time. It's not working at the minute and hasn't done since he turned up. |  |
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| In three games' time .... on 08:56 - Oct 17 with 1933 views | Reuser_is_God |
Yes, sums up where I am with it all too.
I think the next 3 away games are massive in terms of Cook convincing us he can get us going. |  |
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| In three games' time .... on 09:05 - Oct 17 with 1864 views | HighgateBlue |
Absolutely right. What would really depress me would be another sub-standard month followed by a chorus of "November will be absolutely key".
Your second paragraph in particular is spot on. Cook is getting a free pass for his performance last term - a performance that was worse than Lambert, in circumstances where a continued PPG at Lambert's rate would have seen us make the playoffs. The same failures with two different squads does indeed make it clearer that these are failures, and not something that can be written off or explained away. |  | | |
| In three games' time .... on 09:37 - Oct 17 with 1793 views | SomethingBlue |
| In three games' time .... on 09:05 - Oct 17 by HighgateBlue |
Absolutely right. What would really depress me would be another sub-standard month followed by a chorus of "November will be absolutely key".
Your second paragraph in particular is spot on. Cook is getting a free pass for his performance last term - a performance that was worse than Lambert, in circumstances where a continued PPG at Lambert's rate would have seen us make the playoffs. The same failures with two different squads does indeed make it clearer that these are failures, and not something that can be written off or explained away. |
Yep — just too big a sample size now for it to be readily dismissed as coincidence | |
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| In three games' time .... on 09:38 - Oct 17 with 1778 views | The_Flashing_Smile |
Yep, can't disagree with that. I've never said Cook was "the one", I've just always advocated giving him time, particularly with a new team. By the end of the month I think that's enough time to see a bit of progress/gelling/understanding happening, and results and performances to bear that out.
We really can't keep throwing points away like we still are. |  |
| Trust the process. Trust Phil. |
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| In three games' time .... on 11:02 - Oct 17 with 1610 views | Guthrum |
While I completely agree with most of what you're saying, I have a slight issue with the third paragraph. I don't believe this squad was bought just for this season, in a "win or bust" sense. The contracts handed to players are almost all reasonably long term, there is hope that some of the loans (Celina, Bonne) might be made permanent.
I think it's more the case that we're so unused to seeing this level of quality brought into the club in these numbers - of a reasonable age and not on loan - that it appears to be throwing everything at going up this season, rather than a longer-term plan. This despite comments from those running the club that instant success is not demanded.
I'm not suggesting the fans should be blase about spending another year stuck in this division. Far from it, that quality ought to see us promoted. Just making the narrow point that I believe this team was not put together for one season only. |  |
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| In three games' time .... on 11:25 - Oct 17 with 1560 views | jayessess |
| In three games' time .... on 11:02 - Oct 17 by Guthrum |
While I completely agree with most of what you're saying, I have a slight issue with the third paragraph. I don't believe this squad was bought just for this season, in a "win or bust" sense. The contracts handed to players are almost all reasonably long term, there is hope that some of the loans (Celina, Bonne) might be made permanent.
I think it's more the case that we're so unused to seeing this level of quality brought into the club in these numbers - of a reasonable age and not on loan - that it appears to be throwing everything at going up this season, rather than a longer-term plan. This despite comments from those running the club that instant success is not demanded.
I'm not suggesting the fans should be blase about spending another year stuck in this division. Far from it, that quality ought to see us promoted. Just making the narrow point that I believe this team was not put together for one season only. |
Think the general consensus amongst the journalists covering the club (including SomethingBlue, but also Phil) is precisely that the players have been signed for immediate success? The club is obviously going to be a bit restrained in public statements and will have a contingency plan for a bad season, but that doesn't mean there's not an expectation of fairly rapid success. |  |
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| In three games' time .... on 11:26 - Oct 17 with 1555 views | Burns7 |
It’s not acceptable, he’s been given the best hand any Town manager ever got and he’s blown it spectacularly. The brains of his operation are clearly at Wigan. He chose to bring his mates in as staff and sign his mates as players and he’s going to pay the price when he’s inevitably sacked either later this season or early on next. He’s not a good manager, it’s absolutely obvious he’s not and I think he has to be our worse ever. People won’t like that but he’s taken Ipswich Town to the bottom of League One with an amazing opportunity handed to him on a plate. It wasn’t the players who squandered last season, it was Cook, he just had to throw them under the bus because he’s been totally exposed as the non league managerial halfwit he is, much like Hurst. |  | | |
| In three games' time .... on 11:44 - Oct 17 with 1535 views | Steve_M |
I was going to write something similar this morning but no need now as you've said most of it.
We're weak, consistently concede from the first chance the opposition have, totally unable to control a game and a few nice spells of possession really aren't anything like enough. Yesterday, like Accrington, Cheltenham, Wimbledon we were totally in control and were completely unable to see the game out.
Seven wins in 28 matches in the third division is pathetic, that includes the bottom two this season and two of last season's relegated clubs. If it was up to me, I don't think I would even give Cook the rest of the month. He's failed twice here now. [Post edited 17 Oct 2021 16:24]
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| In three games' time .... on 11:46 - Oct 17 with 1523 views | Burns7 |
| In three games' time .... on 11:44 - Oct 17 by Steve_M |
I was going to write something similar this morning but no need now as you've said most of it.
We're weak, consistently concede from the first chance the opposition have, totally unable to control a game and a few nice spells of possession really aren't anything like enough. Yesterday, like Accrington, Cheltenham, Wimbledon we were totally in control and were completely unable to see the game out.
Seven wins in 28 matches in the third division is pathetic, that includes the bottom two this season and two of last season's relegated clubs. If it was up to me, I don't think I would even give Cook the rest of the month. He's failed twice here now. [Post edited 17 Oct 2021 16:24]
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He should be sacked shouldn’t he?
Glad someone else finds this mare as unacceptable as I do. | | | |
| In three games' time .... on 12:53 - Oct 17 with 1446 views | Radlett_blue |
| In three games' time .... on 11:26 - Oct 17 by Burns7 |
It’s not acceptable, he’s been given the best hand any Town manager ever got and he’s blown it spectacularly. The brains of his operation are clearly at Wigan. He chose to bring his mates in as staff and sign his mates as players and he’s going to pay the price when he’s inevitably sacked either later this season or early on next. He’s not a good manager, it’s absolutely obvious he’s not and I think he has to be our worse ever. People won’t like that but he’s taken Ipswich Town to the bottom of League One with an amazing opportunity handed to him on a plate. It wasn’t the players who squandered last season, it was Cook, he just had to throw them under the bus because he’s been totally exposed as the non league managerial halfwit he is, much like Hurst. |
Indeed, Cook totally failed to get the reasonable squad he inherited to perform, getting 19 pts from 16 games. So he said the players were woeful & got rid of most of them. He's had a big budget by the standards of this league & chose all the players. We now have 14 pts from 12 games - almost exactly the same return. The one constant is the manager. They all say they need more time, but how much more time will Cook get? Yes, I'm not looking forward to another clear out of an entire managerial and coaching team . He really has to get decent results & performances against Portsmouth & Fleetwood, with the next 2 games then against the top 2 teams. |  |
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| In three games' time .... on 13:13 - Oct 17 with 1377 views | HARRY10 |
Six points from tge next three games is not so much a breathing space - but an absolute minimum given we play the top five five times out of the following eight (half way point)
20 points after a third of the season points to around 60 points total
However best judge us after the next eight, taking us to the halfway point. We need around another 24 points from these eleven games, which include six games against the top 5.
If judged on league position alone, I doubt many could make a case for Cook staying when the transfer window opens. It will be how well the squad are playing. Whether they can grind wins out of draws, and look like their lives depend on each game.
As up to now they do not have that killer edge that puts points on the board week after week. | | | |
| In three games' time .... on 13:25 - Oct 17 with 1349 views | LankHenners |
Absolutely. I don’t mind people being optimistic, I wish I could be, but the dramatic lowering of expectations/insistence that everything’s going well, now often delivered with a patronising ‘you’re not supporting the team very well’ edge is getting annoying.
1st 40 mins yesterday was an improvement on some recent away performances - had lots of the ball, forced mistakes which got us the 2 goals, shut down any potential threat quickly and got on the front foot again. Snappier decision making and we could have had a 3rd. Unfortunately though we let ourselves down once again, first by conceding a cheap goal (one play struggles a bit under some pressure then the rest of the defence panics and the other team can basically walk it in), then being so lethargic and sloppy going forwards at the start of the 2nd, then not making the right changes early enough to either keep the pressure up or prevent Cambridge from getting back into it, then ultimately conceding another cheap one late in the game.
If I’m being honest with myself the only reason I’m not totally in the ‘he has to go’ camp yet is because it would be a total waste of everything we’ve done in the summer but unfortunately it’s not looking like Cook can turn it around here. The start to the season has been utterly woeful. I wasn’t expecting us to be blowing the League away by now or even necessarily on the shoulder of the top 2 but at least not many points behind and firmly in the promotion landscape. As it is at best it seems like we might bumble along round about where we are but not much better which is obviously a huge failure.
As I’ve said many times already it seems so weird that we’re struggling this much. Cook’s as good as you could want as a manager in this division but there’s evidently something missing that means he can’t repeat his success at other clubs here. Changing a manager part-way through the season is tough for everyone but unless we hit an insane winning run from now through to the end of November then it’ll be even tougher the longer we leave it. |  |
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| In three games' time .... on 13:42 - Oct 17 with 1291 views | 3_5_2 |
I agree with the points you raise, I’m getting sick of all the BS being said by PC
Working hard is a given, not the answer.
We should be doing much better than we are, after 50 plus years of watching town I genuinely don’t have a clue what is going on with this team as to why they are so fragile when we score.
I’m not convinced about the coaching staff but just starting to think that players come here and can basically turn up for the money. Morsy is a case in point. Was outplayed by a 39 year old.
I watched the FA cup draw and was more pleased for AFC Sudbury getting Col U.
Was going to Pompey Tuesday but I’ve sacked it off. Can’t be arsed and it won’t take much more for me to jack my season tickets in [Post edited 17 Oct 2021 16:12]
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| In three games' time .... on 14:33 - Oct 17 with 1192 views | Guthrum |
| In three games' time .... on 11:25 - Oct 17 by jayessess |
Think the general consensus amongst the journalists covering the club (including SomethingBlue, but also Phil) is precisely that the players have been signed for immediate success? The club is obviously going to be a bit restrained in public statements and will have a contingency plan for a bad season, but that doesn't mean there's not an expectation of fairly rapid success. |
I think the bigger issue at the moment is we're not showing enough signs of progress. The ownership are more likely to be tolerant if we had a good season but just fall short, rather than struggling for months to get things going consistently.
If in December we're still bumping along in the bottom third, unable to put together a run of wins, still losing or drawing after going ahead, then perhaps Cook's position is at risk. On the other hand, if things do click but we miss out in the playoffs, or finish just 7th or 8th, then I think he is likely to get more leeway. | |
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| In three games' time .... on 14:42 - Oct 17 with 1151 views | Herbivore |
| In three games' time .... on 14:33 - Oct 17 by Guthrum |
I think the bigger issue at the moment is we're not showing enough signs of progress. The ownership are more likely to be tolerant if we had a good season but just fall short, rather than struggling for months to get things going consistently.
If in December we're still bumping along in the bottom third, unable to put together a run of wins, still losing or drawing after going ahead, then perhaps Cook's position is at risk. On the other hand, if things do click but we miss out in the playoffs, or finish just 7th or 8th, then I think he is likely to get more leeway. |
I'm not sure he'd survive not even making the top 6. If we went on a genuinely excellent run after Christmas and it still wasn't enough for us to make the top 6 then our pre Christmas form would be poor enough that he'd already be out of a job. | |
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| In three games' time .... on 14:46 - Oct 17 with 1136 views | mylittletown |
Why do you think that he is a good guy?
He has a decent record in the lower divisions, which is admittedly where he finds us, but he comes across as dim and predictable, and I thought that his treatment of a number of the players last season, and over the summer, was pretty shoddy. |  | | |
| In three games' time .... on 15:31 - Oct 17 with 1068 views | Vic |
| In three games' time .... on 14:33 - Oct 17 by Guthrum |
I think the bigger issue at the moment is we're not showing enough signs of progress. The ownership are more likely to be tolerant if we had a good season but just fall short, rather than struggling for months to get things going consistently.
If in December we're still bumping along in the bottom third, unable to put together a run of wins, still losing or drawing after going ahead, then perhaps Cook's position is at risk. On the other hand, if things do click but we miss out in the playoffs, or finish just 7th or 8th, then I think he is likely to get more leeway. |
Guthers, I’m absolutely with you.
What we have so far isn’t good enough. No one bar no one is saying that it is. If thinks don’t improve he will be gone because he will have failed.
However, it is us the supporters who have changed the agenda since we saw the quality of players coming in to ‘ promotion is a must this season’. The owners have never, ever said that. They have always maintained that it is the aim - of course it is. But is it necessity from their perspective? I doubt it.
That doesn’t mean that I’m happy - but like you, it’s all about progress from now. If it’s clear it’s being made then so be it. If it’s not then he has to go. Currently it is being made - slowly! Is it enough? No I don’t think it is, it needs to speed up so that by November Christmas time it’s clear that we are one of the strongest performing team in the league. Continuation of current performances and team weakness are simply not acceptable. |  |
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| In three games' time .... on 15:40 - Oct 17 with 1040 views | Burns7 |
| In three games' time .... on 13:42 - Oct 17 by 3_5_2 |
I agree with the points you raise, I’m getting sick of all the BS being said by PC
Working hard is a given, not the answer.
We should be doing much better than we are, after 50 plus years of watching town I genuinely don’t have a clue what is going on with this team as to why they are so fragile when we score.
I’m not convinced about the coaching staff but just starting to think that players come here and can basically turn up for the money. Morsy is a case in point. Was outplayed by a 39 year old.
I watched the FA cup draw and was more pleased for AFC Sudbury getting Col U.
Was going to Pompey Tuesday but I’ve sacked it off. Can’t be arsed and it won’t take much more for me to jack my season tickets in [Post edited 17 Oct 2021 16:12]
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I agree, we have a tradition of recruiting players looking for a easy ride and a decent wage. We’ve had this issue for nearly 15 years now, we as a support need to start making it harder for piss takers to get an easy ride here. | | | |
| In three games' time .... on 15:44 - Oct 17 with 1038 views | Burns7 |
| In three games' time .... on 15:31 - Oct 17 by Vic |
Guthers, I’m absolutely with you.
What we have so far isn’t good enough. No one bar no one is saying that it is. If thinks don’t improve he will be gone because he will have failed.
However, it is us the supporters who have changed the agenda since we saw the quality of players coming in to ‘ promotion is a must this season’. The owners have never, ever said that. They have always maintained that it is the aim - of course it is. But is it necessity from their perspective? I doubt it.
That doesn’t mean that I’m happy - but like you, it’s all about progress from now. If it’s clear it’s being made then so be it. If it’s not then he has to go. Currently it is being made - slowly! Is it enough? No I don’t think it is, it needs to speed up so that by November Christmas time it’s clear that we are one of the strongest performing team in the league. Continuation of current performances and team weakness are simply not acceptable. |
If Ashton and Gamechanger are happy with this and don’t see promotion as necessary this season I will be the first to say it, they can clear off too, we had 13 years of accepting absolute rubbish and silent, distant ownership with mouth pieces talking rubbish, I don’t want the same again with an American twang. Get promotion or get out. It’s not acceptable or good enough. | | | |
| In three games' time .... on 15:53 - Oct 17 with 1023 views | Vic |
| In three games' time .... on 15:44 - Oct 17 by Burns7 |
If Ashton and Gamechanger are happy with this and don’t see promotion as necessary this season I will be the first to say it, they can clear off too, we had 13 years of accepting absolute rubbish and silent, distant ownership with mouth pieces talking rubbish, I don’t want the same again with an American twang. Get promotion or get out. It’s not acceptable or good enough. |
Wow!
I do agree that with the squad we have promo this season should have been possible - and still could be through the PO’s. We’re only 6 points adrift and not yet into our stride - so I think it’s realistic to hope that if we iron out the defense we could still be in the mix at the end.
But no one is saying that we should accept rubbish. NO ONE is saying that current form is OK. It simply must improve. If it doesn’t Cook will go. But often teams evolve and develop with time and I’m sure our will do that. Pretty much everyone in the game from Klopp and Pep downwards say teams need time to grow - City didn’t win anything the first season did they. | |
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| In three games' time .... on 16:11 - Oct 17 with 974 views | waveneyblue |
| In three games' time .... on 15:44 - Oct 17 by Burns7 |
If Ashton and Gamechanger are happy with this and don’t see promotion as necessary this season I will be the first to say it, they can clear off too, we had 13 years of accepting absolute rubbish and silent, distant ownership with mouth pieces talking rubbish, I don’t want the same again with an American twang. Get promotion or get out. It’s not acceptable or good enough. |
Congratulations, this is by far the most stupid, badly thought out and idiotic post I've ever read on here.
Take a bow son, you've done good. |  | | |
| In three games' time .... on 16:20 - Oct 17 with 945 views | Keaneish |
Our weakness is being bludgeoned. Cheltenham’s long throws, Accrington’s long balls, Cambridge’s height from corner’s. We restrict the footballing sides like MK Dons and Sheff Wed to little other than our own mistakes.
I have a feeling that coming into a run of fixtures against the league’s ‘better’ sides, we may fair more comfortably although Wycombe will be an interesting one.
Love Cook’s comment yesterday, “we are Ipswich Town”, we come to win and averaging two goals a game is fantastic. All the power to that but we have to defend too! |  |
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