Town boss Paul Lambert has signed a new four-year extension to his contract with the Blues, aimed at keeping him at Portman Road until 2025.

Lambert, 50, who was previously contracted for a further 18 months, took charge at Town in October last year. Talks are understood to have been ongoing for some weeks with pen put to paper this morning.

“Football management is a precarious business and I have stated many times the importance of having a long-term vision which is executed by a management team who are confident that they will be given time to continually improve the performance and quality of the squad,” owner Marcus Evans told the club site.

“The coaching group led by the manager have done a fantastic job in turning a fragile environment - following last season’s relegation - into one where we have a mental expectation to win every game.

“The last few matches have seen results not go our way, however, we should not lose sight of the fact that we have lost only five games in the league in the first half of the season and are performing better at the halfway point than nearly every team that suffered relegation last year from any division.

“We have all seen many relegated teams pick up in a new season where they left off, losing games with nervous performances. This has not been the case at Ipswich.

“Paul has developed a strong squad and has been a catalyst in the club’s re-engagement with fans, including playing a role in helping to bring new supporters to Portman Road.

“I am therefore pleased to announce that Paul and I reached agreement last month to extend his current deal for an additional four years and we are now able to officially announce the new contract.

“We would all, of course, like to be announcing this on the back of a better run but short-term performance does not change the importance to the club of supporting a management team who I believe over the next few years will take Ipswich Town back to where we all want and expect it to be.”

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blueboy1981 added 18:27 - Jan 1 There's twenty six thousand at Carrot Road right now having a laugh at the reward for no wins in thirteen is rewarded with a 5 year deal for the Manager, all at our expense. Coupled with the rest of Football I guess. At least it will probably put us in the Football history books - for contracts given - as if we needed that ?
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monkeymagic added 18:44 - Jan 1 Bewildering decision even if the team was flying : where's the motivation if you're nailed on for 5 years? Can only hope that there's plenty of strings attached to this, for instance a ‘move upstairs' at the end of the season in the event that we don't go up - all PL's success to date has been off the pitch. At least the shape looked better today and the team selection didn't appear to have been drawn randomly from a hat. If Huws can rekindle his game, we'll be in with a shout using that formation.

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Dissboyitfc added 18:44 - Jan 1 Pennblue... what a ridiculous statement Lambert has only achieved promotion with one team, those who will not be mentioned! he has taken more teams down including us when he had in fairness enough games to save us if he was any good! I am deeply disappointed in this decision which is pointless, lets face it, its not as though there is a , string of clubs wanting to lure him away, why would they? He has dined on his playing career and his one and only success in management for far too long! This is something which should have been looked at at the end of season ( not now)and rewarded accordingly! Not just after a poor run and pathetic post match interview on boxing day. This will end in tears if there is no improvement on the pitch.

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Dolphinblue added 18:45 - Jan 1 Bewildering to those who lack vision and a realisation that its stability the club needs...look at the last decade...chopping and changing...DOES NOT WORK COYB
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Dissboyitfc added 19:29 - Jan 1 yes dolphin stability is required. is changing the team every game improving stability is altering the formation every game helping and is playing loan players ahead of our own who are better your vision of stability? CHOPPING AND CHANGING DOES NOT WORK, The results support this! i am not suggesting getting rid of lambert, i dont reckon many are but why reward him now? his win ratio with us is awful, somewhere in the region of 27% and half of that in the 3rd tier of english football. How can anyone consider that a reason to improve someones contract? His Tenure so far has been less than average.

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Ipswichbusiness added 19:35 - Jan 1 I tend to agree with Dissboyitfc that the timing is odd. With 18 months to go on the existing contract, why not leave the talks until March or April? We have been told that there will be little business done in this transfer window so that can't be the reason.
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TractorRoyNo1 added 00:31 - Jan 2 Amazed, will cost Evan's a lot of money to get rid if we are in this sh!the league again next year.
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Barty added 08:50 - Jan 2 Unbelievable !!!!!!!!!!!!!
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Razor added 10:23 - Jan 2 Is there something we dont know? I am all for stability but this seems an inordinately long contract and could lead to complacency----not sure.
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ChrisR added 10:46 - Jan 2 Just dont get it , he failed to keep the side up , has a terrible home record , only 4 or 5 wins in over a year home , so downbeat in some press meetings , he is supposed to be a leader and manager ...this decision should have been made at the end of the season surely ...We need a more progressive person in charge soon !
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ThaiBlue added 11:10 - Jan 2 Cant even pick his nose let alone the team.what has he done results wise to get this contract.club is a bloody shambles.give him a 2 year contract if he gets us up but now,REALLY?
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dubblue added 13:18 - Jan 2 I hope this works out but if we finish the season around 10th (based on current form it could be lower - no win in 11 matches!!!) it will look strange. Off the pitch PL has done wonders just look at the higher attendances, but on the pitch I have my doubts, last season he did not improve on Paul Wurst's awful campaign and we finished last by some distance even behind Bolton who have their own difficulties. This year after a very good start the form has taken an alarming drop and I think PL has contributed to this with his rotation policy, why was Holy dropped, strange decisions on subs - often they do not come on until the 85th minute and when he has to make an earlier sub such as against Lincoln he get's it wrong, I am all for Freddie getting a decent run but Wilson should have replaced Donacien!

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rugbytomc added 14:17 - Jan 2 It's fair to say this new deal has caught all of us by surprise. Let's hope there are more surprises afoot - such as selling some of our excess of midfielders and replacing them with much needed defenders. Getting KVY back is essential as well
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Linkboy13 added 18:33 - Jan 2 Managers sign these big contracts but rarely see them out Lambert's no different will probably get sacked and walk away with a big payoff. As for stability its not looking very stable at the moment . Unless we get promoted there will be a massive drop in season ticket sales and Lambert's PR won't work this time.
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