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Lambert to Be Confirmed Town Boss in Next 48 Hours
Thursday, 25th Oct 2018 19:50

Paul Lambert will be confirmed as Town’s new manager within the 48 hours, TWTD understands.

Paul Hurst’s short spell as Blues boss ended this afternoon with the former Shrewsbury manager, his assistant Chris Doig, fitness coach Nathan Winder and physio Chris Skitt also leaving the club.

Hurst's stint of 149 days and 15 games is the shortest in the club's professional history.

Owner Marcus Evans has sounded out a number of potential new managers over the last couple of weeks - ex-Millwall boss Ian Holloway, former Villa boss Tim Sherwood and Leicester assistant manager Michael Appleton among them - following Town’s disastrous start to the season.

Evans relieved Hurst of his duties this afternoon with the players, who had been given the day off, called to Playford Road to be given the news.

We understand Lambert, 49, is expected at the club tomorrow with the loose ends relating to his recruitment expected to be tied up in time for confirmation of his appointment either tomorrow or Saturday. It's believed he will sign a three-year deal.

In the meantime, Bryan Klug has been reappointed caretaker-manager and will be in charge at the Den. The academy head of coaching and player development will take tomorrow's press conference, which won't be shown on Facebook Live.

Lambert’s assistant is likely to be former Norwich defender Ian Culverhouse, who resigned from his position as manager of Grantham Town last week. Culverhouse, 54, previously worked alongside Lambert at Colchester United, Norwich City and Aston Villa.

Lambert was last in a job earlier this year, taking charge of Stoke City in January but leaving in May following the Potters’ relegation to the Championship.

Previously he was in charge at Wolves, Blackburn and Villa, but is most remembered in East Anglia for his stint in charge at Norwich between 2009 and 2012 during which he took them from League One to the Premier League in successive seasons.

The Scot had joined the Canaries from Colchester United where he had spent just under a year. The U's had defeated Norwich 7-1 on the opening day of 2009/10.

His managerial career started at Livingston, where he finished his playing days, before he moved on to Wycombe.

A midfielder, he played for St Mirren, Motherwell, Borussia Dortmund - with whom he won the Champions League - and Celtic as well as Livingston and won 40 caps for Scotland, scoring once.


Photo: Action Images



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jimbo1985 added 22:42 - Oct 25
I think this is a good appointment. I know a few carrot crunchers and they are shocked that he would join us. But they have said whilst he was their the players bought into his idea and would run through walls to get the results. I remember the year they went up under him they snatched victories from defeats and draws.
Also recently I have watched back the play off semi final and final those players would do anything to get that win and burley had them in that mindset.
If Paul lambert can replicate that like he did up the A140 all will be good
He will need some money to get some players in as unfortunately we are defensively under power.
And maybe a half decent striker in January should set us up. I believe he will steer us to a possible mid table finish but it will be hard work. It's tome for the players to step up. As the managers are as good as what the players do on the pitch. WWE need to first become hard to beat again and that starts with some organisation at the back. Chambers Knudsen need to use their experience to guide the rest.
4

JimBaxter added 22:43 - Oct 25
Hi Andrewpc who do you want as manager then? lambert is available and seems a half decent appointment to me and his cv stands up to better scrutiny than mr Hurst. Your comment about the FA cup underscores my earlier post ie a lot of Ipswich fans are still living in the past it's a long long time since Ipswich was ‘ a once great club' fans need to get real ITFC is currently a very very average club sorry to be realistic but that's the current situation mate..
7

Lightningboy added 22:50 - Oct 25
For the record i'm not bothered about his Norwich connection BUT a lot of fans (quite rightly) will be...how on earth has Evans come to the conclusion that Lambert is a good idea?..a few early defeats and this could get really messy...I get the feeling that Evans is trying to wind up his own club's fans for some strange reason...it's just bizzarre.
1

chorltonskylineblue added 22:51 - Oct 25
Personally I'm not that bothered that Paul Lambert is an ex-Norwich manager. He's managed lots of clubs and he's one of only a few available managers with Championship experience. But I'm not that inspired by his appointment. We need a motivator who can get this rabble organised. And in my view it needs to be a short-term plan for survival. Which is why a 3 year contract and Culverhouse as his assistant leaves me astounded. Wasn't McCarthy given a short-term deal with bonus based on keeping us up?

That said, I'm not sure who fits the bill. Evans would never pay Allardyce's ransom and Warnock is not available...yet. Sherwood or Holloway would be a disaster and Appleton doesn't have the track record of saving teams, although I think he has good ideas. Could we afford Steve Bruce? I think he'd keep us up. Maybe roll the dice with Shefki? Things are that bad that an ex-player appointment would appease me. It just feels like we need some heart put back into the team when there is so little direction from ME and his cronies.
-1

Shotleytractor added 22:53 - Oct 25
I wanted change. Will give Paul Lambert a chance. He's won the champions league and the last ex Colchester manager done ok for us. Keep us up it's all we want. Anything else is a bonus. I don't care about the Norwich connection, I want my club to take the pride of Anglia back.
6

TimmyH added 22:56 - Oct 25
Personally not that bothered about his Norwich connections though there are other managers you would have thought would have been more in line for the job than Lambert who basically has been stumbling around from club to club after his success with Norwich some 6 years or so ago and achieved little in that time.

So on that basis I find the appointment (which looks a cert on happening) a bit bewildering.
4

blueboy1981 added 23:03 - Oct 25
Not at all sure that this will prove to be a successful appointment, and certainly not one of my first choices - but, we are in the proverbial, let's hope it works, and we don't end up having to pay another Manager and Crew off after 14 / 15 games.

We have to back Evans and the Club on this, as we did PH until it became impossible for it to go any further - it just had, and has to be.

I remain convinced that, as shallow as we currently are, we have players in the squad with youth and potential, that a good Manager can make better use of.

Over to Paul Lambert to prove us doubters wrong - unless there is still a twist in the tail to come .......... !!!

Come on you Blues.
4

notleyblue added 23:06 - Oct 25
Just want to put on record I think Paul Lambert will be another big balls up Marcus Evans.


-2

bringonbrazil added 23:14 - Oct 25
Marcus, my mrs used to work in Churchmans selling pies. They were delicious. Real football. She is willing to do the job for £1 less than this fella Lambert. Its 2018 man...time for a real change....sign her up?
0

RobsonWark added 23:17 - Oct 25
Whoever is next in the managers seat needs to get rid of Chambers!!! He is the DISEASE in this club!!
-8

GiveusaWave added 23:24 - Oct 25
As fans it's important that we get behind Lambert and Culverhouse asap. Success from now till the end of the season will be avoiding the drop....

Strange move by Evans (bringing in Norwich "legends" rather than Ipswich ones) but I'm fully behind this appointment and hope it raises spirits at the club. I also hope Lambert is allowed to dip into the free transfer market right now....strikers badly needed.
0

RobsonWark added 23:33 - Oct 25
I am assuming MM and PH played Chambers every game because Chambers does great fist pumps! What's the reason they picked Skuse every game? Does he make a great cup of tea at half time?
-3

Jollyblue added 23:40 - Oct 25
Honestly... Evans Out.. really?

We've been up for sale for ages (like most clubs if someone is prepared to invest)

Someone has got to want to buy us and they don't want to. Don't people realise that? He is all we have!

So why not just back the owner- yes give him a hard time of course and so we should - but he is the guy who can help us right now so why keep slamming him.

We might not agree with his decisions but he's putting the money in when no one else is.

The manager made the choices of who to sell, who to buy, how to play and who to play and that's where the buck stops.


7

Vanisleblue2 added 23:43 - Oct 25
I am ok with Lambert but Culverhouse wearing our badge....
0

ldnj added 23:47 - Oct 25
Oct 24 Paul Jewell laves
Oct 25 Paul Hurst leaves

Are they hoping that if they appoint a Paul on Oct 26 they'll break the mould !?
0

blue86 added 23:48 - Oct 25
stop! stop! stop! what about trying something different this time? maybe think outside the box a little? what about hiring a famous actor or singer to be our next manager? robbie williams might be worth a punt, he could sing let me entertain you before the game. plus he must know how to set a team up from his soccer aid days? .... hahahaa i have to laugh or i will cry!! supporting town recently seems like a never ending nightmare! someone please save our club!
3

phantom added 23:54 - Oct 25
I swear to god if paul lambert gets this job itfc can do one.
Evans has to be norwich fan because you cant make this up you really cant.
-3

Bezzer added 23:58 - Oct 25
Another cheap option sought by Mr Evans! When will he learn!? No ambition and no hope. Like him or loathe him, big Sam is who we need! But of course, he'd cost money, not only on his wage and back room staff, but transfer kitty too, and we know ME won't spend! We will win nothing under PL and relegation is assured. Sad times!!
-5

Cheshire_Blue added 00:07 - Oct 26
It is clear where blame for this mess lies. We had a capable manager who could achieve a top six finish and he was hounded out. Is this the improvement the numbskulls expected? They have got what they deserved. This is the reality of the situation, like it or not. This is why MM played the type of football necessary on a shoestring budget.
-4

runningout added 00:20 - Oct 26
Good luck to PH, you deserve some luck. I hope we are all pleasantly surprised in May and we are smiling :-/
0

KernewekBlue added 00:22 - Oct 26
Just a few things I'd like to get off my chest here…

I am always astounded that, when some folks propose George Burley be given a chance to resurrect his managerial ties with Ipswich Town, some supporters go into fits.

He has been our greatest manager since the late and much lamented Sir Bob, so why is there such an outpouring of negativity from some quarters? Some individuals on here seem intent on emptying their whole gall bladder in response to the mere mention of his name. It beggars belief. Personally, I would welcome him back with open arms, especially given our extremely precarious situation at the foot of the table. He's got the experience, he's a true blue and has been a fine servant of this club both as a manager and a player in the recent past.

You must have your reasons but I can't work out what they might be. It truly mystifies me. If you'd like to let me know why, I'm all ears.

Burley & Holland would be my choice pairing right now to lift us out of the doldrums, but it will probably never be...

Anyway...

... when thinking of why we now find ourselves rock bottom of The Championship with only one win all season (and yes, it was a complete fluke), we ought to try to understand the framework that any manager of this fine club currently has to work within. Any ITFC manager will start with at least one hand tied behind his back financially. That is down to Marcus Evans.

Why must we watch as other, similar sides in this division go out and purchase quality players to enhance their squads, whilst we are left crossing our fingers that Aldershot's or Accrington Stanley's chairman will budge slightly on their over-inflated valuation of a Sunday League striker who couldn't hit a barn door with a banjo?

When other, more illustrious names were being bandied about prior to Paul Hurst's tenure, I had a strong notion that one of those might possibly have taken the job if, and only if, an alternative didn't present itself. The likes of Lampard and Gerard, whose current teams sit quite comfortably in their respective leagues, have both been afforded pots of financial muscle to go out and acquire the level of players needed to succeed. We, on the other hand, seem to be incapable of challenging these teams for the signatures of players who possess the quality to play meaningful, attractive, attacking, passing, winning football. We are left cowering in the shadows, peering out only to watch the vultures circle overhead, intent on picking away the last vestiges of any talented footballing flesh we might possess until, as we are now witnessing, our bones are laid bare on the turf for others to trample over at will.

Marcus Evans is very eloquent when he chooses to spout his pro-blues blurb here and there in the media but his unwillingness to throw ENOUGH money at the cause will ultimately see his investment to date dwindle away to nothing, as our great club pays for his parsimonious nature with relegation.

There is a cancer eating away at our club from within and unfortunately, it holds the purse strings!

When we do get a new managerial appointment, I hope Evan's ethos changes. He must have learnt something from this sorry chain of events... surely? If not, I feel it is time for him to do the decent thing and fall on HIS sword. When all is said and done, the buck stops with him!

I really want to know, are you going to step up Marcus, or will you ship out!
3

austractor added 00:27 - Oct 26
All I need to be convinced (quote about Paul Lambert):

"He then replaced former Ipswich midfielder Geraint Williams at Colchester and, on the opening day of his first full season as U's boss, presided over a stunning 7-1 victory over Norwich at Carrow Road."
0

shakytown added 00:30 - Oct 26
I don't care who he has managed in the past period. If he can get us out of this enormous pile of s..t we are in he could be Charlie Mansons best mate for all I care.
2

yerfdog87 added 00:43 - Oct 26
No no no, what a joke. Can't accept that Norwich scumbag. I won't be going while he's there.... Shame on Evans
-6

Tractorog added 00:52 - Oct 26
I had hoped Paul Hurst would turn into a good manager, but the changes he made were foolishly rushed and much too big in scale.
I don't care about Lambert's Norwich connection - that is history, what matters is the future of our club. Not sure that anyone can save us with the poor quality of our squad. We need a striker who knows where the goal is - that is for sure.
4


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