Boss Paul Lambert felt Sheffield Wednesday’s final-minute winner, netted by sub Lucas Joao, was a “really poor goal to lose” as the Blues were defeated 1-0 at Portman Road by the Owls, who recorded their first double over Town since 2006/07.

“Sheffield Wednesday were better than us in the first half, they should have been a couple of goals up and we rode the storm,” Lambert admitted.

“In the second half we regrouped and the second half we got more of a foothold in it. But the goal’s poor, it’s a really poor goal to lose, especially at that time of the game.

“The second half was a lot better, in the first half we waited for things to happen rather than making things happen.

“Sheffield Wednesday were better, they missed chances in the first half, we hung in and regrouped and the second half was a lot better, but the goal was really disappointing.”

The Town players, including stand-in skipper Cole Skuse, as well as the home crowd felt Will Keane was fouled in the build-up to the goal, a view with which Lambert agreed.

“I thought there was [a foul],” he said. “It was a strong challenge and in the modern game you blow on somebody now and it’s a foul.

“Looking at it, I think it’s a foul, that’s my view on it. The referee [Oliver Langford] was in a good position to see it and he called it the way he saw it. But we still shouldn’t have lost the goal.

“Myles Kenlock should have done better with it, that’s the reality of it, he should have done better with it.

“He’s a young lad, he’s learning his trade, he’s 22, he’ll learn from it but he probably should have done better with it.”

Was he frustrated that his side didn’t create many chances? “I thought the second half was a lot better than we were in the first half. We’ve played better but not got anything from it, but that goal at the death was a blow.”

The Blues were without both first-choice centre-halves, skipper Luke Chambers and James Collins, who has a hamstring problem, due to injury.

“Luke hurt his foot against Villa last week,” Lambert added. “We tried it yesterday to see whether he was going to be any good. The two of them started training and the two of them had to pull out.

“It’s the first time I’ve ever encountered losing two centre-halves in one day, so that was a blow.

“The two of them felt [their injuries] after the Villa game, so we gave them all the time we possibly could, we tried it yesterday and they couldn’t [get through training].”

Lambert is hopeful both could be back for the East Anglian derby against Norwich in eight days’ time.

“I don’t know [how long they’ll be out for], I’m hopeful they’ll be back for next week, hopefully all things going OK, hopefully they’ll be OK.

“[Losing their experience is a blow], that’s the way it is. You can’t make excuses for it. If you’re in there you’ve got to grow up quickly as a player.

“They’re not 17 or 18 years old. They may be inexperienced in terms of games but they’re getting to an age where they have to go and it’s important that they learn from mistakes.”

Given that lack of experience at the back, could wantaway full-back Jonas Knudsen come back into his thoughts? “It depends on how lads are. Like I tell you every week, Jonas made the view [clear] that he had the eye on something else.

“Nothing materialised but it was difficult for us to say, ‘OK, if you’re not going to be here, how can we use you?’ because he wanted to maybe go somewhere else that never happened.

“You tend to think you’re a better player than you actually are. Maybe he’ll start to realise what it is.”

Is he planning to have a clear-the-air chat with the Danish international about his situation? “I’ve spoken to him all the time, it’s not as if I’ve not kept him updated, and vice versa, his stance was the same - they had to wait to see if somebody came in for him.

“I think Jonas thought somebody was going to come in for him, but sometimes… it’s your career, you know, you have to judge it by yourself.”

Lambert confirmed that as reported on Thursday the Blues blocked an attempt to have Matthew Pennington’s loan from Everton cut short with Derby keen to recruit the 24-year-old on loan with a view to a permanent switch in the summer.

“That’s exactly what happened,” he added. “You’d need your head read to let him go. But that’s a problem when you have loans again, that’s a big problem when you have loans. You need lads that are your own team.

“With six loans it’s difficult, but if I’d have let him go and we’d lost two centre-halves we had only Toto left, and Corrie Ndaba maybe. As I say to you every week, you’ve got to have your own team.”

Sheffield Wednesday boss Steve Bruce, who was in his first game in charge having been away for a month since his appointment, was worried his team might pay for their earlier profligacy in front of goal.

“When you miss so many chances, how many times have we seen it where you think, ‘Is it going to be one of those days?’,” he said.

“But in the end, I think we must have had five or six wonderful opportunities and didn’t take them, which always puts you under a little bit of pressure.

“However, I thought we were comfortable in the game. My goalkeeper in the end made a save from a header [from Trevoh Chalobah], I think that’s the only attempt they had on goal.”

“Pleasing to win, I’m pleased for the players and also a special thanks to the two lads [assistants Steve Agnew and Stephen Clemence] who have been in here for a good month or so who helped me a long the way.”

Photo: TWTD

Sergio added 21:33 - Feb 2 73 Doublw relegation then! We're all doomed!
1

PSGBlue added 22:19 - Feb 2 BeethorpeAndy - the depressing thing is that I doubt we will play Norwich even if we stay up. The reality being that we will be two leagues below Norwich. Having finished above them on goal difference last season, it shows the differing ambitions of the two clubs. It's a total disgrace!
4

NoelTheDub added 22:29 - Feb 2 A really poor goal famous words at PR said before by MM, RK, PH and now PL.We have signed absolute rubbish its only a ploy to keep us happy we are a national league team at best.
2

Daleyitfc added 22:47 - Feb 2 No-one called Paul has ever been any good managing Ipswich Town. Just get out.
2

del45 added 23:43 - Feb 2 This team can not hit a barn door ?
1

Surco72 added 01:46 - Feb 3 I like a lot of aspects about Lambert and have given him time with no comment but for me his signings too many at once as Hurst did and a number of them no better than what we had Collins apart , and sticking with a formation that is not working and hasn't at all in his time here . Filling a team with loan players who wont be here next season when we go down is not aiding us . The two forwards bought in are not the issue it is and has been for years our total lack of any type of ball player with creativity in the midfield who is also a goal threat . Accept we are down and build a team around our youngsters who will be here next season

8

Pecker added 09:59 - Feb 3 Talks the talk, but doesn't walk the walk. Thought he was the right man at the right time, now, I don't think so.
2

martin587 added 10:18 - Feb 3 I'm 100% behind Paul and he will get us out of this mess,but the team Must play without fear of loosing.Once they step out on the field it appears to me that nerves set in and nothing seems to go as planned. We must not sit back but attack from the start playing two strikers and with Dozzell and bishop pulling the strings.At the moment there is very little vision from the midfield apart from Bishop who I felt had a very good first half. We only need one holding player in midfield not two.The best form of defence is attack something we are not doing. I fear the next three game will determine our fate although I fear it has already happened.Lets at least put up a great fight next Sunday and do us supporters and the club proud.Weekends at the moment are not good.COYB.🙏

3

MadDog added 10:29 - Feb 3 The only positive in this match was Bishop who in the first half actually looked like he could be a player again. Sadly in the second half before he was subbed I'd forgotten he was on the pitch!! Pretty much matches our performance every match-play ok in one half but never in two for the whole season! Nothing has changed since Lambert has taken over apart from going back to taking other clubs rejects! Sad times indeed.

6

inghamspur added 11:27 - Feb 3 Let's be honest here, which one of the current squad would be starters in any of the other championship sides? Pennington maybe? Possibly an in-form Bart? The harsh reality is that it's all about money these days and no longer a level playing field. Paul Lambert has tried to do the best he can with bringing in players with at least some championship experience to try and at least have a go in keeping the club in the championship next season - and he still might (unlikely though) achieve that. Inevitably, those players will be those who are not first choice or they would be regulars and if we wanted them then would have to part with cash. I'm afraid the fat lady is in her dressing room, putting her make up on and warming up, in readiness for entering the stage.

4

Henz10 added 14:00 - Feb 3 This was my first game of the season and I'm not sure why I bothered really. I know PL inherited a poor squad and I think we've been relegated since October but yesterday there were some decisions from him that were just strange. 4-3-3 works if you have quick tricky wingers who can dribble and a midfield that is pushed higher up the pitch to exploit the space in midfield but the three midfielders were far too deep. Judge is a no10 yet is asked to play wide. Edwards needs to play in this formation or we need to go two upfront. Jackson is not great but at least he can run in behind and offer a threat. Sheff Wed were so comfortable all game I could not work out what the plan was to score a goal. Endless passing around the back followed by aimless long passes. If we'd lost by 2 or 3 I wouldn't have complained based on the chances they missed. I've never dreaded a derby so much in my life. Sorry state of affairs.

2

ChrisFelix added 14:04 - Feb 3 Another home defeat to an average championship side proves that we simply aren't good enough.Football is a simple game You win by scoring more goals than your opponent. So why do we rarely get into the opponents penalty area.
2

grubbyoik added 14:45 - Feb 3 Lambert will change the midfield again.. Bishop will be dropped .. so what chance has he of getting match fit and building relationships on the pitch. I don't believe the players are the problem .. I think it's the system.. Lamberts 1 uptop ,2 holding midfielder system that hasn't worked since he's been here... So how about changing the F###ing system..
4

SickParrot added 15:35 - Feb 3 Is Paul Lambert the Messiah or does he just talk a good game? Based upon what he has said he appears to be the first manager since Jim Magilton to value the opinions of the fans, understand the clubs values, be genuinely passionate about the club and have a long term plan, but should results on the field be better by now? He inherited a team low on confidence and with a losing mentality, made up largely of young players with little Championship experience and his assessment was that they just needed a little help from some players with Championship experience. He specifically identified the need to cut out the mistakes in defence and the need for a couple of strikers who could score the goals we were lacking. James Collins was a good signing (albeit an injury risk) and Paul Judge is a really good player but we are not playing him in his best position (just behind the striker(s)). This maybe because we really need a Judge in the midfield to get the ball to a Judge playing in the 'number 10' role, but then we do have Bishop and Dozzell. Quaner and Keane are decent players but neither had impressive goal scoring records, but maybe they were the best that were available in the January window? Paul Lambert has signed 7 players and we do now have more possession of the ball than under McCarthy and Hurst, but results have not improved. Paul says we are playing well but not getting the results we deserve and that we are definitely not playing like a bottom 3 team. I beg to differ. We are still conceding sloppy goals on a regular basis and we are still struggling to score goals. The statistics for virtually every game show that our opponents have many more attempts at goal than we do and therefore more attempts on target. How can we be playing well if we cannot do the basics? So Paul,whilst I won't blame you for our almost certain relegation, please stop telling us we are playing well. To give us a better chance of winning some games you must please try to find a way for us to have more attempts on goal than our opponents. Maybe play 2 up front and Judge just behind, and just 1 defensive midfielder?

5

michael99 added 15:45 - Feb 3 Bloody annoying that the manager singles out kenlock for letting a cross get in when Knudsen and Spence haven't stopped a cross getting in for about 3 seasons
4

armchaircritic59 added 17:49 - Feb 3 Disappointed that PL "called out" Myles Kenlock. I presume no senior player has made a mistake this season! Off the pitch, i like much of what PL is doing. On it, I'm afraid we're going to have to wait till some way into next season, after a full pre season and having the players he actually wants here, to properly judge him.
4

ITFCsince73 added 19:32 - Feb 3 We can only assume that after every game PL comments regarding playing well. The players don't believe him. Like we don't. Or maybe they do? Which might explain everything.
1

Facefacts added 22:25 - Feb 3 It was poor from Kenlock. You can't let someone waltz past you into the penalty area like that. Not if the manager has other options in that position. There was no need to call him out though.
2

northblue added 22:42 - Feb 3 See the knockers are back. Does not make any different which manager comes in u can't make a sulk purse out of a sows ear
0

runningout added 14:38 - Feb 4 We underestimated Joao at Hillsboro as well.. Sloppy to say the least. Still love them all whatever :-)
0

Blogs 295 bloggers

Ipswich Town Polls