Town striker Freddie Sears admits he would prefer to be operating alongside another front player, rather than in the isolated role preferred by boss Paul Hurst.

Sears, who impressed in the club’s only win this season at Swansea, was unable to make much impact in Saturday’s 2-0 home defeat by QPR that saw them drop back to the bottom of the table with a trip to Leeds tomorrow their latest challenge.

The former West Ham youngster, now approaching his 29th birthday, said: “I see myself as a striker alongside another striker up front. It’s different being a lone striker but it worked at Swansea, although it didn’t against QPR.

“I’ve done it before, at Colchester for a few years. I know it’s a different level, but for me the best option is two up front with someone to play with.

“I think two up front is a bit out of fashion at the minute, which has probably killed me a little bit football-wise, but I don’t pick the formation.

“If I did, I’d play two up front, but I don’t, I’m not the manager and I don’t get paid to make these decisions. A lot of teams are playing 4-3-3 or one up top and that’s the modern game nowadays.”

Hornchurch-born Sears, who has scored 24 goals in his 157 appearances for the Blues, acknowledged his lack of height, adding: “It would be ridiculous to work in training on playing long balls up to me but in football confidence is massive as well.

“I go back to the pre-season game against West Ham and the way we were knocking it around.

“I know there was nothing on the game — it doesn’t really count as a game — but in the Blackburn game there were also some good spells.

“Confidence is a big factor and there can be times when you have that extra touch, or maybe you are a bit nervous and you just boot it long.

“If we were winning games it would all be better because there are some good players here and the training is good.

“I’m sure I heard the manager say he’s seeing a different set of players [in the games] to what he is used to seeing at training, which is fair to be honest.

“Sometimes the training is really good and then come Saturday, and it was especially the case against QPR, it’s terrible.

“It was tough and frustrating at the weekend. I don’t think there were many positives to be honest.

“It was disappointing after the result we had at Swansea and the only positive was probably Jack Lankester coming on to make his debut and showing what talent there is in the academy here.

“After a game like that you think to yourself about what went on and what happened, and how has it happened.

“We’d just had a great result at Swansea — I know the international break kills the momentum — but we were coming in to a game against QPR, a team in a sort of similar position to us.

“It was a game we needed to win because we need to get points on the board, but unfortunately we didn’t do that.

“It can’t be allowed to happen again. But we’re going to Leeds next so it’s not going to get any easier.

“We’re going to have to roll our sleeves up and dig deep, I suppose, but there are no easy games in the Championship.”

Hurst revealed in his after-match press conference on Saturday that there had been a frank exchange of views among players and staff, and Sears continued: “There were words said after the game in the changing room. It was quite an honest discussion, which normally happens after a disappointing result and performance.

“There was a lack of energy, a lack of everything, and nothing seemed to go right. I basically watched the game for 90 minutes and it wasn’t enjoyable for me.

“I don’t think anyone, and especially the fans, enjoyed it and none of the players could say they enjoyed it.

“I had a chat with a few of the boys over the weekend and you try to get to the bottom of it and think how we can make it better.

“But you’ve got to come in on Monday and get ready to go again on Wednesday night.

“Have we found a solution? That’s a good question. I just think it will take more hard work, keep putting in the time at the training ground.

“It has been tough and there are a lot of new players here, which isn’t an excuse because it’s the truth.

“There have been a lot of changes here since last season and the starting XI is a completely different one from last season.

“But it’s like I said after the game, this is Championship football. It’s hard and QPR did a job on us at the weekend.”

Photo: TWTD

Bert added 14:41 - Oct 23 A very honest appraisal of the situation which just about sums up where we are. The brave new plan has not worked so the club has to recognise the reality of the problem and make some decisive decisions to avoid meltdown. I don't criticise Evans for listening to supporters about the need for a different brand of football but unfortunately his chosen candidate appears unable to make the step up and demonstrates this in the way he talks, recruits players and selects the team. Things were bad under MM last season and he had to go but the problem now is so fundamental that it goes to the very core of my club's existence. Act now Mr Evans and get it right this time.

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midastouch added 15:44 - Oct 23 Oh dear, sounds like everybody is rather lost under the new regime. Things need to turn around fast if not surely we need to consider other options before it's too late. Even a new manager might fail to turn it around as we're in quite a hole already but I'd rather give them as much time as possible to try and stop the rot. Unless we turn the form book upside down over the next couple of games then I expect Paul will be going the same way as his namesake Paul Jewell. If we get hammered by Leeds he might not even get a chance to try and make amends against Millwall and Preston. I bet Paul wishes he had the fixtures in reverse order as Leeds on paper appears to be the worst of the 3 but who knows as I didn't give us a prayer of being Swansea and we somehow nicked 3 points from there. But we really did ride our luck at times there. Anything less than at least 4 points from the next 3 games (6 would be better!) then I'd say we really need to think about cutting our losses and get somebody else in to try and steady the ship before it sinks without trace!

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warktheline added 19:18 - Oct 23 If you need a giggle have a look at the pie chart, a fraction of Town fans still fancy a top two finish! 😂😂😂
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mathiemagic added 07:09 - Oct 24 @warktheline That would be the top two out of the bottom four then !
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