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Lambert: We’ll Be in the Fight, Absolutely No Doubt About That
Saturday, 1st Dec 2018 18:30

Boss Paul Lambert insisted that Town will be a seven-team fight to avoid the drop, despite being seven points off safety following their 2-0 defeat at Nottingham Forest.

Lambert felt the Blues began the game well prior to Lewis Grabban’s first goal, which came after keeper Bartosz Bialkowski had failed to hold Tendayi Darikwa’s shot.

“We started really well and obviously the first goal came from a lad you probably wouldn’t have thought would make a mistake in Bart,” he said. “I thought it was from distance with no great power and obviously it’s come away from him.

“That’s put us on the back foot and that’s given Nottingham Forest an impetus given the home crowd.

“But the second half we made a fist of it when we could have capitulated. All credit to the team, they’re really young and we’ve got a lot of lads who have been brought to the football club and it’s their first time playing in this division a lot of them.

“[Some of the] young players just needed a break from it but if we can stay in the fight I think we’re in about a seven-team league at the minute. We need a little bit of help in January and let’s see what happens from now on in.”

It was the second time in two games Bialkowski, the Blues’ player of the year for the last three seasons, has made a costly error but Lambert backed the Polish international.

“I think he’s a brilliant goalkeeper and a terrific lad and mistakes happen,” he said. “That’s the nature of football.

“It won’t be his first mistake, it won’t be his last, but he’s a really top goalkeeper and it would be wrong for me to say anything.

“He’s been excellent since I’ve been here. OK, mistakes happen but I’m fortunate that this football club’s got two really good goalkeepers.”

Kayden Jackson had chances in the first half with his header from Grant Ward’s cross the best of them.


“He did great to get across with the header, I thought he maybe should have hit the target, but Kayden hasn’t played too much football,” Lambert reflected.

“I gave Jordan Roberts a rest from it, I gave the two kids in the middle of the pitch [Trevoh Chalobah and Flynn Downes] a rest from it because they haven’t had a break from football at all. Gwion [Edwards] had a bit of a sore ankle so we had to watch him as well.

“In the second half, we made a game of it and the crowd were brilliant again. You’re feeling sorry for them because they come in their numbers to watch us. We need everyone at the football club to stay together.”

Is he concerned by the lack of clean sheets, the Blues’ only one this season having come in the 0-0 draw with Bolton.

“I think that’s important but you can’t just blame defenders and the goalkeeper, that’s a collective thing that is. [You can’t] give away sloppy goals, especially against teams of the calibre of Nottingham Forest, they’re a really good side, they’ve invested really well. We have to get ourselves out of the position.”

The Blues boss dismissed suggestions that confidence is a problem: “Do you know what? It’s not. That’s the beauty about it, the lads have been great. There’s a really good spirit of the club and anybody that knows me knows that I’ll never let that go.”

Is it harder to get a win the longer the current winless run - which is now up to seven, including Lambert’s five in charge - continues?

“It can be,” he admitted. “Winning’s contagious, it’s like a bug. When you win and you keep on doing it it doesn’t matter what environment you come to, that’s the beauty about being a footballer. If you get the winning feeling it’s a great feeling.

“But we’re developing, we’re a really a young side. I’d love to know how many in the Championship have got a many young players as we’ve got and plus there are a helluva load of lads who have come from the other leagues. But that’s the nature of the game, but they’re my team and we’ll stick by them.”

Town have another tough game next week away against Stoke, who were relegated last season with Lambert in charge for their final months in the Premier League.

“Absolutely, Stoke a club I know really well, a really good club. Great owners, everything about it was great. But we’ll go there to try and win. I won’t change,” he insisted.

“We’ve got a free week because there’s no midweek game and we’ll go there to try and win.”

Regarding Jack Lankester, who made his full debut, he added: “I think he did well. You never know until they jump in the water whether they’ll sink or swim and that’s great for the club.

“I think he’s going to have a big, big impact in his career and that’ll stand him in good stead, it’ll just show him what it’s like to be a professional footballer.”

Teddy Bishop made his first start since Boxing Day and Lambert was pleased with the 22-year-old display, believing he got better the longer he was on the field.

“He got his second wind. Again, another kid that’s been out a long time injured and it’s just getting a feel of it again.

“There are loads of positives. We never capitulated in the second half and the support at the end was very welcome.”

Lambert has praise for skipper Luke Chambers, who was making his 330th appearance for the club.

“Brilliant, you don’t get many [who do that] but take away the footballer aspect of Luke Chambers, I think as a person he’s top class, he’s a credit to the club, himself and his family.”

Lambert dismissed the idea that the gap, which is now up to seven but could increased to nine if Millwall win at Bristol City tomorrow, is getting too large to bridge.

“I still think it’s a seven-team league at the bottom,” he insisted. “We need a little bit of help in January, I think everybody recognises that. But you never, ever give up and there’s a helluva long way to go.

“We’ll be in the fight, absolutely no doubt about that. We’ll be in the fight because we’ll get better, we are getting better, we just need a little bit more in certain positions in the team.”

Will the owner back him in January or might that depend on how likely survival is at that point? “No, I think Marcus knows this now, he’s a clever guy, he knows this now, he’s been brilliant since I’ve been at the club. We need a little bit of help and everybody recognises that and I don’t have any problem with that.”


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blueboy1981 added 18:42 - Dec 1
The ultimate professional in doing his best to keep the spirits up. This guy knows his stuff, and we're somewhat fortunate to have him. Wouldn't have been that easy for ME to get him.

Let's just hope he hangs around to see a recovery thro' - other offers will during that time be on the table for him.
28

dukey44 added 18:43 - Dec 1
Change the back 5......
9

marco007 added 18:46 - Dec 1
Completely delusional!
Well beaten.....again....and how poor has Bart been??
Can't just blame Hurst's signings as Bart, Spence, Chambers and Knudsen have all been pants this season 😞
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bobbyramsey added 18:52 - Dec 1
PL is doing an amazing job....
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Northstandveteran added 18:57 - Dec 1
I'll be b#ggered if I can be asked to read all that.
-3

Mark added 19:01 - Dec 1
I am glad Lambert is staying positive, but I feel so deflated and for my own mental sake have decided to accept relegation is a reality. We are far from good enough, regardless of manager. We sold/released our best players and tried to replace them on the cheap, which has failed. Too many years of under investment have caught up with us.

The season is not dead as I hope to see Norwich's promotion charge fail, them going up and us down at the same time would be so painful.

For Ipswich, we need to think how best to build for League One next season and that means developing our youngsters (not the youngsters of other clubs).

I will be there cheering on the blues in League One next season and I remain confident that Lambert is the man to build a promotion challenge.
5

htb added 19:02 - Dec 1
Individual mistakes continue to cost us. I really like Paul Lambert but do find it strange that the changes he made were not in defence. The reason we have no wins under his stewardship are clearly down to a very poor defence I love Bart but I don't know what has happened to him this season from hero to zero. He has cost us too often this season and once again after a positive start from the team his mistake stopped us in our tracks. He was brilliant in previous seasons but a complete liability this. I genuinely can't see us getting out of this now, but absolutely hope we keep Lambert and Evans who is likely to be the richest owner in div 3 gives the necessary backing the long suffering and deserving fans finally get something to cheer about.
4

Cakeman added 19:02 - Dec 1
Well said blueboy1981. Paul Lambert is doing his very best to see the glass as half full. However the same old mistakes haunt us. It's obvious we need to cut out the mistakes but we haven't got much hope of that with the squad we have.
9

JCBLUE added 19:09 - Dec 1
PL 👏👏👏
2

BobbyBell added 19:10 - Dec 1
PL is doing his best with what he's been handed. But 2 points from 15 since he arrived is not any sort of improvement. We must drop the back 4 NOW. IMHO it's already too late but my heart still hopes for a miracle. We keep handing out goals like Christmas presents!!
2

Surco72 added 19:15 - Dec 1
Will get relegated playing our full backs and our keepers , grounding day on here
4

linhdi added 19:15 - Dec 1
All of which proves that we have the best possible manager. A really good appointment. Once we start winning, we'll pick up. Whether in time to stay up, who knows. But we have a better chance with PL than with just about anyone else.
6

naa added 19:20 - Dec 1
marco007, he isn't delusional, it's called man management. Something Hurst was awful at.

If he came out and said 'yep, we're screwed, my team are nowhere near good enough' do you think that will get them playing better.

Also, what makes you think he doesn't have words in private with them? No need to say everything in public. Quite the opposite in fact.
10

Stato added 19:27 - Dec 1
Lots of good stuff from Lambert since he arrived but most of it public relations and sound bites. Now its time to show the senior players who is in charge and drop some of the established players in defence rather than just rotating kids were fringe players. We need a clean sheet or 2 away from home.
2

WalkRules added 19:35 - Dec 1
[Quote] from a lad you probably wouldn't have thought would make a mistake in Bart [end quote]

Being positive is great but this is every game. Surely it cannot hurt giving Gerken a game. How bad must he be feeling to not get a shout.

So so sad 😔
1

Dissboyitfc added 19:35 - Dec 1
Now off to see the latest rocky film, creed 2, love to see a good fight, just wish we were not, worrying times indeed! I don't think we will get a Hollywood ending!
1

Skip73 added 19:50 - Dec 1
Thankyou Paul Hurst for building the worst squad in Championship history. MUPPET!!!!!
2

Dissboyitfc added 20:30 - Dec 1
In fairness to hurst, he can be blamed for many things deservedly so, but not the defence, they were already here. Wonder what has happened to Bart though! Hurst and Doig to blame I wouldn't mind betting!
3

herfie added 20:40 - Dec 1
Of course PL remains positive with his public face on; as he said, it's his job to keep the players' confidence high with the belief that eventually things will turn. And whilst he will speak words of truth with his manager's head on behind closed doors, he has to believe in his own ability to turn things round - until time defeats him.

He will know, as do we all, the size and difficulty of the challenge he faces - no good in deluding ourselves, it's massive, and history/stats are stacked against us. But to even hint at throwing in the towel, with negative statements or criticism of his players, is not remotely on his radar.
Despite disappointments and frustrations, we surely need to continue to support PL and the team, and give positive encouragement game by game. Realistically, can't see we have many alternative options. COYB!
6

Lathers added 21:07 - Dec 1
The problem for PL is the long term effects of the damage he will sustain over the next 5 months and whether he has anything left to give come the summer, to pick us up (in L1) next season. He comes to us on the back of 2 wins in 18 games at Stoke and everyone has their own tipping point. Bring positive and trying to breathe confidence is only ever going to be a short term fix when a team is racking up the defeats. It's still so relatively early in the season and as things continue to unravel (and they will because we are so poor) I worry that inevitably fans will turn on PL and come the end of the season, the damage will be done, and we will once again be looking for a new manager...
1

herfie added 21:26 - Dec 1
I hope that folk don't turn on PL - and honestly don't believe the majority of realists will.

I think he's a really good fit for us, and believe he sees his appointment as a long term project. He feels comfortable here, is realistic enough to know that he's inherited an unbalanced squad of differing quality, and that reversing the decline that's been slowly ongoing for some time, is a monumental challenge. But, however this season pans out, keeping hold of PL should be ME's top priority - he owes that to the club and it's supporters.
8

muhrensleftfoot added 21:27 - Dec 1
Lambert talks a good game but 2 points from 12 is as bad if not worse, than his predecessor. OK we can see a different style but the lack of quality in the squad cannot make it work. The worst town team in living memory, so League 1 beckons. Marcus may open his cheque book in January, but by then it will be too late, and in any case, which quality players are even going to want to join a side doomed to relegation. I'm already resigned to watching 3rd tier football for the first time in my life (and I'm 62 years old!). Depressing, sad days indeed.
4

bluelady added 21:28 - Dec 1
I love the fact people keep going on about changing the defence - great idea and bring in who exactly? We hardly have a plethora of talent waitinrvin the wings! Went today, Sears worked his socks off, Skuse looked assured and Teddy showed signs of why he is such a talent, that's about all the positive I can bring.
2

northblue added 21:35 - Dec 1
Unless we get fantastic players in Jan division 1here we come. Put in plain defence crap. A couple of sears with a bit more height is what we want

1

1RWR added 22:14 - Dec 1
marco007

Ok clever clogs......you're now the manager. You can't bring anyone back from loan, you can't bring anyone in from outside......so........who do YOU play?
Answers on the back of a postage stamp please!
2


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