Manager Paul Lambert says he and his staff have “tweaked a couple of things” as he looks for his side to make a significant improvement from last year’s hugely disappointing 11th place in League One.

“We’ve tweaked a couple of things from last season, we started obviously in the Championship and made a great start in League One last year,” he said after yesterday's 3-0 loss at Tottenham.

“We’ve changed to what I think is going to suit us and tweaked a couple of things that we want to try and do and I think it’s shown with the way we’ve tried to play football and I’m really pleased.”

Previously the Blues manager has talked about needing to learn lessons and says consistency is among them. He also hints that the much-criticised rotation policy won't be enforced so strictly in the campaign ahead with players challenged to cement their places in the starting XI.

“Consistency, and everybody has to give me a problem of keeping the shirt,” he said. “If you’re in the team and you’re playing well, you stay in the team, that’s the message the guys all know - if you’re doing well and you’ve got the shirt, stay in the side.”

"He says it’ll start to become clearer who will be in his starting XI for the season proper after the West Ham match at Portman Road on Tuesday.

“We’ve got another tough game on Tuesday, West Ham, it’s another cracking game for us,” he said. “We’ve got another one and then it starts.

“After the West Ham one, we’ll start to realise what’s going to happen. But I’m really happy with the guys considering they had five months of not playing.

“Tottenham have not long finished their season, they’ve had a few days’ break, we hadn’t done anything in five months other than the Colchester games and they were only 75 minutes. We’re in a really good place at the minute, it’s just about building on that.”

Lambert is disappointed that fans aren’t able to attend games at present with supporters not returning until October as things stand.

“It’s incredible, it really is,” he reflected. “This is the norm at the minute, and that’s sad. But what an arena this is in which to play football. This is why you want to be a footballer, it’s just unfortunate what’s happened.”

Had Town had a pre-season friendly away at Tottenham in normal times - an admittedly unlikely prospect - then they would have taken a significant number of fans.

“Listen, it would have been brilliant,” he said. “I’ve been here watching games before and well done to Tottenham for this, this is great. They’ve got a top manager, they’ve got top players but we never disgraced ourselves.”

Photo: Matchday Images

timkatieadamitfc added 12:33 - Aug 23 Great, if he's true to his word Chambers should only last 3 games max
4

BLUEBEAT added 12:48 - Aug 23 nipples
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Oldsmoker added 13:39 - Aug 23 Just a couple of things and all you did was just tweak them. I'm not sure if our manager has grasped the dire situation that was our second half of last season.
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tractorboybig added 14:47 - Aug 23 Surely we could not be worse this season........err not so sure and why are YOU still here?
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SheptonMalletBlue added 16:37 - Aug 23 Exactly what I thought Tim. Fist pumper always plays, even when he has a bad game, which sadly is all too often!
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Scuzzer added 16:53 - Aug 23 Oh dear...a couple of tweaks...when a major overhaul is needed
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Scuzzer added 16:53 - Aug 23 Oh dear...a couple of tweaks...when a major overhaul is needed
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TimmyH added 17:28 - Aug 23 Probably Chambers and Skuseys aging hamstrings on the training ground...but you can be assured they'll be starting come September 12th.
5

StavangerBlue added 18:06 - Aug 23 League Two here we come!
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dukey44 added 19:08 - Aug 23 First few tweaks are stop rotation on goalie and don't play Chambers and Skuse every week.. Sorted 👍
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stiffy501 added 20:27 - Aug 23 Not sure a couple of tweaks is the answer to the problems of late !!!!!
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oldegold added 23:48 - Aug 23 December 2000 Town 3 Spurs 0. Absolutely murdered them that day...was it barely 20 years ago ? Look at us now, living on scraps and couldn't even manage a shot against an under strength Spurs team
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Sospiri added 05:27 - Aug 24 I think we expected an experienced manager to have worked out that a consistent team and playing style were pretty obvious prerequisites for a successful season. So, why didn't Paul?
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runningout added 07:14 - Aug 24 Noticed the manager (Jack Ross) we dilly and dallied about at and lost out to, is doing okay at the mo at Hibs.. I know his time at Sunderland didn't work out. That's because I believe he was for us really!!
0

Razor added 10:29 - Aug 24 May need more than a couple of tweaks Paul!!
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Skip73 added 10:41 - Aug 24 Oldegold I remember that, on Sky as well. Now we are 3-0 down and beaten in under 30 mins to an under strength side and everybody at the club is so happy and proud. Its pathetic and only Ipswich would have that sorry losing attitude. I'm not sute why I bother anymore.
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BlueBlood90 added 10:52 - Aug 24 Should've tweaked who would be managing us this season.
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Tractorboy58 added 11:26 - Aug 24 I really can't believe all the negativity before the start of this season. We are where we are and I think pre season is going well. Decent additions to the squad and I believe that we are among the favourites for promotion. I am not a 'happy clapper' but I do support my team, and I think PL will take us forward
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Pencilpete added 13:14 - Aug 24 yeah i can't believe all the negativity either - after all we ended last season in such great form and 11th place in the third tier is a fantastic platform in which to build. The club have recognised the fantastic progress made by rewarding the manager with a 5 year deal, the personell is exactly the same as last season except for the stand out loanee we had and we've replaced him with a sprightly 35 year old. why all the whinging peeps ??

11

Carberry added 13:35 - Aug 24 Paul, you will notice from the above that the PR isn't working any more.
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Steve_D added 14:31 - Aug 24 A tweak is a slight adjustment , we need a major overhaul
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dirtydingusmagee added 16:23 - Aug 24 i wasnt very optimistic about the coming season , now i have no optimism whatsoever , same manager, same bullsh#t , same problems ,i can see same results , and same league at best, .This club is a dead duck .
3

therein61 added 16:53 - Aug 24 The two most needed tweaks are shipping out 4&8 but he hasn't the balls(or power they run our club now) to do it.
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Skip73 added 17:08 - Aug 24 I'm not one for getting on the players backs at games but the ridiculous comments about being happy with the performance when they've been thumped are just embarrassing. If they are so happy with mediocrity, the club are doomed to League 1 at best for the foreseeable future, and rightly so.
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happybeingblue added 19:04 - Aug 24 6 wins from the last 25 games from last season. thats relegation form in the real world tweaking! blimey he must think all the supporters are clowns or numbskulls :) the lack of summer activity points to only one thing i can see and thats a relegation fight am amazed that fans think he is the man to take us forward lets be honest how many games did we implement a style of play/dominate teams etc i think the spin is not gonna wash this season so lets see. will he still be here on halloween :)

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