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Lambert: A Great Start for Us
Saturday, 3rd Aug 2019 18:47

Blues boss Paul Lambert hailed his team’s 1-0 victory at Burton Albion as a great start their League One campaign.

"It's great, we started well, looked lively,” Lambert said. “We were doing everything we could at what’s a really tough place to come.

“As I said, Nigel [Clough] has a good team, they had a good cup run last year, so they’re a strong team to play at home.

“First day of the season, it doesn’t matter if you’ve just come down, it can go any way. I’m happy, I’m really happy.”

Lambert was pleased to get off the mark points-wise with the Blues, who beat Leeds on the final day of last season, recording back-to-back wins for the first time since February 2018 and for the first time under the Scot's management.

“Very good," he added. "The support, dear oh dear, the support is unbelievable, that was worth the admission money alone just to watch the support. A great start for us."

Reflecting on the number of players currently injured, he added: “There are too many and Andre Dozzell hurt his knee against Cambridge, so he couldn’t play either. Hopefully we should get a few back and then let’s see where we go.

“It was just his knee, he had a clash of knees last Saturday and we’ll see how he is during the week.”

Jon Nolan (calf) and Gwion Edwards (groin) are both closing in on a return, although next week may be too soon for the duo.

Lambert was pleased with the way his 4-4-2 system worked: “We looked lively, there were a load of good things there. James Wilson hasn’t trained hardly at all through pre-season, has just come in and played the games for us. He did really well.

"I thought Luke Woolfenden did well. I don’t think there was one failure in that team.”

“[Wilson] had cramp, which we knew would happen, fatigue was always going to happen because the lad hasn’t done much.He did really, really well for us.”""


Lambert also had praise for widemen Danny Rowe and Luke Garbutt, who netted the decisive goal on his debut.

“I thought he was excellent, Danny Rowe,” the Blues boss enthused. “He’s playing with a lot of confidence at the minute.

“Great bit of play [for the goal], Flynn did really well and then Norwood lays it off, I think, and Garbutt has a helluva left foot.

“His set plays and his passing’s very, very good. I’m delighted for him as well because he came in and joined us very late.”

Lambert felt striker James Norwood wasn’t overly helped by some of the refereeing: “Some of the fouls were a bit strange, it was happening the other end as well. Norwood, you’d hate to play against him, put it like that. I thought he and Jackson did well together.”

He added: “I think he’ll get a lot of fouls. I think today, there were some where he wasn’t even looking for the foul, every time he used his body, he’s a strong, strong lad. Hopefully it evens itself out.”

Lambert admitted his heart was in his mouth when keeper Tomas Holy’s clearance cannoned off Liam Boyce towards goal.

“It was and Holy was excellent throughout the game,” he said. “I don’t think he had a save really, he was commanding, comes for crosses, his kicking is really, really good.

“The one that happened, we spoke about it at the end of the game, he has to speed it up a little bit.”

First-team coach Matt Gill was red-carded and sent to the stand following that incident for kicking a cool box.

“I just saw the box,” Lambert recalled. “I think it was that incident, he got involved with it and he kicked the thing and the thing wasn’t secure. I think if there’s any fines he can pay it!”

The Blues boss felt the pre-season preparations had an impact on the Blues showing few signs of a hangover from last year’s disastrous campaign.

“We worked really hard in Germany when we were over in Germany, we worked really well, we had some really tough games in Germany we played Fortuna Dusseldorf and Paderborn, who are Bundesliga sides who were excellent,” he said.

“We played Colchester and we were really good then, Notts County I mixed and matched, Cambridge I mixed and matched.

“The young lads are really good, they need time. We’ll lose games, no two ways about it, but we’ll be a big scalp for any team to play against us. But if we keep playing the way we are, then we’ve got a chance.”

Burton manager Nigel Clough felt there was little in the game and that the Blues got the rub of the green.

"We didn't do a lot wrong today - one piece of outrageous bad luck, good fortune for them, and that's the difference between the two teams today," he told Derbyshire Live.

"There wasn't an awful lot in it apart from that. The goal is something you can't do anything about.

"Our performance was probably good enough to beat a lot of teams in League One today. I think it would be fair to say that the run of the ball didn't go our way, from having one headed off the line in the last minute, a few in the first half.

"There weren't many chances created today. I think it was two very good teams, it was difficult to create.

"As I say, we're quite happy with our performance and we should've come away with at least a point without the deflection."

He added: "I thought it was nous, it was a little bit of experience and things like that, game management at times.

"When we went down to 10 men, I thought for five minutes they kept the ball very well and stopped any momentum that we'd been getting going.

"Then we still came back. We had long periods of the game where we did very well today, from the second half of the first half, I thought we were good and picked it up, start of the second half again we were going at them.

"We just couldn't find that breakthrough. A couple of wasted crosses, things like that, and losing the ball in the final third - but that's always going to be the case.

"I can't pinpoint much we did wrong today. We've been beaten by a deflection, that's it. At 0-0, the longer the game goes, the more you fancy us. But you're chasing the game against a good team, it's difficult."


Photo: Pagepix



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ITFCsince73 added 18:53 - Aug 3
Let's RIP up this league.
Marcus get your finger out.
Back our man.
13

SuffolkBlue13 added 19:01 - Aug 3
Exactly the start we wanted, well done lads 🔵
9

chopra777 added 19:03 - Aug 3
A good honest win. Now fill the stadium next week against Sunderland and climb that table.
9

Gforce added 19:12 - Aug 3
Well done Towen great start.Now bring in a couple of defenders that we desperately need.
Onwards and upwards
6

Tufty added 19:13 - Aug 3
Great start indeed.
Also have to mention PL coming on to the pitch during the warm up and greeting the fans.
How different to last time at Burton under MM.
Keep the faith folks
11

Moriarty added 19:23 - Aug 3
Well done all.
5

martin587 added 19:28 - Aug 3
Well done Paul.👏
5

runningout added 19:40 - Aug 3
thought our future manager played ok
0

pazzy added 19:41 - Aug 3
onwards and UPWARDS
2

terry_butchers_twin added 19:41 - Aug 3
I love this three month winning streak!!!
4

Davidwb20 added 19:47 - Aug 3
A manager that comes over to the away supporters and thanks them is worth his wait in gold and always comments on the excellent support the team gets. Paul Lambert is a blue, is a blue he hates Norwich! Come on Evans back the best Manager since Magilton and let's have a promotion party season. I think us long suffering Ipswich fans at least derserve a good go at promotion this season.
15

Wooly74 added 20:20 - Aug 3
Let's not get carried away, but the feeling of winning the first game of the season on the first Saturday of the season and away from home feels really good. I didn't go today, but the radio was pleasant listening and I'll look forward to another season ticket season starting at home next week... we'll done boys and PL a great start and I'll enjoy a few beers in Beccles tonight that's for sure.....
2

inghamspur added 20:24 - Aug 3
Early days but a win's a win.
1

Mark added 20:29 - Aug 3
Great to get off to a winning start, especially with rivals Sunderland, Portsmouth and Peterborough having bad results. The pressure will be on Sunderland already next Saturday, if we can beat them it'll be a fantastic start to the season.

I am not sure we need many new players, I would prioritise a target man to help out Norwood and Jackson.
4

nathitfc89 added 20:32 - Aug 3
I don't care what anyone say, PL is the man for the job. If we put the performances in on the pitch and are top two come Christmas, then I think ME will have no reason not to dip into his very deep pockets and get us a couple of key signings
3

Hiltzkooler added 22:59 - Aug 3
hmmmm...PL knew what he was doing Friday at the press conference...flat again today at the post match media...ME in Burton...smacks of show down talks... either PL gets what he wants or at least a key player he wants or he is gone by next Saturday... PL is anything but a show pony but worryingly ME is no pussy either....PL has put ME squarely in the firing line with the town support...even the most balanced of Town supporters will question the lack of spending after the windfall money, Bart loan etc...if PL were to go, heaven help ME... on a changed note a shout for the Town support today, spot on!!!
6

Essexnblue added 08:13 - Aug 4
The worrying thing from yesterday is that ME was there and like me saw a pretty decent performance from roughly 6 certain starters in the strongest team. You can see his thoughts,why should I spend money if this is the strength in depth? You spend money ME to build an even stronger squad and keep your manager onside as he is about to blow another gasket, yesterdays news conference was a winning version of Friday. Back PL!!!!!
0

budgieplucker added 09:22 - Aug 4
Numbers wise our squad is still large compared to most in this Division, however, our squad is very fragile so currently we have 30% of our players in the treatment room.

Worryingly the likes of Edwards and Nolan have had niggling injuries that have taken over two months to improve.

I am still less than convinced by Kayden Jackson and a strong physical striker is needed as an alternative or to compliment James Norwood.

There are still questions in PH's mind about a right back or right wingback.

To get better than what we have in these two positions and importantly upfront we may need to realease some real cash. If Norwood gets injured then we will really be struggling.

Therefore PL justified with all the squad trimming and freebies to date to insist on getting the final pieces in the jigsaw completed to pose a serious threat of being able to try and claim a top two position.

ME has no excuse - the Harrison money was due to pay of outstanding instalments but the money now leeching back in for Webster should at least be made available and more to show real ambition of only staying at this level for the briefest of periods.

Barnsley picked up Cauley Woodrow last year who took the mantle after Moore was injured and propelled Barnsley on course for an immediate return. If Barnsley can return at the first attempt then there is absolutely no reason why Ipswich Town cannot.
0


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