Neil Warnock is reportedly “waiting in the wings” should Town look to make a change of manager in order to get their stalling promotion challenge back on track.

According to the Sunday Mirror, the 71-year-old, who left Cardiff earlier in the season, is Town’s preferred successor to Paul Lambert if the Scot’s time at Portman Road were to be brought to an end in an attempt to arrest a slump which has seen the Blues win just four of their last 23 games over 90 minutes and slip from the top of League One to ninth.

Rumours that Warnock, who plans to retire this summer, would be a target should the Blues look for a new boss previously circulated just after Christmas prior to Lambert signing a four-year extension to his contract, which runs to 2025, on New Year’s Day.

Warnock, who knows Blues owner Marcus Evans, has been spoken to about taking over at Town in the past, most notably after Roy Keane’s departure in 2012, and we understand would be interested in the role should it become available.

Quizzed on the links with Town job in December, he told The Alan Brazil Sports Breakfast on talkSPORT: “I think I get linked to everything, all managers do, don’t they? I think that’s how it is at the minute, they’re all talk and everything and you just don’t know.

“But, like I say, if the right thing comes up, I’m not really bothered what it is, I just want to enjoy myself to the end of the season really.”

Photo: Action Images

dirtydingusmagee added 12:46 - Mar 1 Sickparrot Warnock not looking to go that long ,he is only wanting short term , this season is screwed, now so no point in Warnock coming in .
2

NotSure added 12:47 - Mar 1 Too late, this needed to happen in January. Instead we got an announcement regarding a 5 year contract!
4

martin587 added 12:56 - Mar 1 Top motivator and would get us promoted.I would take a chance on him NOW as we have nothing to loose.Your last chance M E.👍👍
3

r2d2 added 13:09 - Mar 1 Get Warnock in. That man would kick some @rses, which is what these players need. He says he is retiring at the end of the season. He wont if he came here. Would do a couple of seasons. Its the job he has always wanted.
7

raycrawfordswig added 13:10 - Mar 1 Not going to happen Evans pay off Lambert then give Warnock summer tfr kitty Dream on .
1

SheptonMalletBlue added 13:32 - Mar 1 Yes please, get Colin on board first thing tomorrow morning! !!!!!!!
-1

Dockerblue added 13:39 - Mar 1 I,ve researched PL,s management career & it seems that at Wycombe, Colchester, Scum & Villa he had Ian Culverhouse as coach/No2 and done ok. Not long after they went to Villa Culverhouse was sacked for allegation of bullying. From then on PL has underperformed, leading me to conclude that possibly he,s a bit soft with players. Why come out every week and say they,ve played well, given everything etc when they have been completely sh#t? Surely better to give them the hairdryer treatment like Fergie used to. Another thing, when he joined Scummers, he kept telling press what great fans, huge fanbase, massive club etc. Sound familiar? On a final note did anyone else see the photo after Blackpool's winner of our 4&8 standing with hands on hips? They couldn't,t give a toss either of them and they,ve got as much to do with our current predicament as the management team

3

SheptonMalletBlue added 13:43 - Mar 1 Anybody else heard about Jeffrey Lurie' interest in Town?
0

positivity added 13:53 - Mar 1 r2, the last player who came to kick some arses, did as he was asked, lasted 15 games, and did lasting damage to the club. we need to stop with the short-termism, warnock isn't a long-term answer. he'd come in for 10 games, fail to get promoted and then leave even more of a mess. if he did break his word and carry on for another season he'd bring in his own douggys, tabbys and cokeys, sell off the youth to fund their wages and leave us with an (even more) ageing team with (even less) future.

1

positivity added 13:54 - Mar 1 oops, manager, not player!
0

Bert added 13:54 - Mar 1 ME may not understand the business of football but I would be gobsmacked if he didn't tie Lambert's new contract to promotion this year. Warnock is good at getting teams out of the mire but he is not a man for the future. My expectation is that Lambert will go in the event that our season totally implodes. Who we appoint next is anyone's guess and if it is a Hurst like appointment, our decent players will jump ship just as they did when Hurst arrived.

1

stopmoaning added 13:55 - Mar 1 This would be fantastic, and make sense, and I can see him getting us up this year as I still think we have the squad. However, I don't see Evans sacking someone he just gave a 5 year contract to.
1

budgieplucker added 13:56 - Mar 1 George Burley hit a few sticky patches when he was in charge, then we brought in Bryan Hamilton as first team coach under George for a period and things were transformed. It's a shame that Bryan Hamilton doesn't still summarise on Radio Suffolk, with no disrespect to Mick Mills, Bryan in my opinion has been by far the best summariser who takes the job to a different level. After Bryan moved on I think George then hit another sticky spell and we then brought in Jon Gorman who returned for a second spell later under Jim Magilton. The Ian Culverhouse story is an interesting one, and it's a great shame we lost Chris Hogg who was relegated back to U23s following appointment of Matt Gillies. Perhaps we should dispense with Stuart Taylor and Matt Gillies and increase Terry Butchers role until the end of the season, then reappraise the management team then.

3

Len_Brennan added 13:59 - Mar 1 The sad reality is that had we gotten Warnock in a month or more ago, we would almost certainly be in the playoff places now. Lambert has to go, even though I accept that he did a number of positive initiatives for the club in his time here, mostly of the pitch. Who has any confidence in him turning things around from Division 1 relegation form? As for the 'we should have kept Mick' comment - ridiculous. Just because your new wife spends all your money, it doesn't mean you should have stayed with your ex-wife, who was cheating on you.

7

Ipswichbusiness added 14:20 - Mar 1 When PL was given his new contract I then asked why not wait until March or April? There was no reply. I bet that ME is wishing that he had adopted my approach as I can't think that the way things have turned out that he would give PL a new contract now.
1

blueboy1981 added 14:47 - Mar 1 Get Warnock in - his record and experience cannot be questioned, and he would take no nonsense from anyone. Some players would instantly buck their ideas up - or else - make no mistake about that. Warnock is one of a few Managers out there right now that are so much more capable than Lambert. If we want to retrieve anything at all from this ass of a season - GET HIM IN, the attitude within the Club would change immediately. Everyone on their metal - at long last. The mere presence of Warnock would ensure that.

2

ITFCsince73 added 14:50 - Mar 1 #Not sure totally agree. Problem is many will be linked. Reality is there will be no manager change.
0

Blue_In_Boston added 14:58 - Mar 1 Dukey44.... Mick McCarthy wasn't taking us anywhere? Correct - which means we would still be a Championship side. Warnock would be a breath of fresh air in this shambles. Honestly believe relegation is more likely than promotion under Lambert.
2

Kickingblock added 14:58 - Mar 1 Pay no attention! It has to be hogwash!
1

1psw1ch added 15:02 - Mar 1 we are a club in crisis... Sinking quicker than the titanic... Evans out end of story
0

blueboy1981 added 15:12 - Mar 1 Spending money via Warnock would be a far safer bet for Evans, than Lambert. Personally, I could see Warnock fitting the Portman Road setup perfectly - I think he could to, and possibly has for some considerable time ....... !!! If it never happens, could be an even greater mistake by Evans, than any of his previous .... !!! Think about it ............
0

alanmason added 15:12 - Mar 1 Oh ! The Sunday Mirror....it must be true....yeah, right...
0

ChrisR added 15:13 - Mar 1 Lambert is never going to reverse this decline and if he stays real question is does ME trust him to buy , sell and motivate players in the close season ? And what decent player would wish to have this serial loser as boss ? If we lose badly to Fleetwood he will be a goner , so we may as well have Burley / Butcher until proper long term appointment , and before close season starts please , not the Hurst disaster , not turning up until his hols were taken , then too late !!

3

blueboy1981 added 15:15 - Mar 1 1pswich .......... alternative suggestion ????????
0

therein61 added 15:22 - Mar 1 The overbearing problem for the last 2 managers has been the bloke in the no/4 shirt(and his mate) i'd love to see him try that with Colin!!
2

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