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Lambert: First Win Was Always Going to Be a Scrappy One
Saturday, 15th Dec 2018 18:06

Boss Paul Lambert said he had a feeling his first Town victory would be a scrappy one, the Blues having played better in a number of previous games than during the 1-0 weather-affected home win against Wigan.

“The conditions were horrendous,” Lambert said. “I think anybody would like to play in the rain but the wind doesn’t make anything good.

“In the first half I thought we were dominant with the ball, we never looked under threat really.

“In the second half we had to defend strongly with the conditions. Deano’s made a great save, but overall it was one of the best since I’ve been here.”

Regarding goalscorer Freddie Sears, who has netted five times since Lambert took charge in late October, he added: “He’s doing ever so well at the minute, Freddie. Great pro, terrific lad as well and he’s getting better, his all-round game is getting better.

“That’s another goal, five goals, an incredible return from a wide player. I think he’s enjoying his football, which is important.”

The deflected goal had an element of luck about it but Lambert believes his team haven’t always got what their performances warranted from previous games.

“I think we’ve deserved more,” he insisted. “We’ve played really, really well in a lot of games and walked away with nothing or drawn when we should have won. The level of performance the lads have given me I can’t ask for any more.”

Asked how key the victory, after a winless run of nine matches, could be, he responded: “Nobody knows. We’ve got a helluva lot of games to go. It’s one win, you’ve got to go to the next one and try and win that.

“But we’re playing well, that’s the thing. The atmosphere in the stadium, I’ve never experienced it when you’re at the bottom of the table and the atmosphere’s like this, this is not normal.


“The supporters have been absolutely brilliant. Our job is to get the younger generation into the stadium as well and get more people in.

“The atmosphere in the stadium isn’t a normal situation because we’re at the bottom but I think what they see is everybody going the same way and everybody is starting to pull together which is important to us and if we get the fans in what a place this will be, this will be bouncing.”

He says it was important to get the win to establish some momentum: “Especially for the supporters. Even up at Stoke last week they were fantastic. Especially for them.

“We’re a football club and we have to give them something back as well because they’ll get behind us.

“And I’ve seen it from the short time I’ve been here how loyal they are and how vocal they are.”

Regarding the surprisingly long seven-minute injury time, he added: “I just wanted to know where the fire was, there must have been a fire in the stadium! There must have been because I can’t remember seven minutes, where that came from.

“Some of the decisions in the game were strange. But the referee calls things the way he sees them, but seven minutes, I never saw that coming.”

He continued: “I had the feeling our first one was going to be a scrappy one because we were playing ever so well with the ball, we were dominating the ball, dominating games.

“But sometimes you get games where you think you’re going to have to put your shoulder to the wheel and see things through. I thought they did that, defending-wise we were excellent.”

The win and results elsewhere have seen the gap to 21st reduced to five points plus goal difference.

“There’s a long, long way to go,” he said. “As I said before, if we can get a little bit of help somewhere to give them a hand, then great and let’s see what happens. But a long, long way to go.”

Reminded that Town have another big home game next week when they face Sheffield United, he said:“You can ask me that from now until the end of the season, every game’s big to me, I’ll say exactly the same to you every game.

“The bottom line is that as soon as your season starts, your first game of the season is a big one. That’s when the season starts. The season doesn’t start now, it starts in August, so you view every game you play in from August as big, not from now, every game.

“Put it this way, if the lads had been performing properly at the start of the season I wouldn’t be sitting here, that’s the reality of football.”

Wigan manager Paul Cook didn't think it was a game his team were destined to lose.

“I think it was a really tough day for football," he said. "Everyone will have their own opinion on the game.

“I didn’t think we were ever in any danger of losing the game, that was for sure, second half. Great credit to Ipswich for winning the game, it’s a strong result for them. It was a very spirited performance but we weren’t under pressure in the game at all.

“It was a case, in my opinion, of whether we could go on and win the game. Unfortunately we couldn’t.

“We’ve got a pattern of away results now that is very disappointing. It’s there,
but it is a tough league and you don’t get given anything.

“Today, I felt our lads worked, I felt it was a good game, two honest teams having a good go at each other on a really poor day for football.

“The game was never going to be a good game, it never was. I felt unfortunately for us we’ve come out on the end of a result we didn’t deserve but that’s football.”


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martin587 added 18:14 - Dec 15
Well done Paul,you've worked wonders since your arrival.Well deserved three points today.A good gutsy performance.Cannot wait till January for reinforcements.I will take a point next Saturday,if not three.
16

algarvefan added 18:26 - Dec 15
There are still a few players who worry me in the side, Roberts up front being the prime on, works hard but never ever looks like scoring. Kayden Jackson needs a run, I think he has goals in him. Spence and Knudsen this week looked poor too.
15

BlueMachines added 18:30 - Dec 15
Bottom and still 5 points adrift. Yet no toxicity to be seen or heard. Wonderful. What a difference a decent manager can make.
38

WoodfordTim added 18:35 - Dec 15
PL has 'given a list' to ME for January signings. A 'list' sounds more than 'a bit of help', but suppose it is a list from who can actually be brought in. Hate to criticise any players, but I would like see two new full backs and a Championship experienced target man/striker. However, I have not seen any opposing teams that have full backs better than ours. West Brom's full backs a case in point, I think. Fine margins. Exciting times now we have 3 precious points in the bag. Terrible day though for football!
0

Dissboyitfc added 18:48 - Dec 15
We dominated the first half against a very poor Wigan team, they really were woeful. And if we had any more potency up front I think it would have been over at half time, second half was not great on the eye in any shape or form, some bizarre refereeing from the officials in charge. Wigan will be relegated come May, that's for sure I just hope we are not one of the other two! Anyway a win and a Saturday always feels better after a win! And at the time of writing this, Norwich are losing! Let's hope they have had their peak and are getting ready for their new year slide..
6

44_not_out added 19:16 - Dec 15
Algarve..... bore off mate
14 blokes put their bodies on the line today and got what they deserved, 3 points. Stop trying to sound like you know what you're on about. Stop repeating what all the other wannabe experts are spouting on forums etc. This is the best team available given the car crash PH created. Get behind the lads!
And get off FIFA as I expect you've got some homework due on Monday!
0

Bluewelshman added 19:25 - Dec 15
A win is a win, no matter how we get it.

Well done PL, you are creating a good feeling around the club, and I'm sure more wins will come for this club because of it.

COYB
15

Erics_size_5s added 19:38 - Dec 15
Three much needed points. Great to see the fight in the team. If we can secure three more points next Saturday, it will make PR a more attractive place for new recruits in January, which could be the catalyst for survival. Personally, I'd take another scrappy one.
3

naa added 19:38 - Dec 15
algarvefan, the reason Roberts is preferred to Jackson is because he can hold the ball up occasionally. Jackson can't. Jackson isn't suited to a one up front formation.

Roberts will definitely get dropped in January and Spence I'd have thought.
1

cat added 19:41 - Dec 15
Enjoy your night Lambo, cause I'm gonna! For once the positivity should simply be rolling off your tongue. Gallon of beer, marvellous!
2

IpswichToon added 19:43 - Dec 15
At the Stoke and Forest games, the home fans were starting to get really agitated that things weren't going their own way. Still at 0-0, but moaning and booing their own team without even losing the game just because they weren't winning yet.

Then you have the Town fans, creating one hell of an atmosphere, getting right behind their team when things were getting tough, under a lot of pressure as things looked to turn south at 0-0 today. For a team rooted to the bottom of the league without anything great to shout about for so long, it's an absolute testament to the fans. Real 12th man.
6

Cakeman added 19:43 - Dec 15
Excellent a home win to celebrate at last. Well done Paul Lambert hopefully this will now be the beginning of the long recovery journey ahead.
The enthusiasm our manager shows is amazing. He sees positives everywhere and conducts himself so well. It is rubbing off on the supporters too.
I was impressed with him not worrying about the weather and at times he didn't even wear a coat!
That is showing drive and determination!
11

LegendofthePhoenix added 19:44 - Dec 15
Paul Lambert is brilliant. He has transformed the atmosphere right across the club, players and fans. Loved the way he made sure all the players went to applaud the fans in the North Stand at the end. he knows how to build confidence and from the mess he inherited, what he's done is bordring on miraculous.
15

Vancouver_Blue added 20:10 - Dec 15
I was watching on the iFollow from Vancouver and had the squeaky bum when the 7 mins was put up...where did that come from?
3

BeethorpeAndy added 20:26 - Dec 15
Fantastic atmosphere in the ground and my 10 year old son got to see his first victory of the season! We had a little bit of luck but the lads stuck at it.. Freddies strike must be goal of the season!!!!!!!! And Narwich aren't top any more. A good day. COYB.
4

runningout added 20:30 - Dec 15
Scrappy?? Some of that football was shockingly bad. I'm sure no ones going to get carried away. Are they!!
-3

Bert added 21:57 - Dec 15
It's never wise to compare anyone with Sir Bobby Robson but PL can sense the history of our club under that great man. If he can manage a team of very average players and motivate them in the way that Sir Bobby did then we may, just may cling onto our place in the championship and build again from there. PL has given the players and many supporters belief, hope and that sense of belonging that has been so sorely missing in recent years.
3

timspencero added 22:27 - Dec 15
Paul Lambert what a legend. Delighted for him and the brilliant fans sticking with him!

Hope the club does more to help fill the stadium, we need a siege mentality at the club and the town and surrounding communities, and we need thousands more fans to come in and be 12th, 13th and however many more-th man we can get!

PR Army!

COYB
3

cornishnick added 00:18 - Dec 16
Made the 700 mile round trip worthwhile! Onwards and upwards, the Great Escape is on
1

muccletonjoe added 07:32 - Dec 16
If I could swap where we were last year for where we are this year I would take where we are now. The reason? - Paul Lambert
Everything about the club is so much better
6

Cakeman added 07:55 - Dec 16
I fully agree muccletonjoe, well said.
2

TonyHumesIpswich added 09:30 - Dec 16
Fans have forgotten that we have 5 players competing for the RB position (Spence, Emmanuel, Crowe, Cotter and Donacien). Though I think we need a better RB, I doubt it's going to be his main priority given that level of competition. LB is more likely with Knudsens contract up for renewal and only Kenlock in competition. And strikers. Two needed.
2


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