Hurst: Wrong Decision to Involve Walters
Saturday, 22nd Sep 2018 19:40

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

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Philpomr added 14:05 - Sep 23

I think it is becoming very clear that Hurst is the puppet and M.E. Is pulling the strings - he is involved with player transfers et al. The reason the youth are not playing, been sent away is because if they played they would show up the ‘quality?' Players we have got on loan.

There was no need to make changes in the game as the players were in the second half pushing and attacking, when the changes were made the game changed.
I don't blame the players - they seems as confused as the supporters it's not there fault, I think they are trying the best they can to their ability.
But it is a mess there is no logic to anything anymore. My heart says stay but my wallet says no!

Essexipswichboy added 14:12 - Sep 23 He doesn't know his best team because the players he bought in are not good enough simple as that. What really is annoying is his blatant disregard for the youth setup even though they all doing amazing. TIME IS UP....it already looking like players all fed up Player of the season for the last 3 years on the bench no wonder so much disharmony
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oldegold added 14:51 - Sep 23

I know it is easy to kick PH but I must admit to great disappointment at how he jas managed since he came. I thought our future was in our youth policy..and yet they have all been sent away or are not playing. Why aren't Kenlock,Emmanuel,Downes, Nydam playing week in, week out ? Every manager who comes in and becomes obsessed with loanees immediately loses the plot and he has gone way over the top..how on earth do we build aclub with loanees? I thought we had a promising generation and yet they never play...incredible.We are relegation fodder unless the loanees are sent packing, we get our youngsters back and ME splashes the cash ...
Desperate times and we are going down, make no mistake about it...

oldegold added 14:51 - Sep 23

-1

Sourdough added 20:52 - Sep 23 Geoff would make a better fist of it. They think it is all over .... it will be soon.
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mathiemagic added 06:49 - Sep 24

Well perhaps the Walters injury will mean Donacian gets the permanent right back slot he deserves without constantly being dropped just because of the loan number fiasco. If any loan player needs dropping its Jordan Graham. He can dissapear back to Wolves pronto IMHO. Onwards to Brum and fingers crossed yet again. The only positive is that we are unbeaten at home and that we are picking those few points up to stop us being cut adrift even at this early stage. Cant last much longer though.

Jimmyonthewing added 08:57 - Sep 24

So PH appeases the moaners and puts Dozzell and other youth players out on the pitch and then we still get beaten, play poorly and or one of them gets a bad injury. What then? Sack the manager - we still have the same squad personnel and no way of changing that until January. Right now we should stand by our club, all we can do is support and hope things turn around. MM was appointed in November so September is way too early to make another of what was a massive gamble back in 2012 anyway

Palestine added 17:02 - Sep 24

Basically this (below post). It fricking hurts watch this, it is tough. But don't be snowflakes - it's way too early. Stay strong. Support. Give him a chance. Thank you.

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

dirtydingusmagee added 22:19 - Sep 24

couldnt go , disappointing, not looking good , Hurst is victim of his stupid decision to use a wrecking ball when taking over, having no experience at Championship level .He looks dazed and lost in interviews, He obviously talked his way into Evans's grand plan ,[success without investment] but its one thing talking about it and another actually doing it .Early days ,but my first thoughts were he would be out of his depth,and im afraid he looks to be just that .