Chambers: Not the Time for Fist Pumps Friday, 13th Jan 2017 18:06 The after-match fist pump celebration that became Luke Chambers’ trademark may have been conspicuous by its absence this season but the Town skipper remains confident it will become a regular feature at Portman Road in the second half of the season. Chambers and his team-mates did not go over the top following their last-gasp victory over Bristol City at the end of December, perhaps unsurprisingly since it was only their third win in 10 home league games, a run that has contributed to their slide down the table to 16th place ahead of tomorrow’s visit of Blackburn Rovers. He said: “There was a little one [fist pump] but I don’t really think it’s the right time to be giving them out at the minute. “We’re not riding a crest of a wave, which we have done in the past couple of years when things have been going well. Things are tough at the minute and I think everyone involved with the club — players, fans and everyone else — is finding it very difficult. People are making their feelings known and we’ve got to stand up and take it.” Chambers was asked if he and his colleagues spoke about the future of manager Mick McCarthy, the number one target for supporters’ fury and whose fate, it could be argued, is in the players’ hands. He replied: “We’re all in it together. We haven’t spoken about anything to do with the manager’s future. We see everyone still fighting in his corner and we’re all backing him to the hilt. He’s done that for us, individually and collectively, since he’s been here. “We’re having a tough period and we’ve not been used to this over the past two or three years. We’re used to fighting towards the play-offs and we need to stand up, take the abuse that’s coming our way and try to put in better performances. “No one’s played particularly well this season but maybe Tom Lawrence should be singled out. “Everyone’s had their good games and bad games. There’s not been too much consistency and that’s shown in our results. But the lads are working their nuts off, as are the staff, and it’s just not going for us at the minute.” Did he feel the players had let the manager down? Chambers replied: “No, I don’t think they have. You’re asking that question but I don’t agree with that. We’re all fighting our corners but things aren’t going the way we’d planned. I think the league is getting stronger every year with the amount of money around. “It’s almost as if the top half of the Championship is an extension of the Premier League in terms of the fees and wages being spent. I’m hearing about a player going from Forest to Villa on forty grand a week in the Championship — it’s almost mind-boggling. “The chairman’s made no secret of the fact that he’s not going to do that here and we have to fight and scrap, and do things the hard way, which we’ve continued to do. We’re finding it tough this year but we’ll keep fighting our corner.” Chambers is known for his leadership qualities and was asked if there were enough like-minded players on the books. He said: “I think it’s always easy to be a leader when things are going well, but this is a time for us all to stand up, me included. “When I give these interviews I never shy away from your questions — I try to take it on the chin, whether I’ve been criticised, played well or played poorly. “I’m no different to everyone else. We don’t like being criticised but we have to stand up. Now is the time when the boys, every single one of them and whether they are leaders or not, whether they are big personalities or not, have to stand up and be counted. “There’s no hiding place, especially now and especially when we play at home, because one or two mistakes and the atmosphere is turning round quickly. “You need to be able to handle it and if we’ve got players in there who can’t handle it they can’t play. That’s the bottom line because we need to get ourselves out of this situation pretty quickly or it’s going to be a long, long second half of the season. “I could never have envisaged us going out on a Saturday and things being the way they are now. If anyone had told me 18 months ago that this would be happening now I’d have told them to eff off. It’s not nice. But it happens and teams go through it. “Bristol City have lost eight out of nine and QPR lost six in a row before winning three in a row. It’s a mad league and on any given day anyone can beat anyone. “Blackburn have beaten Newcastle twice and must wish they could play them every week. It’s crazy. As players we can’t bet on football but if anyone’s betting on the Championship they’re crazy because it’s up in the air with results and you cannot predict anything.”
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