Assistant boss Stuart Taylor says the Blues’ pre-season has been good, despite not knowing quite what to expect when the squad reassembled at Playford Road on July 22nd having been away from the club since 2019/20 was suspended on March 13th.

In terms of friendly results, the Blues won only twice, the 4-0 and 1-0 victories over Colchester in the 75-minute double header at the JobServe Community Stadium.

They were beaten 3-0 by Tottenham at the North Londoners' new stadium, then 4-1 by West Ham at Portman Road before the 1-0 loss to League Two Cambridge United on Saturday.

Nevertheless, Taylor’s view of pre-season overall is positive but while frustrated by some aspects of the games.

“I think pre-season has been good, and I use the word good because going into it we didn’t really know what to expect,” Taylor said.

“Nobody had experience of how you come back from lockdown, but the way we looked at it was that it was like lads coming back from a long-term injury and treated it that way, a little bit softly, softly, making sure we didn’t break them [by taking it] too quickly.

“We’ll always have a rigorous pre-season where the lads work really hard and they’ve done that, but over a longer period of time.

“We brought them in a week earlier than most clubs have done just to make sure that we’re giving them that extra week to blend them in.

“There’s been lots of good stuff in the games, there have been one or two things that we’ve been disappointed with, ie Saturday, but it’s a learning curve and it’s just making sure we eradicate the mistakes and making sure that we continue to do the right things.”

Town’s season starts on Saturday with the Carabao Cup tie at home to Bristol Rovers, then the EFL Trophy group game against Arsenal’s U21s next Tuesday, also at Portman Road.

Asked whether those matches will be treated like additional pre-season fixtures ahead of the League One opener against Wigan Athletic at home and live on Sky on Sunday 13th September, Taylor said: “There are two ways to look at it, you can turn around and say that we’ll use them as pre-season games, which I think a lot of clubs are going to do.

“Or the gaffer might just turn around and say ‘I’m going to go with my team and keep the jersey’.

“I’m not too sure what he’s going to go and do. I think that’s that a discussion that will happen throughout the week but come Thursday or Friday I’m sure the gaffer will have an idea of what he’s definitely going to go and do.”

Photo: TWTD

HighgateBlue added 10:01 - Sep 2 I wonder which was his favourite loss...
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Bloots added 10:06 - Sep 2 Even the assistant manager hasn't got a clue what Shambert is going to do next. What a club.
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OwainG1992 added 10:08 - Sep 2 We better take the league cup seriously! Think we can forgive the back ups for the Mickey mouse cup
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Suffolkboy added 10:19 - Sep 2 Just much uncertainty ,as per usual sadly ! COYB ,let's be having some clear optimism and positivity ,which hopefully can be imbued in our teams and squad !
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TimmyH added 10:28 - Sep 2 'Pre-season good' - blimey! talk about setting the bar low.
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MonkeyAlan added 10:48 - Sep 2 If that was a good pre season, ld like to see a bad one!
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slade1 added 10:52 - Sep 2 These 2 matches have to be the full team or there about that will start the league campaign. We need a settled team asap. ps, why has Lambert disappeared and sending Taylor out to meet the press?
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martin587 added 10:53 - Sep 2 I'd rather not hear all this rubbish about pre season team selections training and how good or bad we have been. Let's just wait till match day and see where we go from there.
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Nobbysnuts added 11:05 - Sep 2 Headline should read - Pre-season crap, manager must go......
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heathen66 added 11:08 - Sep 2 I think we need to use these 2 games as the real start of the season, picking the best XI (if PL knows what that is) and look to get some momentum going so we can hit the ground running when Wigan visit on Sunday 13th. Pre-season has been chopping and changing (bit like last season) and that needs to stop now !!! 4-3-3 should be the way to go in this league, however these top 3 need to be real strikers ( three from Hawkins, Jackson, Sears and Norwood) not wingers like Edwards, Lankaster and Judge as this is really 4-5-1. These 3 should be competing with the other midfielders for any one of those 3 positions. We need to be taking games to the opposition not one up to and hoping to pick up scraps. Let us all hope Lambert has learnt something from last season (although as yet not 100% convinced this will be the case) and knows what his best team is and how to utilise these players in the most effective formation !!!

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Carberry added 11:38 - Sep 2 Why do we put up with this BS. He talks with PR Paul every day, they must have some kind of strategy (you would hope), so all this I don't know how he might see it is absolute claptrap. Just don't bother giving this stuff a platform it's either lies or dross. What a shambles.
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JDAndCoke added 11:40 - Sep 2 Annoys me when I see comments such as 'even the assistant manager hasn't got a clue what shambert is going to do.' Do people not realise this is just a standard response? Of course they know who will play but he's hardly going to come out and tell the world our plans so he just plays the question with a straight bat and avoids it. No need to find things to be negative about in every single post.

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SE1blue added 12:13 - Sep 2 The mistake that needs eradicating still has four years left on his contract.
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Surco72 added 12:29 - Sep 2 Personally think it was a very poor pre season , lost majority of games which is not good for confidence , don't think what will be the starting eleven have actually played together once . The back four/ five haven't played together . Think we have a weaker squad than when the season finished . Think the youngsters have been treated strangely to say the least .And don't actually think the manager knows what his best eleven or best formation is yet , which is the most worrying part and will just try and shoe horn in his old pros or who was best at training on Friday before a game . And if you keep telling yourself everything is good all the time when it isn't and how well we played when we haven't you end up spiralling downwards and losing games , be honest and we will be more likely for success and the fans will appreciate it more

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ITFCsince67 added 12:42 - Sep 2 Deluded individual. The club is a mess with zero direction from anyone in authority. Just lurching from one embarrassment to another.
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cat added 13:22 - Sep 2 I fear for Lambert, I really do. A few more losses and that rather embarrassing win rate of 26% could be heading to new depths. The stats suggest he is our worst ever manager, surely the only way is up, least the friendliest don't count.
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Northstandveteran added 13:40 - Sep 2 That's what Yazz and the plastic population sang cat. Only never to be heard of again.
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DifferentGravy added 13:46 - Sep 2 Eradicate mistakes........you mean the same mistakes that have been made since Lambert arrived......giving the ball away in defence and gifting goals to the opposition!?! A solid defence should be an absolute must. Yet this has never been resolved. Edwards playing wing back, Kenlock, Chamber and his clangers......... Unless you have a group of players that know each other inside out....been together a number of years, then it is perfectly understandable in using friendlies to try new positions/tactics etc. But by the final friendlies, you should really be fielding as close to a starting eleven/formation as possible so they are familiar with it. Training wont cut the mustard......ask any pro.

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Cakeman added 14:05 - Sep 2 Eradicate mistakes! I hadn't thought of that one! Unless we get in some players that have some ability we are not going to eradicate mistakes. Stuck with what we have so let the mistakes roll in!
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Lightningboy added 14:18 - Sep 2 Beginning to really question my faith in the current management team - loved what Lambert did when he first came in but some of the decisions since last Autumn have been bizzarre to say the least and that looks like it's continuing - I have even less faith in Taylor's abilities. Willing to give Lambo a few weeks to get things going but when you've got better (imho) options out there like the Cowleys available you just know we'll miss the boat again -I knowsome supporters don't like their style but they seem to breed success - which is what we'd all be happy with surely?

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heathen66 added 14:36 - Sep 2 Lightningboy...The Cowley boys would be a great option, however the club still needs an overhaul. We tried this previously with Paul Hurst, but his success was never going to happen with the influential Senior Pros unwilling to accept any change as sulking at MMs dismissal. OK Hurst never covered himself in glory but it was the type of change we all craved for and to be honest still do. Would still like to see Maurice Steijn given a go and take this club on in a different direction. However if you do not have the buy in from EVERYONE at the club, then they will be on a hiding to nothing !!!

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delias_cheesy_flaps added 15:34 - Sep 2 For god sake will both of you shut the f**k up and resign! I'm sick to f**king death of hearing the same old cr@p being trotted out. The only thing that is going to happen this season is even more misery whilst Lambert and his cronies are still at Portman Road.
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steve0 added 15:44 - Sep 2 Him and lambert are both clueless and should both just jog on can't stand either of them
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Cloddyseedbed added 15:50 - Sep 2 Just looked and we have 27 players vying for 11 starting places. Out of them 27 how many are good enough in their position to hold it down if selected? That is our problem, to bigger squad of very ordinary players who don't make a very good team. Shame we couldn't get rid of the lot and start again. Lambert sure as hell does not get the best out of players or tactics, he didn't last season and the squad if anything is weaker every year. We need an injection of enthusiasm and hard work and balance on the pitch. Never happen with our dire current set up.

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Marinersnose added 16:32 - Sep 2 Nobody should take too much notice of the management spin as they always look for positives. I am genuinely concerned for the season as we don't appear to have goals in the team. We have very few goals from midfield so KVY it'll be up to you if fit. PL for me has done a fantastic job getting the fans back and the support home and away has been excellent but....... His team selection and tactics have been puzzling but I'm reserving judgement until the new season is well underway. I just hope that he doesn't revert to the old guard again as the fans all know that this has been instrumental in our demise. PH legacy is still hurting the club with some awful acquisitions still sapping the club of much needed cash. Let's have a positive start please lads, the fans deserve it.

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