Boss Paul Hurst says he’s in regular contact with Marcus Evans even if they don’t meet face to face too often and believes the club’s owner, like everyone else, is realistic that it will take time to successfully implement the summer’s changes. Hurst feels Town haven’t been too far away in their opening games even if they are still to pick up their first win of the season and sit bottom of the Championship.

“We're always in touch and that’s genuine,” Hurst said when asked if he and owner Evans have spoken often.

“I think I’ve only once been able to sit in a room and look him in the eye but I’ll let you see my phone bills and you can see that we’re in touch often.

“Certainly during these times bringing players in we have a lot of conversations and we speak after every game, so there’s certainly no lack of contact there.”

Does Evans understand that Hurst is presiding over a long-term project and that there might be a few bumps in road along the way?

“I hope so!” he laughed. “But he’s the man who will make any decisions on my future and on the football club’s future, but I think we’re all realistic about what’s set out and there has been a lot of change asked.

“It’s unusual if you can make that all come together instantly and certainly in terms of results it hasn’t.

“But I’ve been happy with a lot of other things at the football club that have happened quite quickly.

“We just need results to back all of that up because, again, I’m fully aware that results are the most important thing in football.

“There was a call perhaps to change how the football club was going, what direction. Do you stick with that or do you think, ‘Oh no, we haven’t quite got the results, let’s go back to the way it was?’.

“I think if you are going to opt to try and change things, you should try to give it a little time.”

Overall, despite taking only two points from their first five league games and exiting the Carabao Cup at Exeter, Town aren’t too far off the pace.

“No, I don’t believe so,” he insisted. “I think if you look at each game we’ve played, there’s hardly been anything in it really.

“Certainly scorelines, Derby we spoke about maybe that second goal really killing that game off.

“But every game we’ve been more than in and it kind of frustrates me but it is fine margins and many people have said that to me.

“On goals scored and opportunities, a lot of the stats that I’m getting match up with a lot of other teams and certainly the opposition that we’re facing.

“For me it’s more about keeping the ball out of the net, we haven’t kept a clean sheet. That makes it more difficult to win a game of football.

“I’ve been used to having teams which have nearly always had one of, if not the, best defensive record in their league.

“If we carry on as we are, we’re not going to have that. We could argue, ‘Yeah but you’re playing better opposition’, things like that but we’re still in a league and that’s our league.

“We’ve got to stop giving soft goals away and if we win games 1-0 you still get three points.

“We’d all love to win 5-0 and 6-0 but it doesn’t happen very often, so, to be honest, I’m focused about that side than worrying about anything else.”

Photo: TWTD

LWNR2013 added 19:16 - Aug 29 All's cool
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Chocorange added 19:21 - Aug 29 If he is focusing on keeping clean sheets , it must mean we will get a defender in on loan. Got to be the priority judging from what he said. Definitely need cover and competition for places... which should also see the errors cut out. COYB
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Kropotkin123 added 19:35 - Aug 29 Good read. Glad both are realistic about the changes. It would be great if we get our first victory with a convincing win against Naridge
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barrystedmunds added 19:36 - Aug 29 “Like everyone else, is realistic that it will take time to successfully implement the summer changes” Two minutes on this site will probably indicate otherwise!
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Europablue added 20:58 - Aug 29 Even an unconvincing win against Norwich would do for now.
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Mark added 21:25 - Aug 29 We can feel more confident if we get a centre back and striker in tomorrow. Let's not leave ourselves short until January!
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armchaircritic59 added 21:40 - Aug 29 barrystedmunds, the comments you are refering to unfortunately seem to mirror society in general these days. Everyone seems to want everything yesterday! I suspect if you quoted the old saying "Rome wasn't built in a day" to some people, the answer would come back "why not"! This all reminds me of the situation surrounding Bobby Robson soon after he came here, (i'm of that generation!). Supporters baying for his head and the (in) famous punch up involving a couple of the players (no point in naming them now), who took offence to the changes he was making. Of course, he got called into the Cobbolds office, and expecting the worst, was, someone shocked to be told, not to worry about all the nonsense going on, and by the way, you've got a salary increase! As per usual, class from the Cobbolds. Now, i'm not implying that PH is going to turn into another Sir Bobby, just appealing that everyone gives him a fair crack of the whip and not make concrete judgements after such a tiny sample of matches. If in the longer run it doesn't work out, well we can at least say we tried another way, and PH will no doubt be much the wiser! And of course the "be careful what you wish for" and "i told you so" brigades, can finally have their day in the sun!

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Bluearmy_81 added 21:53 - Aug 29 "Everyone seems to want everything yesterday!" 17 years mate. You've got the patience of a saint
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armchaircritic59 added 00:46 - Aug 30 Get where you're coming from Bluearmy, but 16+ of those, have nothing to do with PH! It's a revolution, not an evolution going on at ITFC now, and history teaches us that revolutions tend to involve a fair bit of blood loss (and often time) before the prize is won!
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Bluearmy_81 added 06:53 - Aug 30 Agree, I have plenty of time for PH. None for ME though, can't believe how many people were duped by one scripted interview in 10 years!! Talk about gullible
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Bluearmy_81 added 06:55 - Aug 30 Not so much duped as taken in...
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Karlosfandangal added 07:53 - Aug 30 Armchaircritic59 Agree, it will be interesting to see if the fans still back PH if they are still in the relegation zone by Christmas or how many will turn on him if we lose to Norwich. Keane went 15 games without winning and we still survived.
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braveblue added 09:14 - Aug 30 One face to face meeting since he arrived. Evans really is interested!!
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BlueBlood90 added 09:20 - Aug 30 Does he just call to ask if you're interested in buying some tickets for the next Olympics?
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1RWR added 09:39 - Aug 30 armchair critic Very nicely put!
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BeattiesBackPocket added 11:22 - Aug 30 The poor guy really has a job on his hands. To completely change the style of football that we've had to endure the past 5 years is difficult enough and then getting rid of some deadwood and bring in pretty much a new team to play how you want its tough to expect anything other than it taking time. The fact Evans has only been in the room once with him to me shows an issue the club has. Yes he saved us from doom lets not forget that however what since? Yes he may pump millions in but dont believe all that hype 2 or 3 years ago it was only £500,000 not the £5 million we are told and yes thats still sizeable however as a successful businessman the ONLY WAY he sees any return is by investing more and us becoming a premier league team which essentially wipes out the debt in one season alone. Speculate to accumulate and all that OR is there a reason he is happy tottering along mid table? Tax right off against his holding company maybe? For me there does seem a distinct lack of interest in getting us up! A debt getting ever bigger when we have taken some big sums of money in the club through the likes of Mings, Wickham, Murphy, Cresswell, Waghorn etc. My point is can anyone who supports Evans tell me what businessman is happy making a loss every year?? If he is why is he happy for this to happen??

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