Town boss Paul Hurst admitted that it was the wrong decision to involve Jon Walters in today’s 0-0 home draw with Bolton, the Ireland international having suffered a calf injury soon after coming on in the second half.

Walters picked up an achilles injury at Hull a week ago and missed Tuesday’s 1-1 draw with Brentford as a result.

“We were being radioed that it’s his calf,” Hurt confirmed after being asked about the injury. “He went straight in the medical room so I haven’t got a definite [view] and they might not even know at this stage in terms of how bad or how long he’ll be out.

“He was certainly limping very heavily. Will he go for a scan? I’m not the medical department but that’s seems the usual route and until we’ve seen that we won’t know.

“Clearly it was the wrong decision to involve him and I’m the one to make that decision. But I think Jon would certainly be the first one to say that he trained yesterday and said he felt fine.

“We said we’d look at it again in the morning to see if anything developed overnight and he said he felt fine.

“He’s an experienced pro, I’m sure desperate to be involved, but if he didn’t feel he was right he wouldn’t have put himself up for selection.

“There’s an element with the crowd of him giving them a lift and ultimately giving the team a lift, using someone of that status, plus he’s an obvious goal threat, so that was sad to lose him.

“I still felt like we had the man advantage in the last 15 minutes. I don’t know whether Bolton were happy to carry on as they were, but it didn’t feel as though they changed anything in terms of it being 10 v 10 and the numbers evening up.”

Does he regret having played Walters, who turned 35 earlier in the week? “That depends how long he’s out for and how bad that is. Was it a calculated risk? Genuinely the information we were getting was that he wouldn’t make anything any worse.

“I think it’s his calf rather than his achilles, but at the same time while I’m not a physio I know sport and your bodies and maybe his other muscles were compensating for that more and working harder and therefore that’s what’s happened.

“All we can do is keep our fingers crossed now that it’s not anything too bad that will keep him out for too long.”

Hurst confirmed that Janoi Donacien missed out purely as he was the sixth loanee with only five permitted in the squad.

“Yes, and with hindsight it would have been better to involve him and leave Jon out,” he reflected. “That scenario might be taken out depending on how bad Jon is and he may be able to come into consideration.”

Town have had more than their fair share of ill fortune this season but Hurst says he’s not one to look for excuses or blame luck.

“It didn’t particularly look like we were going to score and we put Jon on to try and do something different,” he added.

“As I said, I wasn’t sure that that was helping them, but what I would say, even if it was a set play, even if you do find that right cross, he’s the one person you want in there.

“At 10 v 10, I’d still give the players credit, they were still the team that looked like they wanted to win it and were pressing forward, albeit a little bit more vulnerable to be broken on.

“But things go against you, there’s no getting away from that. One of the things we spoke about before the game was that there’s a message on the wall about not looking for excuses and I’m a massive believer in that.

“Things happen and if you look at the facts, they’re there in front of you, they happen, you have to try and do all you can to take that away from the scenario and therefore even if you have bad luck along the way, can you overcome it still?

“Today, in one sense, we got a clean sheet. But overall not what we wanted, we couldn’t do enough to get that victory.”

Photo: TWTD

cat added 23:18 - Sep 22 Me thinks Mr Hurst is hiding behind the headline “wrong decision to include Walters” cause in truth we could still be playing now and we would not have scored. We're not doomed in any shape or form as we are competing, but the rot is clearly setting in and we need to improve in the final third. Least we have AJ to lift the gloom! TRUE ‘ENGLISH' LEGEND 🤜 BOOM
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oldbri added 23:41 - Sep 22 Lets look on the bright side. There is a bright side , isn't there.Please tell me there's a bright side.
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Lineoutking added 23:45 - Sep 22 I can no longer conceal my utter contempt for the buffoons who post I'll considered nonsense on this forum- call yourselves fans - you're a disgrace to the word. I've never seen so much fickleness - one minute you want to drive MM put of the club next thing you're applauding an honest man with a terrific track record of playing exciting football and encouraging the policy of bringing in hungry young players from lower leagues and five minutes later you're admonishing him when anyone with an ounce of intelligence would realise that patience is the key coupled with getting behind your team and supporting them regardless instead of spouting this nonsense. And the cr@p about sheepshanks running the club better than Evans - what effing planet have you been living on? This is my first and last post on here you bunch of complete twonks!

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TractorViking added 00:07 - Sep 23 I'm deeply worried. Don't like what I've seen so far. Think we have made too man changes in a short time. The current squad isn't as last season's. Should have kept som of the departed player(Waghorn, Garner, Didz and Webster). PH spoke of high collective pressure, fast Winger etc - haven't seen anything of this yet. I'm afraid this experiment Will prove to be å huge mistake-hope I'm wrong!

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floridaboy added 00:14 - Sep 23 Send Walters back to Burnley. Wasting good money on a crock!
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matthewwylds added 00:15 - Sep 23 He has to go now f### off
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itfchorry added 00:55 - Sep 23 So sad you are leaving the site lion out king- Not
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runningout added 01:03 - Sep 23 Time for us to step up a fans and show some character. Cheap jibes do no one favours.
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Tractorboy1985 added 03:34 - Sep 23 Basically you were desperate and you've now ruined a player for longer
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Henrietta_R_Hippo added 03:50 - Sep 23 Awe-inspiring enlightenment... After-The-Fact! Bravo Mr. Paul "I'm not inherently naive!" Hurst
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geminimustang added 06:48 - Sep 23 Don't be surprised to see MM back until the end of the season only.Evans would have to pay him handsomely and MM is pig headed enough to come back and prove the doubters wrong.He wouldn't stay,just come back,stave off relegation and walk away with a shed load of money.
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SpiritOfJohn added 08:03 - Sep 23 This was a golden opportunity for Andre Dozzell to come off the bench and pick a pass through a packed defence. The club shop should bring out a new range of books featuring a young man in a Town kit with a blue and white bobble hat hidden amongst a crowd of loanees, entitled Where"s Andre?
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nineteenseventyeight added 08:55 - Sep 23 Tractorgirl try being constructive in a discussion, we're all not happy with our position and all have our own opinions on it but turning on each other doesn't help
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martin587 added 09:47 - Sep 23 My burning question and to which I would like to have a clear answer from Paul is ;”What is wrong with Dozzell”? Is he fit or not.If he can play on a Monday and come away uninjured why cannot he play on Saturday. The team is crying out for his creativity.Is there an underlying problem none of us know about.? Answers please.(I doubt it)! I will never knock the club,management or playing staff but to be honest I have watched every game this season and I cannot see any improvement whatsoever in any position.Infact we seem to be going backwards. We don't have a settled team or even a formation as yet.After nine league matches and a cup defeat Paul should have some idea by now. These next three games before the International break have now become must win games.I can see the confidence is not there and this must be addressed now. Enough of my Sunday rant,but I had to get it off my chest. Have a good week folks.Look forward to St Andrews next Saturday.🤔

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BeattiesBackPocket added 09:59 - Sep 23 The town fans around me in the sir bobby stand wanted him on cheering his name get him on then moan he gets injured. Granted if not fit he shouldn't be on the bench but we can't have it both ways.
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Europablue added 10:36 - Sep 23 phillev231069 I appreciate your thoughts. I think you'll find we were predicted by many to be relegated this season. The owner on the fans behest has asked his new manager to entirely change the playing style of the team that was entrenched within the squad he inherited. If I were Hurst I absolutely would expect to stay in the job for at least a few more months provided that there were positive signs. It is entirely possible that a manager can be the wrong fit or things just don't work out for some reason. The thing that will definitely cause us to fail as a club is to chop and change and unsettle the club. I would be fine with staying up this season and bedding in the players and getting the team playing the more attractive style we all want, so while we are only one win away from that goal and showing signs of progress I'm not going to even think about calling for Hurst to be sacked. If we can all get behind the massive project of changing the style of play, I'm sure it will be easier to achieve.

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dukey44 added 11:34 - Sep 23 Just something silly but a lot of people said let's see how we doing after 10 games as will give us a better clue on the new manager? Well how many games is he to get to sort it then?
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smurfsareblue added 12:33 - Sep 23 Bored of MMs defensive football 2 years ago. Liked what PH had to say re pressing attacking football with wingers. However nothing i have seen bears any resemblance of what he was trying to achieve. Defense poor. Would prefer Kenlock left and Emmanuel right. Keep Chambers and get a proper centre back as Nsiala is not the answer as was poor Today. Playing Skuse and Chalobah together does not work. Effectively 2 holding midfielders. Edwards ok but crossing the ball a bit poor and when a good cross comes in no one in box. Drop chalobah or skuse and replace with a second forward. Use Rowe on left as cannot be worse than Graham. 4 1 3 2. As he is not going to use Dozzell then use Naylor as an attacking midfielder or Downes. Then get the ball forward and ATTACK FFS.

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smurfsareblue added 12:36 - Sep 23 PS would like to give our 2 new centre forwards 5 games to play together. Get to know each other and form a proper partnership. Give it a go. Be brave PH. If we lose another 2 or 3 then stick with the team give them time to gel as you are simply bottling it if you just change the team each week
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smurfsareblue added 12:39 - Sep 23 NAYLOR LOL. If only. Meant Nolan obviously. However someone like Naylor who would never give up would be most welcome.
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Bubsy added 12:52 - Sep 23 I am behind the manager 100% its my role as a follower of ITFC. Unfortunately this site (like all other forums) are at danger of having rival fans share HS and try to undermine our club. Obvious who they are in previous posts, clear as a bell. Ipswich till i die.
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Brockleyblue added 12:56 - Sep 23 Wrong decision to involve Hurst?
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runningout added 13:02 - Sep 23 slightly concerning that even to me and many it was obvious not to include Walters in Bolton game.. Something wrong that needs righting sharpish
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ThaiBlue added 13:08 - Sep 23 Sorry Mr Hurst you have to go as this football is so so poor.the support you have had from the fans has been great but I think the majority have seen enough like myself.get a Burley Holland joint venture going experience with also new fresh ideas can't hurt.please stop talking about Mick mcarthy he's had his day now gone.
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blue75 added 13:54 - Sep 23 Today I'm embarrassed to be a Ipswich fan!! I used to be proud that we were respected throughout the footballing world as being a good club. But now after the McCarthy debacle we've got fans calling for the manager to be sacked after 8 games whatever happened to give the new man time? Is this a snowflake/millennial thing or just modern society? Our club wasn't ever going to challenge for promotion this year! This season was about staying in the league & undoing all the harm that was done to our playing style in the Keane,Jewell & McCarthy years that doesn't happen over night! Obviously Hurst hasn't helped himself changing teams so much & not knowing his best 11 yet but he won't find that out in training, we can all say who we think is best suited but we only see matchdays we have to give him time it's what a good club with good fans does. So when you're slagging the team off because we're not thrashing whoever we're playing just remember we're little Ipswich & we have to earn that right!! This has been building for 17 years we may have to go down to go back up but we will one day return to where we want to be it just won't happen overnight. We all get frustrated when it doesn't go as we want but give credit to Bolton who when down to 10 men shut up shop and hope to weather the storm that never really came. Supporting our team isn't about always winning, everyone needs to be behind the team god knows they need it no team with a new manager should be scared to play at home so early in the season that's just crap fans causing that!! Next game if you don't want to support the boys don't go you're not needed!! COYB

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