Boss Paul Lambert was frustrated by his side’s failure to stop crosses from coming into their penalty area after losing 3-2 at home to Bristol City. Lambert was pleased with his team’s overall display - and two-goal striker Freddie Sears and midfielder Cole Skuse in particular - but was again left bemoaning “basic errors” at the back.

“I thought we were controlling the game, thought we played really well,” Lambert said. “Freddie Sears is playing unbelievable football at the minute.

“I think his [first] goal was exceptional, the move was exceptional leading up to it. We controlled the game.

“And then the first [Bristol City] goal is an honest mistake from Bart, he’s tried to stop it from going in, that happens.

“But the next two goals were really poor. We’ve got to stop crosses, you can’t play the game of football if you can’t do that basic, stopping crosses into your box and we never dealt with that.”

Reflecting on his team scoring goals at one end but also conceding at the other, he added: “It’s four games we’ve been here and we’ve taken the lead in three. Whether the lads are not used to taking the lead, I don’t know. As I say, I’m not long in the door.

“But I’m really happy with the way we’re playing football and the way we look a threat but again the basics of the game, if you can’t stop crosses coming into your box you’re always going to have confusion in your box.

“We’ve got to do better at stopping crosses. Football-wise, I can’t fault the lads, the way they’re trying to it and trying to play.

“I wish Skuse was 27, I really do, because I think the way he’s playing football at the minute, left and right foot, playing two-touch, he looks absolutely brilliant. He’s 33 years of age.

“But you have to do the basics of the game, there’s no other way to put it. It’s black and white - stop crosses coming into your box, you’ll be fine.”

He admitted it was a missed opportunity with results elsewhere yesterday going in the Blues’ favour.

“Yes, and because of the way we’ve been playing as well,” he continued. “We’re playing really well. I can only see with my own eyes for four games and the lads are doing everything I’m asking, playing the game, we’re working on everything in training, trying to get as much information to them as we can.

“But again, the basics of the game. It doesn’t matter how much training you do, the basics of the game, you have to stop crosses coming into your box, especially in this division when there are a lot of crosses going into the box. You have to stop them.”

Lambert has got his team playing positively and with confidence but the continued wait for a win won’t help him to maintain that.

“That’s my job and I’ll do it absolutely no problem whatsoever,” he insisted. “That’s the way I am as a person. If you don’t have energy and you don’t have passion, you’re never successful.

“There are no secrets in football. I’ll always have it, I won’t get downbeat, I’ve never been downbeat in my whole football career. I tend not to be downbeat here.

“We’ve a great crowd behind us, you can feel it. We need a little bit of help, as I said before, but the energy levels will never drop.”

Lambert is confident Town can bounce back from yet another body blow: “Absolutely, the overall picture when it dies down, we’re playing well. But we can’t doing what we’re doing and scoring, you have to stop the basic errors. If you stop the basic errors then you’re halfway there.

“Football-wise and creating things, I can’t ask any more than that but the actual defending, especially tonight, I thought was really sloppy.

“We lost a poor goal at Reading, the equaliser, Preston was a set play, West Brom we got caught at the back post, allowed the cross to come in and got caught at the back post.

“We’ve lost poor goals, I think, at critical moments, in critical games and tonight was another example of that.”

Robins boss Lee Johnson, whose side are up to 14th, was pleased to get the win after four successive defeats.

“It’s a big relief, it gets that monkey off the back," he admitted. "It’s a difficult place to come. You can see Paul Lambert has got this Ipswich side going, working their socks off for each other.

“He’s got people working hard for each other and they’ve got a threat. A difficult game, I’m very, very pleased to come out with three points.

“I thought in the first 10 or 15 minutes we were excellent. We kept them in and then I think their shape got the better of ours a little bit.

“Skuse is a good player, I know he’s my mate but he’s also a very good player, he’s evasive, he builds the attack, he’s an experienced player, he sort of slips your markers if you know what I mean and their three-v-two in the middle just got the better of us really on too many occasions and then I thought we looked a bit nervous after that.

“At half-time, it wasn’t a biblical speech or anything, it was the classic, ‘Come on boys, I’d rather get beaten five and go for it’.

“I thought Lloyd Kelly epitomised that with his attacking intent down the left and Famara Diedhiou gave us a physical platform for all the busy little bees and I’m delighted he scored because he’s probably the biggest confidence player we’ve got.”

He added: “I thought we showed unbelievable spirit. I’m telling you, they will get out of trouble. They are a decent side. They need a couple of January additions but they know that. There’s a lot of energy and a lot of quality in that team."

Photo: TWTD

marco007 added 06:59 - Nov 29 If you say it enough times you may believe it! Either that or our manager is delusional. We are not good, we are awful...facts don't lie, nor does the team sheet...every time I see our defence with Spence and Knudsen I cringe and as much as we love Chambers chest thumping he is quite simply not very good. Unfortunately Bart, often our saviour, is also playing like a lower,league footballer. Add in an uncrewtive midfield and no strikers thenwe have a serious problem. I'm not blaming Lambert as I admire his positivity but Division 1, here we come 😕

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pennblue added 07:04 - Nov 29 MattWin: I hope PL does not really think we are playing well, and it is more a management strategy to keep the morale up, as if that drops we have no chance. It must be clear to him already that major investment is needed. Whether we go down or not this year, will be purely down to whether Evans sticks his hand in his pocket or not. People say January is not a great time to be doing business, but you can pick up players for a small fee that are due to end their contracts soon.

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martin587 added 07:12 - Nov 29 We have to be blatantly honest here and I hate to criticise any of the lads but the complete defence was awful.They all made schoolboy errors.Week in and week out the same players are at fault and PL can obviously see this but he has very little replacements until January and by then It could well be too late.Fingers crossed it won't. Bishop and Dozzell must come into contention for Saturday and Roberts needs to be rested,he tries hard but is not the answer when we have two strikers sitting on the bench. Still a long season ahead and I do think we can get it right and stave off relegation but we must strengthen the defence and stop making stupid mistakes.Get rid of both full backs as they offer very little to the team and wander around like lost sheep. We must have faith in Paul and that we can eventually avoid the drop.

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Northstandveteran added 07:34 - Nov 29 When Skuse is our best player, it really does put this dire situation into perspective.
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stewartm added 07:49 - Nov 29 Wolfenden at the back with Pennington would be a start, bring back Emanuel and hope Kenlock shows his face. Chambers, Knudsen, Spence and Bart have had their chance. Under MM fans got frustrated with the lack of good football and poor performances, these players werthe same culprits. Now the better players have been sold these players are really being found out!
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mk1982 added 08:55 - Nov 29 Many fair comments about the defending which was on the whole very poor. Spence has his moments but I've never seen him as any more than a reasonable league 1 full back. Knudsen is ok in a limited capacity, but simply doesn't offer enough and doesn't look to fit in the style Lambert wants us to play. That being said, Edwards idea of tracking back seems to be get somewhere near our defence and job done. The way he allowed their very average left-back to waltz past him was very poor indeed. Have to defend (& attack) as a team. PL really has his work cut out and all bets seem to be on the transfer window, just a shame we face Millwall & Rotherham so early in Jan, would be nice to get some players in and settled before those matches.

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Marinersnose added 08:56 - Nov 29 Firstly congratulations to Sears and Skuse who were fantastic. Sears not only scored two well taken goals but he tracked back and won the ball back on many occasions.Many already slaughtering Bart who is obviously low on confidence but he certainly came off his line wellon a number of occasions and made a decent save in the first half. Brats problem is we as a team have two very poor fullbacks who cannot defend. Two goals were as a result of Spence not stopping the cross. Knudsen is no better and this area needs addressing quickly. I see a place for Woolfenden also as our centre backs go missing too often. The substitutions unfortunately weakened the team who lost momentum at that point but Lambert had to freshen it up. Next up a difficult trip to Forest

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davetheblue added 09:04 - Nov 29 This is now surely about rebuilding a side for league 1 ,with this current team we be be some 15 points from safety come january and be to far behind ,i was hoping we might be 6 points behind with half a chance but this current side is just not good enough. i like lambert though and have faith in him building a side we can be proud off.
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ShropshireBluenago09 added 09:27 - Nov 29 Chambers has always punched above his weight. Good captain but not the best defender.
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BlueandTruesince82 added 09:46 - Nov 29 Cashley Cole might be available for just over 5k a week,
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ChrisFelix added 09:55 - Nov 29 So the chickens come home to roost. Sears outstanding performance, not only scoring 2 good strikers goals but excellent defending when back tracking.We are let down again by key stone cop defending. I have seen this type of goal keeping on the park watching a kids kick around
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Michael101 added 10:14 - Nov 29 We had a good defender last year then went and sold him ,he looked pretty good last night.
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BaddowBlue1 added 11:05 - Nov 29 We keep finding ways to lose games or scraping a draw from the jaws of victory. I have followed the club for 42 years and have blue blood in my veins but cannot now see us getting out of this situation. The centre of defence gives me no confidence at all, we are unbalanced and I would rather get the Woolf back from his loan and play him as he will be our future.
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raycrawfordswig added 11:18 - Nov 29 3 managers have said about defensive errors about time it was sorted out.
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BobbyBell added 11:24 - Nov 29 So many goals given away for so long now. Change the back four. The guys playing now have no confidence and just keep making horrendous gaffs. Play a new back four on Saturday because they just can't be any worse than this lot. Spence is awful, Knudson is so inconsistent, Chamber is just a blocker who makes costly mistakes and now Bart has joined in probably because he has no confidence in the players in front of him.

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norfolkbluey added 11:30 - Nov 29 What a poison chalice PL has been given. Supporters depressed, defenders not doing the basics. Bart being blamed for the defenders not protecting him. Sears is producing the goals he potentially he had in him all the years he has been playing for the town. So confusing or is it. PL has done a job up front and now he has to get the defence by the scruff of the neck and do the same there. Don't blame Bart when the defence leaves him badly exposed. Keep believing we can claw ourselves back up the league. With PL in charge we can. Let PL make the decisions. He's the man in charge not us.!!

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Lightningboy added 11:57 - Nov 29 Think the rebuild needs to start now for next season..hopefully Lambert stays onboard to oversee it..Did think that we only needed 3 or 4 signings in January but based on last night's performances we need about 10...plus Freddie Sears needs offering a new deal pronto. Bart - has obviously got serious issues going on in his head..liability at the moment. Spence - arguably the worst RB i've ever seen at the club..no discipline defensively. Chambers - great attitude but past it at this level. Pennington - why didn't we re-sign Carter Vickers? Knudsen - you & your agent can go now & take that bl00dy towel with you. Skuse - good last night but the reason we've gone backwards as an attacking force. Challobah - headless chicken,can go back asap to chelski. Downes - not good enough for this level yet. Edwards - powder puff..dropped right off the pace..could be good in league 1. Roberts - another nowhere near good enough for this level. Jackson - pace but couldn't trap a bag of cement..another who could be good in league 1. Harrison - please offload asap. Bishop - had enough chances,not strong enough,pay as you play deal or get shot of. Honestly can't see us making any worthwhile signings in January if we're so far adrift...Time to build the team around Sears,Dozzell,Lankester,Woolfenden,Emanuel,Kenlock,Downes,Nydam. Dear oh dear 😞

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KernewekBlue added 12:49 - Nov 29 Straight to the point... We're relegated! There was, apart from Freddie and Skuse, no-one else who started in a blue shirt who, on last night's “performance”, deserves to be a part of this Championship football team. Bialkowski... he's shot, he's ruined. I'd say he should try to get a job delivering pizzas but he'd probably drop them on the way to the doorstep. His goal kicking is worse than awful too. Gerken is not the answer either. We desperately need a decent keeper to come in come in in January. Chalobah... one of the worst players I think I've EVER seen. He is the root cause of many of our problems. Every time he had the ball he lost it. Can't pass for toffee, can't run with the ball, ineffective in all areas. Drum him out of the gates and back to Chelsea quicksmart. Should never again pull on a blue shirt. Knudsen... clueless, positionally naive lightweight. How the heck is that guy an international? New contract??? Flog him in January, although I suspect there wouldn't be many takers now. Perhaps someone could boil him down for glue and candles. Chambers... well past his sell by date. Doesn't stop crosses coming into our box effectively. Always seems to either put just enough pace on the ball or not quite enough pace on the ball when he passes, giving opposition attackers too much hope and too many chances to close down the defence in every game. His other stock option is to hoof the ball aimlessly forward for others to chase, mostly in vain. Pennington… Difficult to look good within this shambles of a defence. I feel sorry for him. Spence… At least tried to go forward and link up with Edwards. Not up to scratch on current showings though. Downes, Edwards, Roberts… could probably be more effective in a better side. Unfortunately, they must have that nagging doubt in their minds that if they lose the ball in midfield or up front, our defence will probably crumble away to dust and concede goals. Not easy to play on the front foot when you've got that pile of horse manure behind you. Lambert needs to make wholesale changes to the matchday squad NOW in order to try to get rid of this losing mentality and inject some energy. Bomb out the dross, promote players from the bench and youth teams to try to cover the inadequacies of the aforementioned no-hopers, go on a serious spending spree in January to acquire some more talent and find some decent loan signings. We'll need to start to plan now for our promotion campaign from Division One next season.

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pippaine1 added 12:50 - Nov 29 Watched live there far more wrong than just the defence, Passing very poor little midfield control basic mistakes all over the pitch, confidence very low
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micky_1560 added 13:54 - Nov 29 The merchants of doom are certainly out in force! It may just be one of those seasons where whatever we try and all the effort, just isn't enough to keep us up. Spence came for a trial and failed, then we gave him a contract when we couldn't get anyone else! Can't stop crosses and can't defend in the box. Knudsen is not as bad as most people say, but yes is inconsistent. I thought Chambers played well last night until the keystone cops 10 minutes that lost us the game. Pennington is not good, loses his man time and again, Bart is shot of confidence for some reason. Chalobah seems so overrated, didn't like him when I saw him playing for England! On the whole I thought we passed the ball much better, and from the back instead of hoof ball. I like what PL is doing and have enjoyed the last four matches far more than the last four years of MM. We are now paying for settling for mid table crap for so long and a huge rebuild is needed. I hope PL is part of that rebuild...

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brendenward35 added 14:07 - Nov 29 PL needs to do what Mick did when he came get a couple of good CB into the team who will work together. Berra and Searman comes to mind rock solid at the back and kept us up. Selling our best defender to Bristol City was shocking and ME needs his backside kicked as this was the start of the down fall. PL needs to look at the whole team work out how the balance this team as it's so disjointed at the minute. I'd even look at whats on the freebies list as get a quality ex prem defender in to shore up the defense could be a good option to survival. Whatever he does needs to do this before next game or we are going to get hammered. Forest knocking goals in for fun

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PortmanTerrorist added 14:55 - Nov 29 We are not down yet, but i too felt like that was the decisive blow last night. I suppose the big question is when do you quit on this season and work on what could be your team for next with some additions? As mentioned we must surely be considering building a team around:- Sears (ST), Lankester (LF), Dozzell (CM), Downes (CDM), Nydam (CM), Woolfenden (CB), Emanuel (RB), Kenlock (LB)....and maybe Wrighty MkII in goal. I think there are players who have shown glimpses such as Roberts, Edwards and Jackson but none seem aware of the higher level of ability, intensity and consistency required in this league. We def need strengthening in certain areas in January, but please god let it not be by bringing in more also ran players to push out OUR young stars. Let them shine this Xmas !

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oldelsworthyfan added 15:32 - Nov 29 My view is that Bart's not the problem - it's what's in front of him! The sheer positional incompetence and lack of any anticipation from Chambers, Spence and Kenlock would frighten most goalkeepers. These three 'don't know whether they are coming or going' and are not worthy of the shirt they wear. Lambert will know what to do. He should put his arm round Bart's shoulders and rid the side of the other three.

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SheptonMalletBlue added 15:37 - Nov 29 here's how I see it: Must get rid of McCarthy's "alright boys", those that always played regardless of form,Chambers (he pumps his fist, well once this season & talks a lot) very poor player. Knudsen, who thinks he's Pele coz he played in a world cup, terrible full back. Spence too. Chalobah doesn't have the spunk for a fight. Bart, past his best. Also all of Hurst's signings. We need a clean slate for Paul Lambert to get us out this mess!!!

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KernewekBlue added 15:54 - Nov 29 Ummm... Kenlock wasn't playing oldelsworthyfan! I think you meant Knudsen. Chalobah needs to leave NOW... having that excuse of a footballer around the first team is poisonous! Knudsen and Chambers need to shape up or ship out too! Come January, we need to distance the first team from these underperforming, clueless, aimless, talent-lacking McCarthyites and Hursties and give the young guns a chance along with some new blood. Not even Guardiola could save us from the drop with our current squad. I wish Lambert all the best in sorting out a formula to stave off relegation but he's going to need the financial support from Evans to have any chance at all. If there are no funds forthcoming, Lambert will find climbing the league table as difficult as pitchforking sand. ME now needs to fund The Great Escape, put his money where his eloquent rhetoric is and give us a chance. Stump up the cash Marcus or we're certainly doomed matey!

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