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Lambert: Lads Gave Me Everything
Saturday, 7th Mar 2020 18:26

Blues boss Paul Lambert was proud of his team and everybody in the stadium, despite his side having been beaten 1-0 by leaders Coventry City at Portman Road.

Matt Godden netted the game’s only goal in the 16th minute to put the Sky Blues five points clear at the top of the division.

“The lads gave me absolutely everything, they gave me everything in their bodies,” Lambert said. “We played a good game, one real chance they’ve scored.

“We had a lot of the game. I can’t ask any more of them today. Today I was really proud of them, proud of everybody in the stadium, the fans were great again, staying with us.

“I think they saw what we’ve got out there and they saw the commitment, and that’s all you can ever ask for. So today, we lost the game but the performance was a lot better.”

He added: “Considering the lads we’ve got, we had two kids on the bench that came on. Luke Woolfenden’s a kid, Andre Dozzell’s a kid, the two kids that are coming off the bench [Armando Dobra and Tyreece Simpson] are babies. They’re wet behind the ears. So there are a lot of things to be proud of and the atmosphere in the ground was night and day.”

Lambert had praise for Gwion Edwards and Cole Skuse, who both impressed having come back into the team, and Alan Judge.

“They were very good,” he said. “Cole had a really nasty gash on the shin. Gwion I thought was excellent, Judge I thought was excellent in the second half as well, so there were a lot of good things there.

“Coventry and Mark Robins, I think they’re good guys and a good team, but I think today we had Flynn Downes missing, arguably one of the best midfielders in the division, three lads up front missing [Kayden Jackson, James Norwood and Will Keane], Danny Rowe being out, Kane Vincent-Young out, Emyr Huws is just back from a toe injury. There are a lot of big players out. Hopefully we’ll get one or two back.”

Lambert felt his team ought to have won an early penalty when Kyle McFadzean appeared to foul Jon Nolan.

“Aye, with Nolan? I thought it was close,” he said. “Then Bish, first half, went through and I thought it was a freekick just at the edge of the box but we never got it. But the Nolan one was an interesting one.”

The Town boss also wondered whether there might have been a foul in the build-up to the Coventry goal when Nolan was dispossessed and wasn’t overly impressed with the officials overall.

“On the far side? I thought that at the time when I saw it,” Lambert recalled. “I thought the officiating, the linesmen hadn’t got a flag, he never put it up, it was incredible some of the decisions there.


“I just think that’s just the way it is in this division. But the [incident with] Nolan, there could have been a case for that, especially with what was going on before and after that.”

Asked about Norris’s booking as the players made their way off at half-time, Lambert add: “I just found that out just before I came up here, that Will got booked.

“I don’t know what it was. I think they were trying to talk to the referee but I thought the referee must have taken offence to what he said. I don’t know what he said.”

Nolan had Town’s best chance but nodded the ball tamely into Coventry keeper Marko Marosi’s arms.

“I know exactly what he’s done because the ball’s high in the air so he’s got to wait for it,” Lambert said. “And the keeper’s obviously gone back and he’s plucked it out of the air. I can see what Nolo’s done, he went to do the right thing and he was caught when the keeper moved back. It was a big chance.”

Reflecting on Town’s lack of goals, Lambert added: “Absolutely, but we’ve got three big players out. Freddie and Bish have been back for a few weeks of playing time. They’ve been out for months, Freddie over a year.

“You’re asking two guys who are running on empty again and then you’re putting Tyreece and Dobra on. But that’s where the club is at the minute.

“But I’m really proud of how the team played and how we stayed in the game for a long, long time and we took charge of the game against a good side.”

Lambert admits he’s having to play Bishop and Sears more than he would ideally like to given their lack of match fitness.

“Yes, I think it’s really unfair for the two of them because they were out for a helluva long time,” he continued.

“You’ve got to remember, if you’re out, they say you detrain in three weeks when you don’t train. Freddie’s been out over a year. Yes, he’s training and getting bits here and there, Bish is the same, long term out. His calves were cramping up, we had to take him off. Freddie as well, was running on empty at the top end of the pitch.

“You’ve got to look after them as well, you can’t just put them out and say ‘OK, run until something else happens to you’, that’s not the way I work.”

The defeat, Town’s seventh in nine matches, sees the Blues drop to 10th and seven points off the play-offs having played two games more than the four teams above them. Lambert admits it’s getting tougher with every game and says it’s just a case of taking each game as it comes.

“We have to,” he reflected. “If can get some of the guys back, we’ll be a lot stronger. At the minute, today’s performance, I’m really proud of how they went really toe-to-toe with Coventry, a good side. But if we get some of them back if we can do that.

“You still have to fight for everything, you have to fight and fight and fight until that last ball’s kicked until the summer. Everybody has to fight for the club.”

He added: “We have to go for everything. I know it’s hard but we have to go for absolutely everything. As I said before, I never give up. I give everything I’ve got. I do my best and hopefully we’ll go on a run, we do get the guys back and we’ll look a lot stronger team.

“Today I an’t fault the guys for their effort, it was there, everything that I asked of them was there.”"
Lambert says Keane missed out due to an injury he picked up in the Fleetwood game: “I think he hurt his groin on Tuesday, I think he hurt it early in the game but tried to play on. If you have an injury and the player says he’s not fit, you have to trust that scenario.

“So, the next scenario we have to look at only Freddie, he’s the only one, or start Tyreece or start Ben Morris, who had an horrific injury as well. It’s a big ask. Freddie was the option for us because we didn’t have anybody else. We’ll have to wait and see whether Will is fit for next week.”

Regarding other players who might be back, he added: “Kane had a bit of a setback, we’ll see how he is later on in the week. Danny Rowe’s the same, we’ll see how he is. Kayden will be back, Flynn will be back, Nors [James Norwood], he’s still out.

“Emyr, hopefully his toe will have settled down. Hopefully we’ll get one or two back. Look at the bench, we had three kids on the bench.”

Lambert explained recalling Will Norris for Tomas Holy in goal: “I think when you leave somebody out it’s always a tough decision. The disappointment is a lot for guys. But I made the decision because of what happened last night and the way we played at the back, we were going to play from the back, which we did do. We played some good stuff.

“Will Norris is a really calming head, really, really calm. He’s mid-20s but he has a really good way, a really good way about him. I’m not saying Tomas hasn’t but for this game I just thought Will’s calming influence was important. I don’t think Will has had a save to make.”

Lambert says Luke Garbutt will also have to be assessed having picked up a knock: “I think on the far side he blocked a cross and I think it tweaked his groin, so we need to see how he is as well. That’s another one. I thought Josh Earl did well when he came on, so we need to see how Garbs is.”

Coventry boss Mark Robins, was delighted with his team, who have now gone 18 games in all competitions since they were last defeated.

“It was a really tough game. I thought we started brilliantly we kept the ball really well and the goal was really magnificent the way they got through, the way they passed it, a great through ball from Walshy [Liam Walsh]," he said.

“We needed the start because the way it finished was bitty and scappy and we didn’t keep the ball.

“We gave them opportunities and they are fighting for their lives. It was a tough game and we got a clean sheet which was outstanding and the goal was good enough to win it.

“Thankfully we can get home and give them a bit of a breather going into next week. We have got 10 games left and we need to be better than that.

“We have got to be better against the teams we have got coming up.
“Can we keep going, can we keep our focus and learn and keep learning? Nobody’s cracked it yet we have got to keep focused and keep going.”


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blueboy1981 added 22:20 - Mar 7
martin587 ..... unfortunately it's got to the point of not being worth the effort, or expense.
Common sense has to prevail at some point - when it becomes a heart v head scenario.
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BlueJohn added 22:27 - Mar 7
It's about time people at the club got real. PL definitely wasn't watching the same game as I was. We were poor in the first half. Better second half but without really threatening the Coventry goal.

"Reflecting on Town's lack of goals, Lambert added: “Absolutely, but we've got three big players out." I'm afraid that for me, Jackson, Norwood and Keane are not big players. They are mediocre at best. We do not have any decent strikers. No one that can head the ball or hold it up to bring others into the game. Put Woolfenden up front for the rest of the season and tell him to enjoy himself. He big, athletic, good in the air, and along with Downes has been our best player this season.
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eddiespearitt03 added 22:29 - Mar 7
All part of the "I,ll stand by my players routine". ...They gave me everything bla bla bla. They did not score and they concede an easy goal like every game we play.

Obviously Lamberts account is totally different to what really went on . Nolan falls over easily.....Chambers just can not cut a ball out or intercept an oppositions pass......Chambers out of position and the defence always losing its man........No composure when a chance to score and looks like we play with 8 men in periods of the game. As long as you are happy with that Mr Lambert then our fate is sealed. Get rid of these players who let the team down every week.
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cat added 22:30 - Mar 7
Football is a way of life, not common sense blueboy. Pished off when you lose, happy when you win that's how it rolls. Time the next game comes round your ready to go again, that's the life of a proper football fan.
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blueblood4ever added 22:32 - Mar 7
As I said last week PL is not a tactician, absolutely useless at it.......The season is now dead please just walk as you are doing my head in and let's build for next season...........
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littlestoneblue added 23:08 - Mar 7
Trouble is he lost Ian Culverhouse to Kings Lynn who are near the top of the National League North, when he was here we were top and playing well, i say get rid of Lambert and bring back Culverhouse, we just might start to play good football and with conviction
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Dissboyitfc added 00:20 - Mar 8
littlestoneblue...really??? Lambert split up with culverhouse in 2014 and havent worked together since, so a strange post to say the least!!!

Martin i marked you down because i believe the players were trying, just total rubbish in the final third, with no cutting edge at all.

The club is falling apart at the seems on every level on and off the pitch! Its going to take years to get back up to where we belong. Quite scary really it really is..
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Lukeybluey added 08:59 - Mar 8
If the lads have given everything, that means they're definitely not good enough.
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Dolphinblue added 09:05 - Mar 8
Lambert is a great manager and person. Fans were brilliant and this site does not reflect Portman road...HILARIOUS hearing the few Evans out chants fade in seconds...FACE IT YR REVOLUTION AINT HAPPENING.....yr attempts to make it happen has failed as real fans are behind the team...WELL PLAYED BOYS...WELL DONE LAMBERT... lost the dressing room I THINK NOT!
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Dolphinblue added 09:06 - Mar 8
Its not Lambert or Evans who should get out of our club its....THENEGCREW......
THENEGCREW GET OUT OF OUR CLUB! 🐬🐬🐬🐬🐬
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Dissboyitfc added 09:24 - Mar 8
Lukey you may have a point, maybe they are not good enough, certainly some of them arent, Nolan for one is not good enough! But also our front players are totally devoid of confidence and their decision making often suffers when confidence is low, take Nolans Decision when clear through he decides to head it to the keeper,( he did the defenders job for him) i am sure in training he would of took another touch and tried with his feet!

Talking of Confidence, wonder how Holy feels? has done nothing wrong yet gets dropped for Norris who is not our player and who is no better than Holy!

In summary certainly some are not good enough, but the team is certainly lacking confidence, which the postponing of games and the rotation policy contributed towards! Decision making throughout the club is poor!
1

Dissboyitfc added 09:31 - Mar 8
I think Dolphinblue and the rest of the Happy clappers should leave! I cant for the life of see how 4 wins in 25 is acceptable to anyone, if this continues into next season we will have more grounds to visit in league 2.

RELEGATION will be the only outcome if this is allowed to continue, but i guess the Happy clappers will be happy regardless!
3

Dockerblue added 09:33 - Mar 8
Chambers, you are a disgrace! Let the goalscorer get goalside of him for the umpteenth time this season and in the second half appealing for offside instead of playing the whistle, not long after failing to cut out a cross from right wing, both times Coventry should have scored. Week after week this is happening, basic errors that you are taught to cut out from when you first start kicking a ball. I,ve said it before, he has cost us so many goals against this season just what does he do to keep getting picked every game? We will never get out of this league while he is in the team, everyone else has been rotated but he,s missed one game, our worst player for the last 2 seasons by a mile. How he got player of the year last year is completely baffling, maybe the whole team were so bad nobody bothered to vote, only his Mrs.
3

martin587 added 09:37 - Mar 8
I honestly believe some supporters cannot see the wood from the trees and are just happy to see us plod on regardless without having any incentive.We have a squad full of internationals at all levels here.PL has postponed matches when they are called away to play for there country.This tells me these players must be a cut above the rest and would indicate there quality should at least shine through in matches.This is NOT always happening and it's therefore up to the manager to motivate these players(again its apparent its not happening).So who is to blame? Showing an improvement from last Tuesday is all well and good if you get a result but once again we didn't.If your happy with this week in week out then that's fine but I'm not.So tell me where do we go from here.We all have different theories but what is the right one for our club.? Mine is a change of manager now.(I somehow think this will not happen though) but then that's just me.Enjoy your day lads.👋👋
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ITFCsince73 added 09:44 - Mar 8
Unfortunately Culverhouse never came to ITFC. Let alone leave.
1

Dissboyitfc added 09:51 - Mar 8
The season is over now, so whilst i agree that Lambert leaving is the right choice i dont think he will go by his own accord nor will Evans get rid whilst it is mathematically possible to reach the play-offs.

You have a good day too Martin!
2

Michael101 added 13:18 - Mar 8
I can remember a few years ago when Tony Mowbray had a couple of games as caretaker manager. Driving home after one of his games on the radio he gave his thoughts on the game.we all looked at each other and said he was a a different game.and I think every Ipswich manager has done exactly the same . Mad mick being the worst of the lot. Time for them all to go to specsavers. (Other optic retailers are available)
1

Linkboy13 added 18:51 - Mar 8
The effort of the players yesterday proves Lambert hasn't lost the dressing room, unless your one of the numpty crew who probably made up their mind what they were going to say before the match. The problem with Lambert is his poor tactics for example why is Judge constantly appearing up front with his back to the goal trying to win headers it's obvious he should be playing much deeper just in front of the back four. Basically though the players are just not good enough the squad needs to be smaller with quality rather than quantity.
0

JewellintheTown added 10:00 - Mar 9
If the team gave you everything, Paul, then they clearly aren't up to winning in this league, never mind the Championship, and clearly need to all be sacked.
Considering you buy them, coach them, pick them, instruct them and change tactics when they need to, then you need to go too.
Evans needs to go too as he clearly wont open his cheque book wide enough to fund anything better.
Can we quarantine Portman Road for a season or two until this whole virus thing blows over - not the Coronavirus one, the poor footballing?
0

norfolkbluey added 10:21 - Mar 9
I tend to agree with many of the comments on here especially dissboy. I can't see ME sacking PL until it is impossible for us to get in the playoffs!!!! However can't see that happening the way things are going. So we are stuck in a rut until such time come. Depressing times but I think we have a reasonable squad with the exception of 3/5. It comes down to tactics especially for the forward play. As to players, I do believe we need a John Walk type player and we just don't have one. Fearless with an eye for goal. I do not understand why PL who has managerial experience on the continent has not looked abroad for players of that calibre. All I do know is we are at least safe but with little chance of progress this year. It may be a blessing folks because on present form we would be ripped apart in the Championship at the present time. Just look at Luton, very good last year but straight back down. It is now all down to Marcus Evans. God help us all.
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mathiemagic added 11:06 - Mar 9
Clearly PL standards are not mine or any other Town fan. Another inept performance littered with errors from senior players and a complete lack of footballing basics. I am astounded at the comments from PL quite frankly. I dont like calling for a managers head but this farce has gone on long enough.
1


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