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

therein61 added 16:38 - Sep 2 Mistakes will occur on a regular basis while the finger pointing 4&8 continue to select themselves much to the dismay of better players.
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cat added 17:08 - Sep 2 Remember it well North vet, mixed race bird with bleach hair! Agree 61, what kind of inept captain tries to lay the blame at his team mates feet when his clearly the problem, speaks volumes for his character.
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RobsonWark added 17:26 - Sep 2 "it's just making sure we eradicate the mistakes" Then drop Chambers! He is the BIGGEST culprit! And the BIGGEST mistake in the team for the past 2 or 3 seasons. We have the 'Interceptor' in midfield and the 'mistaker' in defence. We have no chance next season with that deadly duo playing week in week out.
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happybeingblue added 17:33 - Sep 2 All that chopping and changing of teams goalkeepers etc is what i would expect from someone who does not really know what they are doing so not sure how the players would view it.I think the guys in charge need to realise that although itfc are a patient and realistic set of fans there is a limit where it becomes a breaking point,how after 78 games can you not know your best 11 a formation etc ,what is being worked on practiced etc midweek,we need to see a system identity on the pitch which we still are yet to see.

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RobsonWark added 17:45 - Sep 2 happybeingblue added 17:33 - Sep 2 "how after 78 games can you not know your best 11". In my dreams PL knows his best 2 players - Chambers & Skuse we love you!! Lucky for us they are picked week in week out or we would be totally thrashed every week. Then I woke up in the morning and realised if PL didn't pick those 2 players maybe we would win a few games :)
0

runningout added 17:54 - Sep 2 We'll see how Cambridge Utd, West Ham and Spurs get on when season starts. I'm sure they aren't as decent as we made them look. It's tricky to be encouraged when our own players can't handle criticism from clueless individuals like me and a few ITFC fans. Is Paul Lambert a real motivation force. We were spoilt back in the day to have the “Greatest of all!!” If I'm concerned about anything, is Coaching staffs ability to turn our recent league form round. Their time at Villa and Stoke wasn't easy for them. They must know the fans look at those episodes. If form carries on being shabby does Mr Evans have plan b, c, or d ???

2

Northstandveteran added 18:32 - Sep 2 That's her cat. I think I'm right in saying that she became assistant manager to Terry Hall from The Specials at Diss Town... Coming like a ghost town...
1

gosblue added 18:45 - Sep 2 How about playing Norwood and Jackson up top with a no.10 just behind. I can see Freddie or Judge doing a job in that role. Dozzell played really well in that roll for England U20s but I'm still to be convinced about him in Lg1 cloggers football. Give Hawkins the last 10 or 15 minutes at the end of games when defenders are tired and/or on cards. But no matter who is up front we've got to start providing the service and creating chances.

5

londontractorboy57 added 19:22 - Sep 2 Heathen66 how many overhauls do you need the numbskulls got there wish when MM left we have gone further down the greasy pole looking for utopia it gets further and further away. Be careful what you wish for !!!! and look what we have ended up with.
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Northstandveteran added 19:34 - Sep 2 Let it go Londontractorboy! We need a new manager, clear out the dead wood, give the youngsters a go and if we get relegated we can regroup and come back stronger. Perhaps it will do the club good to go down a division and build ourselves up again.
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norfolkbluey added 20:10 - Sep 2 Lets all try to be a little less cynical and remember PL's last years initial start when we were top of the league and winning lots of games. Yes it went tits up around Christmas but hopefully he will have learnt not to start messing about with a winning team. He had a terrible start preseason at Norwich and then ended up with an outstanding season there, We have to get behind the club and him and hope the bugs are ironed out early on. We have a good mixture of players and the last thing they need are fans back biting and mud slinging. That will only undermine everyone, manager, players and supporters. So, stop the pessimism and get behind the whole club and keep positive. If things go tits up much later on eg around the end of November then vent your spleens then and not before as it will do more damage than good. COYB

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londontractorboy57 added 20:23 - Sep 2 NSV well they said that after Mickma walked if we fall much further we will be playing Kings Lynn
1

brittaniaman added 20:27 - Sep 2 Well he has had 6 months of his first season here, and that was relegation, and in his full season here we finished 11th in a lower division ?? even the Mighty Wycombe got promoted. Going back to his Norwich days he had the back up of Ian Culverhouse who seemed to be his Rock ??
1

Northstandveteran added 21:18 - Sep 2 Yeah... Just my attempt at sarcasm mate...
2

Edmundo added 21:33 - Sep 2 18 years of slow, painful demise. Now a manager who can't be sacked because last season ended strangely. It's ITV digital all over again, just with cr@ppier players and COVID-19.
3

cornishblu added 22:33 - Sep 2 All we need is captain calamity to come out and say the same thing and we have the usual full house of drivel #needsomeleaders
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heathen66 added 10:43 - Sep 3 londontractorboy57, I for one was one of those that wanted Mick out and even where we are today I would still say the same. My issue really is that despite employing a new captain of the ship, the inadequate and sulking crew still dictating the service being provided. The club needs to head in a different direction and not just doing the same thing over and over again and hoping something different happens. We have no real identity and no real style...and that needs to change !!! Just watching the L2 and L1 play-off where teams were organised, mobile and together !!!

2

Bluearmy_81 added 11:05 - Sep 3 Heathen, whichever manager we have has never been the main issue, the elephant in the room is Evans. Until there is change at the top though we will continue to sink. Until fans take some responsibility in their role as fans and put him under pressure (too late) to ship up or ship out we are going no where. There may not be a queue of buyers but there would be a buyer at the right price. Apathy and acceptance has not worked to well over the last decade. Time for a different approach if you love ITFC

0

GiveusaWave added 13:56 - Sep 3 It's not been a good pre-season in any shape or form.... I'm starting to wonder what will be considered a good start to our League One campaign....
1

dirtydingusmagee added 14:25 - Sep 3 just looked into my crystal ball, i see dark clouds , there will be much wailing and gnashing of teeth, i see a cliff,and below it a white horse lying bloodied and broken on rocks, Dark days lie ahead.
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