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Lambert: The Best Performance Since I've Been at Town
Saturday, 15th Feb 2020 18:28

Manager Paul Lambert hailed the Blues’ 4-1 home victory over Burton Albion as the best performance of his time in charge at Portman Road.

Alan Judge and Kayden Jackson netted two goals each as Town came from behind to comfortably beat the Brewers.

“That’s the best performance for me, in the 16 months I’ve been here,” Lambert said. “The best performance for a number of reasons, we could have won by six or seven there. We were really, really good.”

Town started brightly but found themselves behind in the sixth minute when Jamie Murphy put the visitors in front moments after Will Keane had had a good opportunity for the Blues.

“We had great chances, if you want the ball to fall to anybody in the box Will Keane’s the guy, how good his finishing is, and he does great,” he said. “It was a lovely move, Kayden does great down the line, crosses it and you think it’s going to go in.

“And then they go up the park and score. Then Judgey hits the bar, then Kayden goes round the goalkeeper and the chances kept on coming and you thought, ‘Not one of those days again’.

“And then we score from a chance which was more difficult than any of them with Judgey’s goal. I thought we were excellent the whole game.”

He added: “When Will missed and they went up the park and scored and you thought, ‘Not one of these days again’ because the amount of ball we had and possession we had, we were dominating the game but we couldn’t finish.

“But all of a sudden [we started to find the net], that’s why it’s the best performance, the guys were absolutely brilliant for us.”

In addition to their goals Jackson and Judge each picked up an assist and Lambert was delighted with his front three.

“I thought Jackson was unplayable, I thought he was fantastic,” he said. “Judgey I thought was excellent with his touch in the conditions, and his goals and his assist.

“That three were linking up brilliantly, Judge, Keane and Jackson. The longer the game went on it could have been six or seven.”


After the frustrations of recent weeks, the Blues hadn’t won in four going into the match, it was a result Town needed.

“At Wimbledon the other night we dominated the game so much, but it’s about taking the chances,” he reflected. “Sunderland we played a really good game, in the first half I thought we should have been one or two up before they scored.

“But the lads have been excellent for us, we’re only five points off first place, it’s incredible how tight it is. We’ve got eight home games now, that’s one ticked off, so we’re well in the mix that’s for sure.”

Regarding Burton, he added: “They’re a good side, Nigel’s got them doing well. To score four goals at any time is excellent, but I'm delighted with] the way we did it and I think it could have been a couple more, that’s for sure.”

The victory will do much to turn around a mood amongst the support which was threatening to turn sour after recent disappointments.

“The crowd only want to see the team win,” he continued. “As I said before, all I ask of the crowd is to come regardless of what happens on the pitch, you’ve got to enjoy yourself.

“As I said before, I wouldn’t want to come to a stadium, pay 20-odd quid and talk nonsense or just criticise people, why would you want to do that? Why would you want to come to a football stadium and just criticise people? It’s not enjoyment, it’s not good for the kids, for the younger generation.

“Come and enjoy yourself regardless of what happens. We’ll try and give you everything we possibly can, and you’ve nearly 20,000 here, which hasn’t happened here for a long, long time.

“But the crowd want to see their team win like everybody else but you’ve a better chance when everybody relaxes and enjoys it but the support the football club has got has been phenomenal.”

Lambert was pleased with returning left wing-back Luke Garbutt’s display as well Josh Earl, starting in the back three for the first time.

“He was very good, I thought he was excellent,” he said. “I thought Josh Earl played really well as well.

“But as the game was going on and on you could see when the goals started to go in everybody wanted to take the ball, take the ball, take the ball. The front lads were excellent, I thought there were a lot of good performances there.

“Freddie looked sharp, Bish looked sharp, there were a lot of good things. As I said before, momentum is a big thing, that’s one game finished and we go to the next one.”

The Blues boss also had praise for Judge, who hadn’t scored at home prior to today: “I thought he was excellent. We changed the system in the second half.

“Good players can play anywhere and Judgey’s a good player, he’s a really good player, he’s an Irish international, a great chance of maybe qualifying for the Euros with his national team. A really good player and him, Keane and Jackson today, I thought those three were excellent.”

Town are now five points off the top with the division incredibly tight and teams can drop from top to seventh within a couple of weeks and then make the return journey in a similar time.

Asked whether League One presents a unique pressure for clubs of Town’s size, Lambert added: “I think this club has got pressure anyway, whether it’s in the Championship or the Premier League.

“The size of the club and the fanbase it’s got and the history behind it creates that. Until the world ends, I think this club’s always going to have pressure on it because of the Butcher era, I blame big Terry Butcher, John Wark and Mick Mills and George Burley and all them for putting the pressure on!

“But you have to live up to it, at any big club you’ve got a fanbase and you have to be ready for what’s coming.

“I was fortunate to play with massive clubs where there’s unbelievable pressure. But I loved it, I thrived on it, I needed that. It’s a drug, I needed the pressure, that feeling, if you want to be a top player you have to handle support, that’s the secret of it.”

Does he believe his players can similarly thrive on the pressure? “That’s why I said today was the best, without a doubt. That proved to me definitely that they’re all winners the guys, because they play in front of an expectancy level.

“That’s why for me that was the best performance of the season because people were saying, ‘OK, can they handle the crowd?’, but for me that’s why they’ve hopefully turned a corner with that.”

Burton manager Nigel Clough admitted his team, shorn of some of their senior defenders, were unable to handle the Blues.

“We could not quite cope with them today and when you lose your first two centre-halves,” he said. “I thought that Ben Garratt made three or four brilliant saves and kept the score down well for us.

“We had a young back four out today and they have to learn and learn quickly, you can’t make mistakes.

“We are where we are as a team and came to Portman Road to give Ipswich a game and it’s an incredibly strong league this season.

“We are just outside the play-offs and when you look at the standard of the top six team I don’t think we can match that at the moment. I am not writing it off totally. I think the league is incredibly strong.”


Photo: TWTD



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therein61 added 18:38 - Feb 15
Yes dear boy it probably was, but we could have been out of site if after the first few games you stopped being adventurous in your selections and filled the side with negativity resulting in a decline, anyway well done today for getting it right now keep it up!!!
5

TractorRoyNo1 added 18:42 - Feb 15
Really?
-1

BlueMachines added 18:46 - Feb 15
Can we find out if Norwood's attitude is right? Odd for him not to come on when we are 4-1 up as it's a chance for him to get a goal and therefore confidence. He barely warmed up before the game.
1

Taricco_Fan added 18:54 - Feb 15
Best performance? Not for me, but a good display of character after what could have been a demoralising early setback. The best I've seen Alan Judge. We need to see more to of this. Also, we need to be more clinical in front of goal. Despite scoring four we wasted a number of good chances, often let down by poor touches.

A confidence-boosting result going forward but against a poor side.
5

uppersirbob added 18:55 - Feb 15
Really
How about best we have played in February 2020
-1

cat added 18:55 - Feb 15
Selection was bang on today. Played on the front foot and looked menacing going forward. No complaints, credit to Lambert
10

Dolphinblue added 19:04 - Feb 15
Lambert...simply put best manager since Burley! And THENEGCREW wanted him gone 😂😂😂🤣🤣🤣 questioned his new 5 yr deal 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣 bless them...the numpties of THENEGCREW!!!!!!
-4

Pecker added 19:08 - Feb 15
Phil put the wind up you yesterday. Glad you took notice.
0

carlo88 added 19:19 - Feb 15
I think PL is downplaying it. It was probably the best performance at Portman Road ever, just shades the 6-0 vs Man Utd I reckon.
2

muhrensleftfoot added 19:29 - Feb 15
Judge played well. It had to happen eventually! A good entertaining game. Nice to go home happy. It's not happened too often in the last few years
6

TimmyH added 19:46 - Feb 15
Jury out on Lambert for me...can anybody tell me what were the conditions like today (still getting over my op) and if it was influential on how one team played over the other?
1

cat added 20:09 - Feb 15
Cross wind Timmy, so no great bearing on the game. We kept it low and the balls over the top and through the middle came more from the midfield and not aimless hoofs over from the back. Juries out for me also, but nothing to moan about after the last 60 mins, which resembled a top draw performance.
Speedy recovery fella.
5

FullerFlavour added 20:47 - Feb 15
Phil - Didn't Judge score at home to Accrington?
0

blueboy1981 added 20:51 - Feb 15
The squad / team is capable Lambert, it's you that needs to get your ass in gear and get the best out of them, and show us how good you believe you are.
We're patiently waiting, but patience eventually runs out. Onwards and upwards, but are YOU up to it ?
Time to prove, or otherwise. After all it's high time you did, after 8 years of drought, but much talk.
2

blueboy1981 added 20:55 - Feb 15
TimmyH - best wishes for that speedy recovery fella.
1

matthewwylds added 20:57 - Feb 15
We were playing Burton not Liverpool Jesus Christ and they had there 2 CB out o and thank god Edwards is back he's great NOT
1

blueboy1981 added 21:00 - Feb 15
Orgasm time for Dolphinblue I see - doesn't take much it seems !
4

DifferentGravy added 21:46 - Feb 15
Lambert states - 'Why would you want to come to a football stadium and just criticise people?'

The fans are incredibly patient. The club has been in decline for many years and even during Lamberts tenure. Yet we turn up in our thousands, paying their wages with our hard earned money. Most people, including myself, look forward to the game, hope for a win and applaud any skill, desire and determination shown regardless of the result. But when you have been relegated without a wimper, are bookies favourites to go up, have one of the biggest budgets and fan bases in the league, your manager is handed a 5 year contract.......then have only 3 wins in 20 odd games........i think fans are naturally going to feel disgruntled and vent their frustrations, be it criticism or just a good old whinge.

We won this week, a good result and desperately needed. It gives us an outside chance. The fans cheered, supported and left. But It is down to you Lambert to get your house in order, counter an opponents tactics when ours clearly arent working. Motivate the players and get the most out of the team. We, as fans, give credit where credit is due, so start earning it.

10

shakytown added 22:36 - Feb 15
How sad some people are like the little fish. We beat the mighty Burton in the lowest league we have ever been in and that's something to crow about. Was the fool also the best manager around when we got humped 4-0 at home last week?????
0

Bert added 23:07 - Feb 15
Not sure it was our best performance but it certainly was good in terms of attitude and every player wanting the ball. Some great through balls from Judge, class from Garbutt and a real team performance. More like this and the second automatic spot is not impossible if other results also go our way.
3

hyperbrit added 23:16 - Feb 15
...like I said rebuild from the top down. Has anyone constructed a team of players that Town has sold in the last 10 years? Might be shocking,
1

whymarkwhynot added 00:28 - Feb 16
Keep on going Town, we can do this! COYB
1

Saxonblue74 added 08:55 - Feb 16
We want promotion, we put in a promotion style performance to raise hope and confidence and still some complain. Yes, it was Burton Albion but you can only beat what's in front of you. To me it showed the passion and fight that has been missing for so much of the season. We haven't righted all the wrongs with 90 minutes of football but it's a start at a crucial time. Another couple of wins coupled with more favourable results from other contenders and things could look very different.
5

r2d2 added 09:30 - Feb 16
We beat mighty Burton with their 2 main centre backs out. Get real Lambert. As for Jackson being unplayable, he almost always fools himself with his first touch. That guy will never be anything but very average.
2

dirtydingusmagee added 09:46 - Feb 16
r2d2, time will tell ,but at least give em credit for a win and some goals, you seem disappointed that we won and it denies you the excuse to go on a rant, no pleasing you it seems.
7


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