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As Xmas offers a time to reflect, I’ve been thinking about Paul Cook 14:28 - Dec 27 with 4369 viewsIllinoisblue

And was feeling sorry for him getting sacked so early into his time with us. And that’s genuine - seems very un-Ipswich to make such a quick decision. I’m sure Cook was paid off very nicely with a couple hundred grand or so to ease his pain. But still.

And then… and then… looked at the league table which I haven’t done in a while and I feel considerably less sorry for Cook. Pretty evident we are not making the playoffs this season unless McKenna is a miracle worker and can conjure up a 75% win ratio over what’s left of this turd of a season.

The old ITFC failings are still here; bloated squad (which in reality means unhappy squad), still suffering from injuries (where would be if Coulson and Burns could stay fit) and perhaps worst of all, still overly reliant on loan players.

So here we sit, looking up at Accrington.

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As Xmas offers a time to reflect, I’ve been thinking about Paul Cook on 14:32 - Dec 27 with 3489 viewsSteve_M

Yes, Cook did a poor job and managed to recreate the supposed failings of the squad he inherited in the Summer.

One thing on loans though, It's pretty much impossible for lower division clubs not to have some in their squad given the continued stockpiling of any promising young player by Premier League clubs. Pretending that won't happen is a fool's game.

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As Xmas offers a time to reflect, I’ve been thinking about Paul Cook on 14:36 - Dec 27 with 3457 viewsElephantintheRoom

And to think people used to complain about John duncan - and the misery of watching a Town team containing Atkinson, Dozzel, Kiwomya, Linighan, Lowe.....

If anything the self-harming loan syndrome is getting worse - with the current crop including two rather key positions which will undo any progress made this season - IF any progress is made this season.

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As Xmas offers a time to reflect, I’ve been thinking about Paul Cook on 14:40 - Dec 27 with 3428 viewsWestcountryblue

I'm all for the club being more ruthless and less accepting of mediocrity. I think that Ashton and new US owners are challenging existing paradigms and trying to change the culture of this club. We have been a soft touch for years, and our incredibly loyal fans aside, a bit of a laughing stock of a club. I hope the same happens to players that we have carried too long during January, such as Nsiala, Kenlock and Nolan. Wouldn't be adverse to moving on relative newcomers such as Penney, Pigott, Fraser and Carroll and Hladky as well. If they are not motivated to play for a club like Ipswich, then move them on.
Breaking and changing culture is a tough process, but it was 100% the right thing to do letting go of Cook. He was lazy and assumed his formation and style of play could be immediately transferred over from his Wigan and Portsmouth sides of old.
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As Xmas offers a time to reflect, I’ve been thinking about Paul Cook on 14:45 - Dec 27 with 3400 viewsChurchman

I did the same and feel exactly the same way as you on this.

Reflecting on Cook, I thought with his track record he knew what he was doing and was pretty supportive until it became clear how clueless he was. I even thought he should have been given more time. Wrong, it’d have been better if he’d been booted out end of October or even better end of last season.

We are now stuck yet another season in this rubbish league and McKenna has a big job on his hands.
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As Xmas offers a time to reflect, I’ve been thinking about Paul Cook on 14:52 - Dec 27 with 3356 viewsHerbivore

I feel sorry for him on a personal level, he seems a decent enough guy and let's not forget he lost his father not long ago and that's a horrible thing to go through. On a professional level I find it much harder to have any sympathy with him. He came in talking about automatic promotion, couldn't get a response from the players at all, and instantly threw them under the bus. We had a good run in and even a par performance should have seen us make the top 6 and then anything can happen, instead he managed to get less out of that group of players than a disinterested busted flush in Lambert. This season hasn't been far off a genuine car crash. He had to go, there's no way he was taking us anywhere we wanted to go unfortunately.

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As Xmas offers a time to reflect, I’ve been thinking about Paul Cook on 15:10 - Dec 27 with 3236 viewsIllinoisblue

As Xmas offers a time to reflect, I’ve been thinking about Paul Cook on 14:40 - Dec 27 by Westcountryblue

I'm all for the club being more ruthless and less accepting of mediocrity. I think that Ashton and new US owners are challenging existing paradigms and trying to change the culture of this club. We have been a soft touch for years, and our incredibly loyal fans aside, a bit of a laughing stock of a club. I hope the same happens to players that we have carried too long during January, such as Nsiala, Kenlock and Nolan. Wouldn't be adverse to moving on relative newcomers such as Penney, Pigott, Fraser and Carroll and Hladky as well. If they are not motivated to play for a club like Ipswich, then move them on.
Breaking and changing culture is a tough process, but it was 100% the right thing to do letting go of Cook. He was lazy and assumed his formation and style of play could be immediately transferred over from his Wigan and Portsmouth sides of old.


I’d broadly agree with that; under Evans we were essentially run as a Sunday league club. It was way past time for a shake-up from top to bottom.

On the flip side, though, of being ruthless I look at Arsenal. They stuck with Arteta while he struggled and now, two seasons later it’s all clicking very nicely.

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As Xmas offers a time to reflect, I’ve been thinking about Paul Cook on 15:25 - Dec 27 with 3132 viewsRobTheMonk

- Awful game management.
- Took us from within reach of playoffs to mid table mediocrity which we've never recovered from even with a new group of players as the old group were all not very good.
- Constant contradictory statements about not blaming players.

He's had a mare here.
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As Xmas offers a time to reflect, I’ve been thinking about Paul Cook on 15:53 - Dec 27 with 2985 viewsMullet

The problem is, it wasn't that quick, in terms of other clubs it's far closer to the average we are used to. Also he chose the "demolition man" tag and model and totally ballsed it up. Either because he didn't think we'd get his targets so he took what he could get, then couldn't help himself when they were willing to move or he didn't see the potential pitfalls.

He was an Evans appointment, trading on the past and that ultimately was his undoing. I wonder if he'd have been better off being jettisoned with the takeover, but likewise he had far more slack here than he deserved.

Ultimately his football was sh1te.

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As Xmas offers a time to reflect, I’ve been thinking about Paul Cook on 15:55 - Dec 27 with 2965 viewsIllinoisblue

As Xmas offers a time to reflect, I’ve been thinking about Paul Cook on 14:45 - Dec 27 by Churchman

I did the same and feel exactly the same way as you on this.

Reflecting on Cook, I thought with his track record he knew what he was doing and was pretty supportive until it became clear how clueless he was. I even thought he should have been given more time. Wrong, it’d have been better if he’d been booted out end of October or even better end of last season.

We are now stuck yet another season in this rubbish league and McKenna has a big job on his hands.


It is a huge job for McKenna. The one thing that might help him is low expectations. All the buzz of the takeover has subsided and it’s down to business. I’m sure he won’t do any worse than Cook but I will be amazed if he gets us anywhere near the top six. Far too much ground to make up.

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As Xmas offers a time to reflect, I’ve been thinking about Paul Cook on 15:58 - Dec 27 with 2930 viewsIllinoisblue

As Xmas offers a time to reflect, I’ve been thinking about Paul Cook on 14:32 - Dec 27 by Steve_M

Yes, Cook did a poor job and managed to recreate the supposed failings of the squad he inherited in the Summer.

One thing on loans though, It's pretty much impossible for lower division clubs not to have some in their squad given the continued stockpiling of any promising young player by Premier League clubs. Pretending that won't happen is a fool's game.


Of course, if our recruitment was any good then we wouldn’t need to rely on loans so much. Love to know who scouted Hladky and decided he was worth a significant transfer fee.

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As Xmas offers a time to reflect, I’ve been thinking about Paul Cook on 16:20 - Dec 27 with 2824 viewsRobTheMonk

As Xmas offers a time to reflect, I’ve been thinking about Paul Cook on 15:58 - Dec 27 by Illinoisblue

Of course, if our recruitment was any good then we wouldn’t need to rely on loans so much. Love to know who scouted Hladky and decided he was worth a significant transfer fee.


I think Hladky is a bit of an anomaly. I don't think anyone could have predicted how difficult he was going to find it.
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As Xmas offers a time to reflect, I’ve been thinking about Paul Cook on 16:23 - Dec 27 with 2824 viewsKeaneish

As Xmas offers a time to reflect, I’ve been thinking about Paul Cook on 14:32 - Dec 27 by Steve_M

Yes, Cook did a poor job and managed to recreate the supposed failings of the squad he inherited in the Summer.

One thing on loans though, It's pretty much impossible for lower division clubs not to have some in their squad given the continued stockpiling of any promising young player by Premier League clubs. Pretending that won't happen is a fool's game.


Ashton called for patience while it took time for the side to “gel”. After Bolton and the subsequent games it was widely acknowledged that we’d now gelled. Cook’s record in the league since Bolton was a 50% win record, which over the remainder of the season would have taken us to the play-offs.

To make the call and decision to sack him when we did to bring in an interim and then the new recruit with even less games to secure promotion is clearly a longer term solution. If we were serious about getting out of this league, why scupper it and give McKenna an impossible task? To date, GameChanger have made some quite baffling decisions inconsistent with the sound bites they pedal.

Cook didn’t recreate what he inherited. He didn’t have time to do that and it’s a massive stretch to draw any parallel given the time frames.

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As Xmas offers a time to reflect, I’ve been thinking about Paul Cook on 16:30 - Dec 27 with 2791 viewsN2_Blue

As Xmas offers a time to reflect, I’ve been thinking about Paul Cook on 16:23 - Dec 27 by Keaneish

Ashton called for patience while it took time for the side to “gel”. After Bolton and the subsequent games it was widely acknowledged that we’d now gelled. Cook’s record in the league since Bolton was a 50% win record, which over the remainder of the season would have taken us to the play-offs.

To make the call and decision to sack him when we did to bring in an interim and then the new recruit with even less games to secure promotion is clearly a longer term solution. If we were serious about getting out of this league, why scupper it and give McKenna an impossible task? To date, GameChanger have made some quite baffling decisions inconsistent with the sound bites they pedal.

Cook didn’t recreate what he inherited. He didn’t have time to do that and it’s a massive stretch to draw any parallel given the time frames.


Not as baffling as your constant defense of a failed manager who has taken us further backwards and basically failed with two sets of players.

you state Gamechanger have made some odd decisions.... another weird take. They didn't appoint Cook and they rightly got rid of him. The decision to bring in McKenna will hopefully be inspired but no one can call anything on that decision yet.

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As Xmas offers a time to reflect, I’ve been thinking about Paul Cook on 16:32 - Dec 27 with 2766 viewsMarshalls_Mullet

As Xmas offers a time to reflect, I’ve been thinking about Paul Cook on 15:53 - Dec 27 by Mullet

The problem is, it wasn't that quick, in terms of other clubs it's far closer to the average we are used to. Also he chose the "demolition man" tag and model and totally ballsed it up. Either because he didn't think we'd get his targets so he took what he could get, then couldn't help himself when they were willing to move or he didn't see the potential pitfalls.

He was an Evans appointment, trading on the past and that ultimately was his undoing. I wonder if he'd have been better off being jettisoned with the takeover, but likewise he had far more slack here than he deserved.

Ultimately his football was sh1te.


Agreed.

Paul Hurst was quick. Cook was given nearly a seasons worth of matches.

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As Xmas offers a time to reflect, I’ve been thinking about Paul Cook on 16:42 - Dec 27 with 2704 viewsSteve_M

As Xmas offers a time to reflect, I’ve been thinking about Paul Cook on 16:23 - Dec 27 by Keaneish

Ashton called for patience while it took time for the side to “gel”. After Bolton and the subsequent games it was widely acknowledged that we’d now gelled. Cook’s record in the league since Bolton was a 50% win record, which over the remainder of the season would have taken us to the play-offs.

To make the call and decision to sack him when we did to bring in an interim and then the new recruit with even less games to secure promotion is clearly a longer term solution. If we were serious about getting out of this league, why scupper it and give McKenna an impossible task? To date, GameChanger have made some quite baffling decisions inconsistent with the sound bites they pedal.

Cook didn’t recreate what he inherited. He didn’t have time to do that and it’s a massive stretch to draw any parallel given the time frames.


If you take from Lincoln to Wycombe inclusive then Cook's teams were ok, some good results and a couple of poor runs at Accrington and Cambridge. The problem you have is that all of the matches outside of that spell count too.

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As Xmas offers a time to reflect, I’ve been thinking about Paul Cook on 17:00 - Dec 27 with 2589 viewsleitrimblue

As Xmas offers a time to reflect, I’ve been thinking about Paul Cook on 16:23 - Dec 27 by Keaneish

Ashton called for patience while it took time for the side to “gel”. After Bolton and the subsequent games it was widely acknowledged that we’d now gelled. Cook’s record in the league since Bolton was a 50% win record, which over the remainder of the season would have taken us to the play-offs.

To make the call and decision to sack him when we did to bring in an interim and then the new recruit with even less games to secure promotion is clearly a longer term solution. If we were serious about getting out of this league, why scupper it and give McKenna an impossible task? To date, GameChanger have made some quite baffling decisions inconsistent with the sound bites they pedal.

Cook didn’t recreate what he inherited. He didn’t have time to do that and it’s a massive stretch to draw any parallel given the time frames.


I was a big Cook inner, and think he his a excellent manager.But I'm not sure he was gonna turn it around here. He was not their man and didn't fit into their system in the way McKenna hopefully does.
I do agree that the timing wasn't the best and it would have been wiser to get rid of him at the end of the season and get their own man in. Or at least a month or so earlier when we still had a chance of reaching the play offs
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As Xmas offers a time to reflect, I’ve been thinking about Paul Cook on 17:01 - Dec 27 with 2561 viewsHerbivore

As Xmas offers a time to reflect, I’ve been thinking about Paul Cook on 16:23 - Dec 27 by Keaneish

Ashton called for patience while it took time for the side to “gel”. After Bolton and the subsequent games it was widely acknowledged that we’d now gelled. Cook’s record in the league since Bolton was a 50% win record, which over the remainder of the season would have taken us to the play-offs.

To make the call and decision to sack him when we did to bring in an interim and then the new recruit with even less games to secure promotion is clearly a longer term solution. If we were serious about getting out of this league, why scupper it and give McKenna an impossible task? To date, GameChanger have made some quite baffling decisions inconsistent with the sound bites they pedal.

Cook didn’t recreate what he inherited. He didn’t have time to do that and it’s a massive stretch to draw any parallel given the time frames.


Madness.

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As Xmas offers a time to reflect, I’ve been thinking about Paul Cook on 17:10 - Dec 27 with 2521 viewsRadlett_blue

As Xmas offers a time to reflect, I’ve been thinking about Paul Cook on 14:40 - Dec 27 by Westcountryblue

I'm all for the club being more ruthless and less accepting of mediocrity. I think that Ashton and new US owners are challenging existing paradigms and trying to change the culture of this club. We have been a soft touch for years, and our incredibly loyal fans aside, a bit of a laughing stock of a club. I hope the same happens to players that we have carried too long during January, such as Nsiala, Kenlock and Nolan. Wouldn't be adverse to moving on relative newcomers such as Penney, Pigott, Fraser and Carroll and Hladky as well. If they are not motivated to play for a club like Ipswich, then move them on.
Breaking and changing culture is a tough process, but it was 100% the right thing to do letting go of Cook. He was lazy and assumed his formation and style of play could be immediately transferred over from his Wigan and Portsmouth sides of old.


Changing the manager and most of the players every season is no way to build a football team. Yes, Cook didn't deliver with either the squad he inherited or the one he chose, but please let's not let McKenna dismantle the whole squad in the summer.

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As Xmas offers a time to reflect, I’ve been thinking about Paul Cook on 17:30 - Dec 27 with 2439 viewspatrickswell

Don’t feel sorry for Cook. In footballing terms, it was criminal the way that he blew two good opportunities both in terms of our position when he arrived and the resources that he wa given over the summer. He underperformed Paul Lambert for goodness sake.

And if Leam Richardson continues to thrive, then he’s forked in terms of future employment/prospects.

Good.
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As Xmas offers a time to reflect, I’ve been thinking about Paul Cook on 17:42 - Dec 27 with 2376 viewsSteveDt

As Xmas offers a time to reflect, I’ve been thinking about Paul Cook on 17:30 - Dec 27 by patrickswell

Don’t feel sorry for Cook. In footballing terms, it was criminal the way that he blew two good opportunities both in terms of our position when he arrived and the resources that he wa given over the summer. He underperformed Paul Lambert for goodness sake.

And if Leam Richardson continues to thrive, then he’s forked in terms of future employment/prospects.

Good.


Should have gone a month earlier
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As Xmas offers a time to reflect, I’ve been thinking about Paul Cook on 18:09 - Dec 27 with 2280 viewsOldFart71

I worked at a local paint factory ( American owned) and the managers were changed like underwear. If you don't come up to scratch your replaced. That's as it should be. These guys are well paid, use other peoples money by the millions and whilst not every signing can be either an instant or long term success at least 75-80% of them should attain an acceptable level. Some of the failures of ITFC can be laid at the feet of players but a lot of what is/has happened at Town has been the fact that these managers have brought in a group of individual players and ceased to mould them into a team and endlessly put round pegs in square holes. Hopefully McKenna is the person to see what numerous managers before him haven't and bring in another two or three that we need and maybe shift on the one's that haven't proved good enough.
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As Xmas offers a time to reflect, I’ve been thinking about Paul Cook on 19:30 - Dec 27 with 2034 viewsBlueBadger

As Xmas offers a time to reflect, I’ve been thinking about Paul Cook on 16:23 - Dec 27 by Keaneish

Ashton called for patience while it took time for the side to “gel”. After Bolton and the subsequent games it was widely acknowledged that we’d now gelled. Cook’s record in the league since Bolton was a 50% win record, which over the remainder of the season would have taken us to the play-offs.

To make the call and decision to sack him when we did to bring in an interim and then the new recruit with even less games to secure promotion is clearly a longer term solution. If we were serious about getting out of this league, why scupper it and give McKenna an impossible task? To date, GameChanger have made some quite baffling decisions inconsistent with the sound bites they pedal.

Cook didn’t recreate what he inherited. He didn’t have time to do that and it’s a massive stretch to draw any parallel given the time frames.


He had 44 games and performed worse than Lambert.

He had time.

He wasted his time.

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As Xmas offers a time to reflect, I’ve been thinking about Paul Cook on 19:32 - Dec 27 with 2010 viewsHerbivore

As Xmas offers a time to reflect, I’ve been thinking about Paul Cook on 19:30 - Dec 27 by BlueBadger

He had 44 games and performed worse than Lambert.

He had time.

He wasted his time.


Yes but if we'd only stuck with him for longer he'd have turned our downward trajectory upside down and we'd have strolled into the play offs.

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As Xmas offers a time to reflect, I’ve been thinking about Paul Cook on 19:38 - Dec 27 with 1971 viewsBlueBadger

As Xmas offers a time to reflect, I’ve been thinking about Paul Cook on 16:30 - Dec 27 by N2_Blue

Not as baffling as your constant defense of a failed manager who has taken us further backwards and basically failed with two sets of players.

you state Gamechanger have made some odd decisions.... another weird take. They didn't appoint Cook and they rightly got rid of him. The decision to bring in McKenna will hopefully be inspired but no one can call anything on that decision yet.


Keanish loves it when we have crap managers. Loved Keane, loved Lambert, loved Cook.

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As Xmas offers a time to reflect, I’ve been thinking about Paul Cook on 20:06 - Dec 27 with 1872 viewsNthsuffolkblue

As Xmas offers a time to reflect, I’ve been thinking about Paul Cook on 16:23 - Dec 27 by Keaneish

Ashton called for patience while it took time for the side to “gel”. After Bolton and the subsequent games it was widely acknowledged that we’d now gelled. Cook’s record in the league since Bolton was a 50% win record, which over the remainder of the season would have taken us to the play-offs.

To make the call and decision to sack him when we did to bring in an interim and then the new recruit with even less games to secure promotion is clearly a longer term solution. If we were serious about getting out of this league, why scupper it and give McKenna an impossible task? To date, GameChanger have made some quite baffling decisions inconsistent with the sound bites they pedal.

Cook didn’t recreate what he inherited. He didn’t have time to do that and it’s a massive stretch to draw any parallel given the time frames.


"Cook’s record in the league since Bolton was a 50% win record, which over the remainder of the season would have taken us to the play-offs." That is taking his best spell in his time here and extrapolating it, though.

In his last 6 league matches he had a 33% win rate, with just 7 points. Extrapolate that and we would finish lower mid table. Even your assertion that a 50% win rate would have given us a play-off place is wrong, we were on 27 points with 26 matches left. 13 wins would have taken us to 66 points. I am not convinced that the 4 draws that (on the same form he was on over those 10 league matches) taking us to 70 points would guarantee a play-off place. (6th place finished on 74 last season and 73 the previous completed season.)

It was abundantly clear that he was taking us backwards.

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