Boss Paul Lambert praised both Town teams after last night’s two 75-minute friendlies at Colchester, which they won 4-0 and 1-0, their first action for five months, believing they played some excellent football. Lambert also outlined the situation with some of the players who were missing at the Jobserve Community Stadium.

“I thought some of the football was excellent from both teams [we put out],” Lambert told iFollow Ipswich.

“I thought we played really good football, I thought we dominated the games, which was great. We got a few goals.

“Five months is a really, really long time to not play football and all credit to the guys, to go and do what they’ve done was exceptional.

“I think our last game was Coventry [on March 7th], that seems a light year away and it’s been really difficult for everybody on and off the pitch, the uncertainty, not knowing what was happening, everything really which has affected the game.

“But to come back and train the way they have in a really strange situation [has been impressive]. And playing games again without contact is really strange, then you have to go into contact, there’s getting used to that again.

“As I say, big credit to the team, they’ve done great and I think that’s evident from what they’ve shown tonight.”

He says it wouldn’t have been a surprise if there had been a few cobwebs after such a long lay-off.

“There’s a bit of that, you’re never quite sure because after five months off we don’t know what shape the guys are going to come in in,” he continued.

“They’ve worked hard, throughout the last few weeks, they’ve worked really, really hard but the shape and the condition [they’ve come back in has been good].

“We’ve tweaked one or two things from last year, we have to go again, we’ll try our best to have success and we’ll try everything we can to make the club get promoted. We’ll try again and we’re a really good side when we play like that.”

As well as the five goals over the two games, there were clean sheets in both and it was a solid night all-round for the Blues.

“It was, and [they were playing] 70 minutes for the first time, it’s the first time they’ve played in five months,” the Scot added. “That’s the way you view it, but there are a lot of tired legs as well.

“We’ve another proper tough game on Saturday but it’ll be great for us, a great experience going to Tottenham and we’re really looking forward to it. It’s a great game.”

Lambert was pleased with how keepers Harry Wright, 21, and Adam Przybek, 20, fared with Tomas Holy on the sidelines with a shoulder problem and David Cornell not involved having only joined the club on Monday.

“The two younger kids done great tonight, they had two big saves just before half-time, so I’m happy with them,” he said.

“Tomas being on the way back is a big bonus for us and Cornell is coming in after having a really successful season at Northampton, so we’re looking not too bad.”

Also missing were striker James Norwood, defender James Wilson and midfielder Jon Nolan, along with striker Oli Hawkins who is short on training, also having signed on Monday.

“James [Norwood] is on his rehab from the injury he had last season, he’s doing well,” the Blues boss confirmed.

“And Jon Nolan has picked up a calf injury, which he did last year, which has been frustrating. The lads are getting there, that’s the most important thing.”

Looking ahead to Saturday and the friendly against Tottenham at their new stadium, he added: “If you don’t enjoy that and you don’t enjoy going and playing against that level, then you’ve got a problem. The stadium alone, I think the lads will be taken aback by it.

“But if you want to get to the highest level in football, you have to aspire to play that and, first and foremost you have to be good enough to play it, so let’s see if they realise what it’s takes to get to the top level.”

Photo: TWTD

Linkboy13 added 09:33 - Aug 19 Anyone who's played the game will know these games mean very little when it comes to first team selection. It was a good training exercise and benefited people like KVY and Teddy Bishop etc. I think i could have scored against Tommy Smith (senior) he looked awfully slow and really feel for him hope he finds himself another club.
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tractorboybig added 09:36 - Aug 19 well I am sure you will find a way to cock it up
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Suffolkboy added 09:58 - Aug 19 Looks like PL is also struggling to put his thoughts together comprehensively - or has he not had enough practice in the ‘lockdown ‘ ? I'd have expected greater articulation and a freer expression of enthusiasm ; hope he too gets better with the opportunity to find some rhythm ; OR is he trying to be guarded already ? COYB
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ArnieM added 10:18 - Aug 19 Just how long does it take to recover from a groin/ hip operation ( which I believe was a nerve release job). Norwood had this done in Feb 2020 I think ....its six months and he's still under rehab ...really?
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Steve_ITFC_Sweden added 10:33 - Aug 19 We played some nice possession football - forwards, sideways, backwards - but we will need much more of a cutting edge when the real stuff starts. Hopefully, Norwood and Hawkins will provide that. A good enough start as this was only the first real practice game, but more shots and more decisive passing in the crucial areas, please.
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TimmyH added 10:39 - Aug 19 Against the mighty Colchester and in a friendly...lets put things into perspective Paul shall we!...I suppose he has to say something in the press conferences so let the spin begin.
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midastouch added 10:50 - Aug 19 I wasn't particularly keen on Lambert when first linked with him as since Norwich his CV has been barren and poor.  Yet he surprisingly started to gradually win me over when he reached out to old players and seemed to be generally much more in tune with the fans.  However, when we badly lost our form I have to say I lost confidence and old doubts resurfaced again. The thing that really bugged me is that we never seemed able to beat any of the teams higher up the league last season.  A team is never going to go up automatically unless they can take points off their promotion rivals.  Also the chopping and changing of team selections bugged me and I was keen to see the likes of Dobra and El Mizouni far more involved last season. Anyway, hopefully Lambert might have learned some key lessons from last season.  I'm happy to wait and see how the season starts before calling him out at every twist and turn (before a competitive ball has even been kicked).  If however we're 2 months or so into the season and he's still repeating all the same mistakes and we're not in the mix, then it might be time to think again. However, let's see how the season starts and we can evaluate as we go forwards.  I'm not totally convinced (given how last season went) by Lambert but if the football improves and he can get us into the promotion mix then it will be time to start looking forwards instead of backwards.  All I can say is if he starts playing the young guns and keeps a more settled side then I'm cautiously optimistic we can improve on last season.  The question remains will he learn from the mistakes of last season or will he be too stubborn (a common trait in football managers) and go back to default settings?  We shall see!

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Razor added 11:08 - Aug 19 Acid test on Saturday-----then we will see where we are (or not!)
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BettyBlue added 11:27 - Aug 19 Why does he talk about our team as "they"? How about using "we", like we're all in this together? What state has Lambert come back form lockdown? Obese is not a great example or look.
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speccybaz added 11:46 - Aug 19 Norwood ‘rehab'. Should that read ‘Norwood's Dundee United move pending'?
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Kitman added 11:48 - Aug 19 In the good old days before we had ever heard of lockdown I was in a Brighton curry eaterie with a United and a Toffees fan. There were some lads on the next table, clearly Brummies by their accent and with Villa colours on, down for the fixture against Brighton the next day. We had a bit of banter and I was treated to a big round of sympathy over our manager. One of their comments stuck with me was that however poor the team PL had selected and put out played the same old comments were made after about the “team playing well” or some “excellent football”- even if a loss. They were glad to see the back of him.

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Steve_ITFC_Sweden added 12:38 - Aug 19 It worries me a little when PL says we need to "tweak" things. That to me suggests some minor adaptations. I think what we need is a complete re-haul in terms of approach and the composition of the team from last season. Time to move on and introduce players like El Miz and Dobra into the mix on a regular basis. And while I don't mind knocking the ball around most of the team for a while, let's try to be more direct sometimes. It's goals that count. So far, I am (very) cautiously optimistic. COYB!

0

carlo88 added 13:03 - Aug 19 After his ridiculous sulk in December followed by the equally ridiculous five year contract I don't see how anyone has any faith in him at all any more. Guy's a fraud.
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FramlinghamBlue added 13:13 - Aug 19 Our so called fans already having a go at the manager after two wins! Criticising him for being positive! One of them even calling him fat! There are some embarrassing comments on here from people. We are a nice, friendly family club and we should be behind both the players and the manager to get out of this division.
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ronnyd added 13:21 - Aug 19 BettyBlue, if you read the third paragraph, you will see he mentions the teams as "we"three times. By the way, i was against Lamberts appointment from the off.
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Bert added 14:02 - Aug 19 What does BettyBlue know or understand about togetherness ? This is the poster who slags off the club and Lambert with every post and wants us to boycott Town. Another 'fan' who does not attend but abuses those who do and now sinking, by implication, to slur anyone who is obese. Negativity never succeeds, positivity encourages.
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thechangingman added 14:05 - Aug 19 When Lambert arrived, I put my ex-Norwich prejudice aside, for the sake of 'progress'/moving forward. I gave him the benefit of the doubt in every regard, and was pleased with the intial feelgood factor. Standing on the cusp of a new season, however, the budgie-stuff is irrelevant, as the cold evidence of his tenure has shown he's simply a poor manager, with an awful record, and a delusional/narcissistic outlook... I fear the worst this season, and think we'll be lucky to finish in the top 10. The blunt bottom-line is he's simply not fit for our purpose, and I look forward to him moving on ASAP before we fall too far to ever come back...

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TractorRoyNo1 added 14:53 - Aug 19 Get used to hearing "5 months off" many times in the next zillion interviews
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blues1 added 15:21 - Aug 19 Arnie m. Just typical of the totally uninformed comments you make. If ud read the story correctly re Norwood, us have seen that his rehab from the op was interrupted by the lockdown. And that's why hes behind on his fitness right now.
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Linkboy13 added 16:39 - Aug 19 Some of the football was excellent, but like last season most of it was diabolical.
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BettyBlue added 16:54 - Aug 19 Boycott the Town until Lambert gets a BMI under 25.
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Northstandveteran added 17:15 - Aug 19 His brilliant management ideas are well under 25 Betty.
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ChrisR added 17:35 - Aug 19 PL is the most incomprehensible, dull and uninspiring manager. His end of year sulk is his true persona , just dont see any sign that he can lead or motivate the troops , this was so evident during the last run of defeats . Even worse , I believe he just does not care that much, only hanging on for maximum payoff from his last ever management job , much like most of Evans previous disaster picks . I agree the guy is a fraud!

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Terry_Nutkins added 18:18 - Aug 19 Midastouch it was nice to read something thought out and fair rather than some just seizing a chance to be negative on a story that is only positive.
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Cheshire_Blue added 18:28 - Aug 19 All the usual negativity from so called 'supporters'
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