Blues boss Paul Lambert didn’t mince his words after Town’s embarrassing 1-0 FA Cup defeat at League One Accrington, stating that the “club should never be in the state it’s in”, that it “needs to be rebuilt” and that “players are not good enough and without a doubt some will go”. Billy Kee’s 76th minute goal saw Stanley into round four which Town last reached back in 2010.

"Sometimes you've got to play football with desire," he said. "We never had that. I thought we turned up and thought we were going to be [the better team].

"There was nothing really in the game. We give too many fouls away, freekicks, and balls come into our box and, as I've said before, we're not the biggest of teams. We've got to defend it better. But we give so many crazy fouls away, it just puts pressure on everybody.

"The second half was mostly us, we had most of the game and should have scored a few chances, but you can't keep making the errors and think it's good enough."

Reflecting on Town's current situation - bottom of the table by 10 points and dumped out of both cups by lower division sides - more widely, he added: "This club needs to be rebuilt. Players are not good enough and without a doubt some will go. You have to hit that level.

"I didn't say we were outfought, it was the desire, but I never said we were outfought because we had a go in the second half, but they dealt with the crossed balls better than we did.

"You have to be clinical in both boxes and that’s what they did, it's part of the game. I know exactly what will happen here."

Asked whether he learnt anything from the match, he responded: "Not overly, I know exactly who lets us down and who doesn't but that's the reality of the game. The game won’t wait for anybody, you have to step up to the plate and hopefully one or two guys will come in and help us."

Lambert reiterated that he doesn't take cup competitions lightly and aims to win every match he is involved in.

“Anybody that knows me knows I was really successful as a footballer and I know what it takes to win things, to play in big level games and any competition you go and try to win.

“It's not right, we had unbelievable support today and to go out again, nine years is the last time the club was through to [round four].

"This club should never be in the state it’s in. It should never be in the mess it's in."

He added: "It’s an absolute disgrace what’s happened here. It should never have happened, it's too big a club. But it does happen to clubs if you take your eye off the ball.

“I’m not going to stand here and say it's a bed of roses because we have to get the club out of the position it’s in, that's the reality of it.

"All the niceties sometimes go out the window. I'll certainly not put up with that.

"I certainly won't put up with some of the things [I saw today]. It’s not good enough for this club and that’s the reality of it. I’m not going to hide behind any rocks or smoking jackets. It's not good enough. That’s the bottom line.

“We have to be stronger as a football club and get more nasty with it as well.

"It’s my job to get players in here that can help us. We can't do an influx because of the way it's happened but we'll try and get one or two in that actually know what this [level of] football is all about."

Were there a few home truths in the dressing room afterwards? "I’ll always tell them the truth in the dressing room. I protect them to an extent with [the media] but I'll tell them the truth in the dressing room."

Regarding the seven changes he made to his team: “We had one or two injuries. Trevoh [Chalobah] hasn't recovered from the knock against Millwall and Luke [Chambers] has had a bit of a calf problem, had been carrying it and decided I think [he needed a rest].

“Bart [Bialkowski], I was always going to play. Myles [Kenlock] has done great for us but I had to have a look at Callum [Elder], who I thought did well.

"I think Will Keane is going to be a really good player for us. I thought Andre [Dozzell] did well in the centre of the pitch. The team is mine, I pick it, no problem. Where we let ourselves down is in both boxes."

Lambert confirmed that Flynn Downes was subbed at the break as he was concerned that the midfielder might get sent off having been booked in the first half for a clash with Accrington's Sam Finley.

“I think if you raise your hands you give the referee a decision to make," he said. "I had to watch that situation so he didn’t get red-carded.”

Why did he wait until the 80th minute to add a second striker to his attack when Ellis Harrison was introduced? “We did it at the end but then it becomes this long ball game at certain times and I don’t want to be that type of team.

"But we had chances to score not just with two up top, we had chances in the second half without a two. We just never defended the box.”

Lambert says more new additions could arrive early in the week to come with Cardiff winger Anthony Pilkington believed to be among the players currently in discussions.

“We’re trying to do a couple and hopefully they will come at the start of the week. We’ll see,” he added.

“If I need to, I’ll get half a dozen players that know what this club needs to succeed in Championship football.”

Accringtn manager John Coleman was delighted with his side's winning goal and is now eyeing a trip to Anfield in the next round.

"Billy took his chance, it's something we have worked on in training and I am delighted for the lads," he said.

"The finances from a cup run, and a good draw, can change this club not only for this season but next season too.

"It means we can strengthen for this season if we do get a plum draw in the next round.

"As a Liverpool fan, Liverpool away would suit me but I would also like anyone at home. Realistically we are never going to win the cup, although fairytales do happen."

Photo: Action Images

dirtydingusmagee added 13:10 - Jan 6 Paul Lambert has tried hard to lift players confidence , he has given them all encouragement even if he probably didnt really want to. BUT he has his limits,and i think he has now reached that, The players will see another side of him now. We wont get out of this mess with current players, To be honest he could now put a team together from the girls high schools and it would do as well if not better, and it may be the only way to get people through the turnstiles. Most womens teams ive seen play would run rings around our present team .

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Swn98 added 13:14 - Jan 6 benters 2 has more more down marks on the forum than me
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Northstandveteran added 13:18 - Jan 6 Footballmad is on -156 Swn. Even you can't beat that! But do have fun trying 😂
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Northstandveteran added 13:21 - Jan 6 P.s. Down marked you Swn. Give you a fighting chance to draw level. I'm nice like that 😂
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Dissboyitfc added 13:52 - Jan 6 i am nice too, thats evened it up!
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whosroundisitanyway added 14:58 - Jan 6 We don't give a sh!t about your up or down marking, just what's happening to our beloved Ipswich Town so stop wasting space !
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senduntd added 15:08 - Jan 6 In view of that performance the club should reimburse all our supporters that attended this match
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wrightyblue added 15:33 - Jan 6 Who is this Williams????
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BlueBlood90 added 15:34 - Jan 6 Finally a bit of honesty from Lambert. You can't keep coming out and say how delighted you are when we're losing every week. I understand that he's trying to create a positivity which can turn things around but most of these players simply aren't up to it and need to be told a few home truths. I can't see how we could even recoup £1m from selling all of our players. I genuinely don't think (and hope) we'll ever see a worse Ipswich Town squad again in our history.

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Bergholtblue added 15:49 - Jan 6 The club needs o be rebuilt...Some players will go. I'm afraid that with Evans holding the purse strings the players that go will be our best ones, the ones who feel that they are capable of playing at a higher level, the only ones we can get a fee for. This will leave the dross and a few journeymen, just like we have been doing for the last 10 years.
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RRanger added 16:06 - Jan 6 Deep Blue Something: "Lambert has no track record of consequence..." I seem to remember he was managing Colchester in League 1 when they thrashed Norwich (also in League1)7-1. Within a couple of weeks he was managing Norwich and got them a double promotion to the Premier League, or have I got that wrong.
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Bluesaway added 16:19 - Jan 6 Am I missing something, but Spence is clearly regarded by the vast majority as the worst RB we have had for some time. Yet, he gets picked every game, Donacien doesn't even make the bench, Emmanuel isn't recalled, so we have no clear alternative (unless we accelerate Crowe given how highly he's rated) and we are linked with/signing a LB, 2 x CF, an AM, GK but no mention of a RB. Neither is there a mention of a CB. The 'defence' should be charged under the trade descriptions act, we concede at will, am I the only one who thinks we need more than Elder to shore it up? Unless something is done to reinforce the defence I cannot see how we can realistically string any wins together. Too often we've conceded a lead, we need to be able to start to hold on to them and then we have a chance.

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dirtydingusmagee added 16:22 - Jan 6 talking of Norwich, anyone got the stomach to go to that match now ? [apart from Swn obviously]
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Blue_Moses added 16:27 - Jan 6 I haven't got the stomach to watch it on TV let alone go to the game.
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BlueMachines added 16:32 - Jan 6 What happened to Barry Cotter? Played a blinding half of football on his debut and never seen again?
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Elwood added 16:46 - Jan 6 Understandable negativity on here, but lots of differing views how best to address our woes. ME almost certainly took us on thinking it would be a perfect advertising vehicle for his business empire. This would have been acceptable to all if successful. Unfortunately his managerial appointments have been varying degrees of woeful. But what do the ME outers want/expect to happen? Who is going to pay for a club hurtling downwards? PL rightly states previous manager was wrong bringing in too many new faces, yet says he needs to bring in many more! Many blames the old guard, yet Gerken, Chambers, Knudsen & Skuse weren't playing yesterday. He may not be up to much but it can't all be Spence's fault. Lots of questions but no answers. Ask Jim Magilton to lift the curse. Pray.

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Michael101 added 16:47 - Jan 6 Carl2258,is that the same McCormack who was kicked out of Fulham then villa for being a truoblemaker(..that's what the sun said so must be true.) He would get you a few goals but would Lambert put up with him
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cat added 16:53 - Jan 6 I'm on the fence when it come to Evans, but his time at the top clearly ain't gone to plan. There's a lot to be said for the fact we are financially stable and that huge debt is being managed and if you think the clubs in the sh!te now, that ain't nothing compared to the grief admin would bring. It's quite sad that there's only a few on here who actually show him any gratitude or appreciation for this ‘minor' detail, because without him or a rich buyer it could go proper tits up fast. I doubt anyone on here could put a case forward to suggest he's making a profit from our club, based on facts and not the usual speculation bollox's.

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runningout added 17:34 - Jan 6 George Williams.. Forest Green
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wrightyblue added 17:42 - Jan 6 Big shout out to DAVE BIGGS 🙌
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runningout added 17:46 - Jan 6 Milne has concerned me since he turned up. He has put off too many potential inbound transfers. Our problems don't rest with just him, but he is one of our weak ambassadors
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Warkys_Tash added 17:58 - Jan 6 I back Lambert 110%, he is the man to sort it out. Lets not forget he has been left with a compete shower..and so far has done a great job in re-connecting the club with the fans and putting arms around players, where in reality he probably wanted to put his boot up their back sides. Now Jn has come you will see the real PL, the ruthless side that is needed - If Evans gives him the budget to do so.. I am praying for a new quality right back in for Rotherham game and a new striker as a minimum. I'll take Pilkington too.. he will likely run through a brick wall for Lambert.. COYB!!!

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Dissboyitfc added 18:42 - Jan 6 really pleased for newport, well done lads, thats what the FA Cup is all about. There keeper Day looked good!
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Kirbmeister added 19:04 - Jan 6 Newport are a better team than Ipswich, so are Accrington and I would say pretty much every team in the top 4 divisions. I think Lambert realised that after yesterday's debacle and that was why he was so angry. Lambert will make us into a decent team once again but It's going to take a few years and a lot of hard graft. He should show our ‘players' a repeat of the Man C Liverpool match. Not for the footballing ability but the levels of hard graft the players showed for the whole 90 minutes. Lambert will want players who can show that and the rest can F off and sign for their local pub team. Give Lambert time and he will deliver.

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warktheline added 19:35 - Jan 6 @cat, Evans ownership has taken us on a gradual slide down the Championship and now eventually to the foot! Please don't tell me he ‘shells out' for the ‘love' of Ipswich Town FC! Undoubtedly he, like so many capitalists, thought buying a club and throwing some dosh at it would bring instant success and ‘up' his ‘status'! He's not interested anymore and hasn't been for a long time, why should fans show appreciation to a man ( with or without money ) that has slowly strangled the life out of club steeped in proud history and wonderful memories! It's a crying shame, if only he showed an ‘inch' of the ‘passion' Lambert has shown over such a brief period, then, just maybe, the club could move forward with purpose!!!!

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