Blues boss Paul Lambert was disappointed with his team’s second 2-0 reverse in four days, Rotherham United having left Portman Road with all three points following the loss at Accrington, but was keen that the defeats shouldn’t be overplayed having anticipated “bumps and bruises” somewhere along the line and with Town second on goal difference with a game in hand on new leaders Peterborough.

“We started well, had a couple of chances to go one or two up, but then they hit us with a sucker punch and from thereon I think we kind of fell short,” Lambert said, reflecting on the 2-0 loss to the Millers.

“But that happens in football. I’m happy with the team, they way they’re going, but disappointed with the last two games.

“I said before, we will have bumps and bruises along the way, but we’re still up there. It’s not what happens now, it’s what happens in May, that’s the main thing.”

Asked whether he was concerned not to have got a reaction to Sunday’s defeat at Accrington, Lambert responded: “Hang on a minute, how many games have we played? Thirteen, we have won the majority of them.

“We’ve been beaten twice. If you’re sitting where you’re sitting, feeling doom and gloom about it, then my God, we’ve got a major problem.

“I’m really happy with the team. Pressure is when you don’t have a job, you’re not working. You’ve got the greatest job in the world, I’m really happy with the guys, we’re in a really good place, I’ve got some really good players, I don’t have one problem with the football club and the team. It’s going really well.

“We’re a big club, with an expectancy level which a lot of clubs don’t have in this league. So I’m not going to be all doom and gloom.

“Disappointed to lose, yes. Disappointed for everybody but we’re well in it and football is a great game, it can take you to great heights but we’re well in the mix and will be.”

There were a few moans and groans around the ground during the match and some muted boos at the end, but Lambert felt they shouldn’t be overstated.

“You’re way off scale off here,” he insisted. “The crowd are brilliant, and they have been brilliant since I’ve been here.

“I’ll never criticise Ipswich supporters, they’ve been brilliant. They come in their thousands, 20,000 whatever it was tonight and they pay a lot of money to come.

“They want to have a good time and enjoy themselves with their families and everyone. We try and give them everything we’ve got to try and win a game but we won’t win every game. That’s normal in football.

“As I said before, if you can give me one guy who has never lost a football game, then I’d love to meet him. This is a brilliant club and it’s going the right way, for sure.”

Why did he feel his team struggled to make an impact having gone behind in the 11th minute, despite having started positively? “Credit to Rotherham, they played a good game, they were strong, resolute and limited us to not so many chances.

“You’ve got to give them credit for the way they’ve played. But my own team, I can’t fault them. OK, the last two games we lost, but we’re still sitting in a really good place.

“It’s not now you have to worry, it’s May. The start has given this position and we have to go and win on Saturday.”

Regarding the fitness of some of those who started, he added: “Will Keane is obviously coming back, Emyr Huws as well, two lads that have been coming back that have been out for a long time but are doing really, really well.

“James Norwood coming back from his operation is a good sign. Flynn Downes could possibly have played but I didn’t want to take a risk with him.

“James Wilson’s come back. Kane Vincent-Young, that’s his first game in three weeks, so he’s not really done much. They’ll be better for it, that’s for sure.”

Lambert is now looking for his team to bounce back at Southend on Saturday: “That’s it, you can’t be too critical of the team, they’ve been playing at a really high standard and at a really high level. The club’s going really well but you will get bumps and bruises along the way. I’ve had them before and I’ll certainly have them again.”

Millers boss Paul Warne said Town’s change of system caught him out and caused him to have a rethink. Asked whether that switch was in part to give the Rotherham manager something to think about, he said: “Yeah, I just try and pick a team that’s going to try and win a game and the personnel, I’ve got no problem, they adjust to it and they adapt to it and they give me everything they’ve got.

“That’s all I can ask, is that they give me everything. I’m really happy with the team. Two games we’ve lost back to back but that’s certainly not a crisis, that’s for sure.”

He admits the swift change from a long unbeaten run to two defeats on the trot is a test of his players’ mettle.

“Yes, but as I said before, there were 20,000 people here, it’s a big club, that’s what it is,” he said. “They play under that scrutiny all the time, but that’s what happens when you play for a big club, the actual feeling that the club has got is great.

“The test for the lads, OK, we’ve lost two, now it stops. We have to kick on and try and get another run going. But we’re going to be there or thereabouts, that’s for sure.”

Rotherham manager Paul Warne felt his team played as well as they have away from home this season, although admitted he was wrong-footed by Town’s system switch.

“I thought they were going to play like they have been playing, 3-5-2 really, so when the team came out that caused massive problems for us,” he said.

“Then after a few minutes it looked like it was more like a 4-2-2-2, which again caused us problems.

“I thought we conceded a penalty [when Danny Rowe looked to be fouled]. From where I was stood it looked like a penalty, I don’t know whether it was.

“But from my angle, and my angle was full of anxiety, you always think the worst. But then, after the first 10 minutes, I thought we played quite well and caused a lot of problems.”

Photo: TWTD

jonnysuave added 13:13 - Oct 24 Judging from comments above we need passion, go wide, win second balls, get better in the air, get some new strikers, drop Chambers, not panic, pick better line ups, have some taller players, pick Judge, don't pick Judge... amongst other things Paul, if you can do that against Southend, the management committee on here will be satisfied... Apart from the international break and other things.

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brassy added 13:19 - Oct 24 The new tinkerman.
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brassy added 13:19 - Oct 24 The new tinkerman.
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dukey44 added 17:43 - Oct 24 Just play the same team for continuous games?
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happybeingblue added 17:50 - Oct 24 at least now it should stem the ridiculous expectation that lots of fans seem to have found after having our worse season in our history and literally not winning football matches,bordering on arrogance at times on twitter etc,lets please have some perspective,we have had a decent start but lets be honest we rid our luck in some of the earlier home games v shrews donny etc.so i for one am not surprised we have lost a couple of games im sure we will lose more but hopefully we can stay in the top 6 and see how it pans out.

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happybeingblue added 17:57 - Oct 24 it doesnt help when people like Brenna wooley keep harping on about how wonderful our squad and subs bench is...its like earth to Brenna we just got relegated with a whimper with this wonderful squad and subs bench so they are clearly not as good as he thinks,wake up Brenna!
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ESSEX75 added 20:00 - Oct 24 Do i detect the numbskulls are turning against the messiah Paul i wonder.
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RobClark added 20:08 - Oct 24 I think PL has done a great job so far but I was furious last night. Joe Blogg average fans could see that the formation was NOT working early on in the game, why the hell did he not change it? Arrogance? Pride? He should have sucked it up and admitted he made a mistake. We are seriously lacking good players in depth- Norwood,Downes missing and we look like a pub team. Shouldnt be relying on a couple of players. I hope we do bounce back against Southend but will need to do more transfers in January.

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ITFCsince73 added 21:23 - Oct 24 PL has my upmost support. Having “put up”with supporting ITFC over the last 4 years (4 years of hell). I believe and hope, that as the season progresses, till Xmas and after. The starting 11 we've become used to seeing so far, will be totally different. The team will go onto be, (outfield) the spine off, KVY, Garbutt, Wolf, Wilson, Bish, Downes, Huws, Lancs, Sears, Norwood. Any other player left out of that, needs to up there game from present levels massively imo.

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