Lambert: Some Bizarre Names Linked Thursday, 20th Dec 2018 17:22 Blues boss Paul Lambert says some of the names Town have been linked with as he looks to strengthen his squad in January are “bizarre”, while he feels that in some cases the sums being asked for regarding loan players are “ludicrous”. Asked about a report that out-of-favour Norwich midfielder or right-back Ben Marshall, who played for Lambert at Wolves and Blackburn, was on his wish-list, the Town manager responded: “You can link us with anybody you want, where the names come from, it’s bizarre some of the names, it just makes me laugh,” he said. "Some of it’s so [off] this planet you think there’s no way it’s going to happen. “I know Ben really well because he played under me. If you’re going to do that, you may as well link everybody that’s played under me.” Would he rule out signing a loan player from Norwich given the rivalry between the clubs? “It doesn’t matter to me where the players come from. If they’re good players and I think they can help us, it doesn’t matter. It’s what they can do for this club. “First and foremost you want players who want to be here, that’s number one, but whether the player plays for Norwich or whoever, it doesn’t matter.” In addition to Marshall, the Blues are reported to have made an enquiry to Middlesbrough for striker Rudy Gestede, while TWTD understands ex-Blues Daryl Murphy and Cameron Carter-Vickers are on what’s a long list of potential January loan recruits. Quizzed on whether there has been progress on any additions, Lambert responded: “The money that people are asking for is ludicrous, it’s outrageous some of it so we have look at that. But we have to try and work really hard to try and get people in.” Is owner Marcus Evans prepared to be flexible and willing to loosen the purse strings more than he might do in other circumstances? “Yes, but you’re still talking a helluva lot of money on top of things. “As I’ve said before, we would never put the club in danger, we’d never do that. I’ll do what I think is right for the club and what’s right for us. “First and foremost I have to get people who want to come here, number two the salaries and everything that goes with loans is incredible some of the things so, as I said before, I won’t put the club in danger.” Will it be hard to sell the move to players due to Town’s position and geography over the next few weeks? “I think there are a lot of things but you also get people who want to come here because it’s a really good club, we’re playing really well at this minute in time, but you’ve got to try and do the right thing for the club as well. “You can’t have a dressing room full of people that are not going to make an impact and not play, then you have your own problems - people who don’t really want to be here, all those sorts of thing that can happen. I’ll just wait and see over the next few weeks.” He says if he can meet them face to face that gives him a better opportunity to sell the club, however, there are hurdles before you get to that point. “That gives you a chance but, as I said before, you’ve got to remember when you go for a loan, it’s not just as simple as, ‘Are you going to come here?’, you’ve got loan fees and wages and all those sort of things come into play, so we have to work as hard as we can to get the right ones in,” he added. Asked whether that indicates a sense of frustration on his part already, Lambert said: “I’ve been involved in this game for years, I know the way it works. I know the way January works. I’ve had all this before. “I don’t lose sleep over it, I don’t get stressed over it, I don’t worry about it, it is what it is. “The club is trying everything it can to try and bring players in. Some of the names I see, where people pluck them from is incredible, [as are] the salaries and those sorts of thing. “Whoever comes in here, you want them in for the right reasons. The January window, I never get caught up in it because I know the way it can go.” He added: “In an ideal world you try and get them in [as soon as possible] but you can’t let the club get into a dangerous position financially, that’s suicidal. “You can’t let it happen because clubs can just go to the wall and it’s not right. We’ve got a duty of care to the football club as well. ‘We’ll try and get guys in here that, one, want to be here first and foremost, but you’ve also got to jump over the hurdle of finances which can be pretty brutal at times.” Lambert says he’s not talked to any players personally at this stage: “No, I’ve not spoken directly to anybody directly, nothing like that at all. I know Marcus has done a lot of work behind the scenes to try and get people in, so that’s ongoing. We’ll see in the next few weeks who comes in and who doesn’t.” When he does speak to them he says what he can sell them is a chance to come in and be a key player and potentially to be part of something big at Town. “That’ll basically be it,” he continued. “They come and they come and help us. it’s evident that we need a little bit of help in a lot of areas of the pitch, not just forward areas but a lot of areas we need help because we’re a really young side. “We need that experience to help us through this period of a lot of games and once they’re down here I’m pretty sure they’ll love it.” We understand Lambert is looking for four or five additions rather than wanting to make wholesale changes and although not confirming a figure says that number has remained constant from soon after he took over at Portman Road. “Yes, I still think the figure I had was roughly right,” he said. “When we came I thought the squad was unbalanced, top heavy in some areas and very, very low in others, but I still think the number of players we need is the same.” He reiterated that he won’t make any decisions on whether to send current loan players back - with the exception of winger Jordan Graham who will join Oxford once the window opens - or send any members of his squad out on loan until additions are brought in. “I won’t even give letting people out of here a second thought because at the moment we need everybody here,” he insisted. “Until somebody comes through the door, it would be a crazy decision to let people out.” Lambert says he’s not aware of any further progress on Jonas Knudsen’s contract situation, the Blues boss having indicated to owner Evans the Danish international should be offered new terms. “I think there’s talking,” he said. “That was before my time, before I came in, I know Jonas had been here for a little while now and all those sorts of thing should probably have been ironed out. But they weren’t and I know Marcus has spoken to Jonas, so that’s as far as it’s gone.” Regarding young players coming back from loans, Lambert says he will take guidance from those at Town and at their temporary clubs who know the players better than he does. “I’ll get that from the people who have worked with the lads here and opposition managers who they work under,” he said. “But we need a little bit of help and it’s unfair to ask kids to carry your can. It’s dangerous, it’s difficult, it’s no good for them, no good for their development. We need a little bit of help.” Tristan Nydam’s loan is up in January with Lambert admitting he doesn’t know too much about the 19-year-old midfield. “I know he’s up at St Johnstone, but we need a bit of experience without a doubt at this football club,” he said. “We’ve got a really young side, if you look at our team, a lot of lads haven’t played Championship football let alone anything else. We need a little bit more experience on that side of it.” Earlier this week striker Ben Morris, who is on loan at Forest Green Rovers, signed a new deal which runs to 2021 with an option for a further year. “I’ve also got to think of the long term for this football club,” Lambert added. “As I said before, it’s an impossibility to ask these kids to do anything other than keep developing. “We need help in this football club, we need a wee bit more experience in it and that’s something I’ll focus on.”
Photo: TWTD Please report offensive, libellous or inappropriate posts by using the links provided.
You need to login in order to post your comments |
   Blogs 295 bloggersIpswich Town Polls[ Vote here ] |
By continuing to use the site, you agree to our use of cookies and to abide by our Terms and Conditions.We in turn value your personal details in accordance with our Privacy Policy.
