General manager of football operations Lee O’Neill has spoken at length about manager Paul Lambert’s position, as well as a number of other current Town issues, with many fans calling for a change of boss.

As last season, the Blues began this campaign as the team to beat in League One but have slipped down the table to fifth, without a win or goal in three games and having lost seven of the last 11 in all competitions.

In a lengthy interview with BBC Radio Suffolk, which can be found here (from 8mins 13secs), prior to Tuesday’s 0-0 draw at Oxford and Lambert’s controversial comments about media negativity, O’Neill was asked whether Lambert was under any pressure inside the club.

“In this game we’re all under pressure,” he said. “It’s the nature of football and we all feel it. At the same time we’re only two wins from being right up in the top part of the league again. We’re in the top six at the moment but we know we need to deliver results.

“That’s something staff and players don’t take lightly. There is a pressure and but that’s because of the stature of the football club.
“We’re in League One and the expectation is that we need and want to be higher than that a lot quicker.

Is his job safe? “We are 100 per cent behind Paul and the first-team staff and the players. It’s not a time to put a blame culture on why we aren’t picking up the points.

“We need to stick together, work incredibly hard and get behind the team to try and get back to where we were at the start of the season when we were winning games and playing a nice style.”

Will be definitely be at Town at the end of the season? Is there a time limit on Lambert, who has a five-year contract, to turn it around?

“This is football and we’re 100 per cent behind Paul to try and deliver the outcomes we want — to get ourselves promoted,” O’Neill continued.

“That’s what people want and what people are expecting. How quickly we can do that, that’s the challenge.

“We’re all up for that challenge and will work very hard to right the wrongs as quickly as possible so we don’t slip down the table and don’t lose games continuously.

“It’s incredibly difficult when, while I am very passionate about the academy, you sometimes have to rely on the young players because there are some big boots there for them to fill.

“There’s a lot of pressure on them as well and it’s about getting behind them, the team and the staff to hopefully deliver some success.”

Quizzed in whether Lambert, who has been in charge since October 2018, is the man to take the Blues back to the Championship, he added: “We very much hope so. We can’t sit here and say what’s going to happen in the future or in the next six months because we’re working day-by-day and game-by-game to try and put things in place to win the next game of football.

“Paul has a lot of experience and has been in management a long time, as well as being in this situation a number of times. To give him the time and resource to be able to do that we have to look at everything.”

It’s been widely suggested that the cost of sacking a manager who signed a five-year deal on New Year’s Day would be prohibitive.

“I think the idea, when we talked about the length of contract, was to try and give people an idea about the length of time to embed a philosophy and work on embedding some improvements,” O’Neill said.

“Some of those can happen immediately and others can take a little bit longer. We all want that to happen as quickly as possible so we’re hoping we can put that all in place for us to be up there and try to get out of this league this season. We’re working incredibly hard to try and do that.

Regarding fans’ frustrations, he said: “I get their frustration and I do understand where they’re coming from. So does the manager and so do the players.

“They don’t want to try and lose games of football and they go out there to win. They are trying to do that with a style of play which entertains. We’re only early on in the signing and we’re trying to make changes from last season, which takes time.

“Supporters’ points have been listened to. I get they are unhappy but we have to go out there and try to deliver a better performance as a team and as a club.”

On suggestions that there are wider issues at the club with Evans’s 13 years at the club having been less than successful overall, O’Neill said: “I think we can’t hide away from that because we are in the lowest position we’ve ever been in some aspects. We do have to look at things.

“I can’t comment on what’s happened in the past but we can reflect on it and learn from it to try and improve.

“The expectation is for us to be back in the Championship at a minimum because we also have won major trophies and have been in the Premier League. That’s different to how it is now. We have to take all those points on board.

Regarding owner Evans’s thoughts on the current position, he said: “Marcus is as frustrated as I am and as everyone is. We talk about winning together and losing together and he goes home disappointed when we lose. He’s the same as me, the manager and the players.

“Marcus is definitely aware of how the fans are feeling. He understands their frustrations. He can hear and see things around him and, even though fans aren’t at the stadium there are ways they have voiced their opinions. He’s aware of that and is fully supportive in getting the football club back to better times.”

Asked about the importance to Evans of fans’ opinions, he added: “Football clubs aren’t football clubs without fans and of course they have a real part to play in that process.

“He gets it and understands it and we want them to enjoy their experience. We want to understand their frustrations and concerns and reassure them we’re doing everything we can to improve.”

He says Evans has given no indication that he is looking to sell up and move on: “No, we’ve not had conversations about that at all.”

Moving on to the current injury situation, O’Neill said: “Having looked into this a lot there are so many things you can blame if you like and look at in more detail.

“You can’t get away from the fact it’s a contact sport where people collide. We’ve looked into footwear, traction control into grass, training methods, the way we analyse information and specific programmes all players have. We’ve gone through all of that in detail.

“Some of the situational stuff is unfortunate. If you look at the wider scale of injuries this season they are through the roof at every club. Obviously that’s to do with loading and games during a really condensed season after a lot of time off.

“It’s not ideal and really simple things like recovery strategies aren’t the same as they were last season. The same with the way people eat, sleep and the way they come in for training. That’s all different.

“We can’t put out our more experienced, stronger players like we were at the start of the season when we had that settled squad. We have to get on with it. We’ve have situations with Covid as well.

“We’re looking at everything from the medical department to the conditioning department, the games programme. Everything."

Quizzed on TWTD Phil Ham being banned from press conferences by manager Lambert, O’Neill said: “We have a relationship with the forum [sic] and the person who runs the forum so we are disappointed it’s got to this stage because we’ve always had a really good relationship.

“We understand it’s a really important way of communicating with the fans of the football club.

“There has been one or two things that have happened on there that the manager hasn’t been too happy with, which I appreciate from his point of view.

“I think it’s worth noting we are the only club in the EFL and the Premier League that does allow a fanzine [sic] to attend games and press conferences as a member of the media.

“The person we are referring to is a definite fan of the club and works incredibly hard so we want to have that relationship. It’s got to work both ways and there are some issues there we need to iron out. We’re sure the situation will evolve over the next few weeks.”

TWTD understands that a number of other clubs, including those in the Premier League, among them Arsenal, similarly give access to those working for independent websites and blogs.

In addition to his TWTD role, Ham, who holds a press card, is a freelancer and also currently writes for the Colchester Evening Gazette.

Asked whether there is a need to build bridges given the currently strained relations between club and supporters, he added: “It is hurtful because in the role I have recently taken over a lot of what I’ve spoken about is around building the relationship with the community and having the [Community] Trust back and established again.

“Paul has been out there and has spoken to a number of people locally. Our players do a lot locally. But we can always do more.

“We try to engage in all events and we’ve always made sure the person in question [Ham] has had access to the information that is in press conferences and is allowed at games.

“It hurts but in this role you have to take criticism. All points will be noted and we’ll try and improve things going forward.”

Regarding the importance of going up this season with the League One salary cap set to have a more significant impact next season, he said: “There are a number of teams all trying to do the same thing and have been in this league for a long time.

“We’re obviously one of the bigger clubs and the expectation is that it’s going to get harder with the salary cap. We’ve already found that this year it’s made recruitment a little different and it’s going to have an impact on how we can perform.

“We want to be in the Championship because that can impact who we can bring into the club.”

Photo: Matchday Images

prebbs007 added 12:29 - Dec 3 Well you're an utter joke then. Muppets.
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ArnieM added 12:31 - Dec 3 Woodbridgian : Id say that's spot on . Despite all the issues voiced by all of us above and the "official line" coming out of PR, Id say PL has until Christmas. If we aren't in that top 6 h'ell be gone ...and he knows it .
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TimmyH added 12:41 - Dec 3 Arnie M - some of the injuries regarding KVY the staff knew that he was going to miss a chunk of the season, Bishop & Huws even to a degree Norwood are generally always injured, so have to make contingencies for this. McGavin, Skuse, Nsiala, Sears (in my opinion) are not now or shouldn't presently be first team starters, Flynn Downes wasn't even being played by Lambert when fit this season. Players which are being missed most at the moment are Bishop and Edwards, we should in this league be able to get by with other injuries considering the opposition and other players available, a number of players fit are just underwhelming and whether this is down to management or just past their best i.e. Dozzell (good passer but that's it, rubbish off the ball), Judge, Jackson plus a number of the injured players who are hardly destroying this division: Sears, Huws, Norwood etc.

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BromleyBloo added 12:41 - Dec 3 This is just really poor and, as current with all things ITFC, just not good enough! PL thinks there is such a malaise and negativity with the club and L ON understands the fans' frustrations, as Paul rightly identified the awful situation the club was in when he first joined. The problem is this, I don't think they really understand - this is not about the last two years dreadful as they have been and continuing the downward spiral. This is about the last 13 yrs under ME which have put us in to terminal decline. Having supported since the 60's this is as bad as it has ever been and ME can not argue anything against the fact that he is directly responsible. Don't buy a football club if you think that it is the same as any other business and expect to generate an ongoing profit. Those dreamy riches only exist in the premiership and you will never get there without significant investment - if you haven't realised any of that after 13 years of miserable failure, God help you and in turn us. I was supportive of PL when he first came in and of the refreshing approach he articulated- met and spoke to him at his first London AGM and warned him then that he would need to be very demanding of ME to avoid going the same way as MMc. To some extent I am still supportive of what he is trying to do and we are still in the top six - results this week show the nature and extent of the challenge in this league - and we do have a horrendous injury list, but never lose the fans. Putting yourself in the middle of backing ME or staying connected with the fans is terminal either way and ends up with only one result, as was clearly shown with MMc........................

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istanblue added 12:45 - Dec 3 Lee O'Neill is a fraud.
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IPSWICHMOUSE added 12:56 - Dec 3 They are trying to do that with a style of play which entertains....R U KIDDING ME.....
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MonkeyAlan added 13:06 - Dec 3 Can't be bothered to read that waffle. Blind leading the blind. I don't want to hear from the puppet, l want to hear from the man who owns the club. Lambert is out of his depth. The players arnt interested. Evans may be keeping us from going bust, but he is gradually killing the club we love. These statements remedy nothing.
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ArnieM added 13:13 - Dec 3 TimmyH: I think I would probably have to disagree with you about the players out injured not being in the first team. I think they would . BUT you rightly say, some do underperform. the question is why do they underperform? I think most of us would say PL;'s tactics have a lot to do with it . We don't see the best of Jackson because he isn't paired with another striker. Downes would 100% be in the side if he was fit . The only reason he was left out at the start of the season was his head had been turned and he wasn't mentally fit to play. But at some point he'd have been back in the team. Some would say he is a massive loss to our midfield. Players you say shouldn't be in the team is a matter of an individuals opinion (not saying I disagree with you btw ). But platers such as Sears, Huws , even the f uckwit Judge SHOULD be head and shoulders above the majority of players at this level and be able t stamp their mark on a game . they don't ...again this comes back to perhaps tactics? But we are now down to using youngsters , and peripheral ( barely used) players , that if the others out injured were fit, would surely be in ahead of those players currently now being played? Even with the current team being inexperienced and weaker , I think if Norwood had been paired with another striker , we'd have won some of the games we have lost. I get the feeling some of these injured players simply now cant be bothered with the season under PL. I may be wrong . But we have to ask the question yet again, why so many injuries and why so long to get back to fitness. I mean, just wtf IS wrong with KVY ??? he's been out for 13 months now. Huws was a sick note before McCarthy signed him. Its very frustrating and I'm not saying I've got answers, but I do think Lambert can to some extent hide behind the current injury list and that's why I don't thin Evans will act just yet. however I do feel that clock is ticking. But whatever our views on this I'm totally peed off with all this ( no doubt like you ), I can tell you …..

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Nobbysnuts added 13:23 - Dec 3 O'Neill out , lambert out....pair of f#cking muppet's.... 🤡🤡🤡
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WhoisJimmyJuan added 13:30 - Dec 3 Agree with what you say ArnieM. I would add that high profile players underperforming and/or getting injured as soon as they sign is an issue that has dogged ME's reign. That can't be entirely a coincidence. Likewise i wish I knew the answer.
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Monkey_Blue added 13:40 - Dec 3 The press is free to write what it says and the club if free to deny access. Phil hasn't been denied the right to publish his views. I would suggest that it's been obvious for a while there was tension between lambert and Phil and I can see both sides: phil does tend to ask questions that would annoy me as they seem designed to create a controversy.... lambert should however be adult enough to not ban him.

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DifferentGravy added 13:50 - Dec 3 ArnieM - I agree that the injuries are not lamberts fault. However, his choice of tactics, formation, player position and win percentage are. These players havent all been injured for the two+ years you know........and Lambert had 6 of the 1st eleven, that started the season, playing on Tuesday......Drinan, Judge, Chambers, Ward, Nolan, Dozzell. Hard.
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Timefliesbyintheblue added 14:00 - Dec 3 Nobbysnuts - You really do Phil and TWTD no favours at all. Your continual use of cowardly/abusive language is certainly going to go a long way towards getting the site re-instated isn't it? I love this site but there are several who use it including the forum who believe they are beyond reproach and very unwelcoming to those who do not share their views on anything from football, through Brexit to Coronavirus. Our collective aim should be to get TWTD back on side with the football club. Oh and one final thing - remember a large majority of ITFC supporters do not use TWTD; postings such as yours will not encourage them to do so. Good luck TWTD in your efforts for peace!

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Lathers added 14:02 - Dec 3 Arnie M - I agree that a lot of players out now would be in contention to start, but a lot of them won't make any difference to the outcome of games because they are either passed it (Sears, Skuse etc) or they aren't allowed to showcase their real talent playing in a rigid system and style that just doesn't work. I've watched every league game so far this season (lucky me) and I've not seen any evidence to support persevering with 4-3-3. Only a mad man says that we are rubbish at 4-4-2 and then the following 2 games changes things to a 4-4-2 when 4-4-3 isn't working! He hasn't given Hawkins the chance to pair up with one of the other strikers (which I think could really work) and when you aren't scoring or even creating any meaningful chances then surely common sense kicks in and you change things? People have got to stop blaming the injuries and realise we are FAILING because the system doesn't work and Lambert is either too stubborn or too stupid to change things.

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jabberjackson added 14:20 - Dec 3 The key phrase here, which seems to be lost on most is this “This is football and we're 100 per cent behind Paul = it's a results based business, and we reserve the right to change our mind at the drop of a hat I take comfort from those first 3 words!
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delias_cheesy_flaps added 14:40 - Dec 3 They really don't want to get the fans back on side do they...90%+ of fans are 100% against Lambert and want him gone.
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dirtydingusmagee added 14:59 - Dec 3 We have a team based on serial sick notes, that has a bearing on concistancy , we have been ducking tranfer windows ,and signing suspect players that are still on the shelf at the end of sales. Lambert is not to blame for that, BUT he took the job on knowing Evans was not going to spend, He must have thought he could work and get somewhere on that basis, he has not done anything to convince me that he will succeed, and we will be stuck in this mess. TIME FOR CHANGE

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Timefliesbyintheblue added 15:30 - Dec 3 delias_cheesy_flaps - please enlighten me where you get your figures of 90% and 100% from. Thank you in advance.
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Dissboyitfc added 15:46 - Dec 3 Not what we want to hear in any shape or form! Regardless of injuries Lambert will not achieve promotion, sad but true!! Lambert out!
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Saxonblue74 added 15:54 - Dec 3 Politician style answers from O'Neill. He doesn't actually answer the questions put to him. Being "100% behind him" is not a conclusive answer!
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Drifter3012 added 16:22 - Dec 3 None of us like this, I get it. However this is the reality of football today. Without investment football clubs are sunk. Just look at Sunderland. They have changed owners over & over & are on the verge of that again. They have changed managers over & over but still struggle. I want Evans out, Lambert out, all out but unless someone is going to buy the club with a genuine interest in turning things around we will struggle too. Most of us are look back to the glory days when you could pick up an unknown star from Holland for a song. That is very rare today. Jackson & Norwood looked good buys but to be honest they are very average lower league players. To get into the Championship & stay & build we need to spend money. That isn't going to happen unless things change. Depressing writing that but we really need a miracle as far as I can see.

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norfolkbluey added 16:58 - Dec 3 ArnieM I couldn't agree with you more. Everything you have stated on here is true. O'Neil has pointed out several pertinent points that none of the management want our current situation, but he has aid little about PL's management of the team which speaks volumes to me that he has doubts too. I do believe PL is fixated with the diamond formation as he was at Norwich where he had success. PL has to be less dogmatic and dare I say more imaginative with the player limitations he has at present. He is very fortunate to be playing teams in the lower half of this league this week. Most of us can see we need to be playing two up front on of whom one should be prepared to fall back when required to do so . Will he, or won't he ? That's the question and will he make sure it happens successfully by endorsing it fully and not just saying it without conviction. I want him to succeed and do well not just for us the supporters but for the players who deserve success when their backs are to the wall. If he doesn't get it then he should go but not before he's given a little more time and I do mean a possible two/three games and no more. We are collectively ITFC and the supporters deserve to be taken notice of. COYB

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jas0999 added 17:03 - Dec 3 Interesting comments on the injuries, but Charlton had no recognised centre backs at the weekend. Their star striker injured. All clubs have injuries. The players PL still had to pick should have been good enough to beat a very poor Oxford and at the very least he competitive with an average Charlton who had key players missing. Lamberts record at ITFC is abysmal.
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Linkboy13 added 17:05 - Dec 3 Even before our injuries we were poor and only beating the rubbish teams and if our squad is so strong why is it we get knocked out of the cups early every season. This club needs a major shake up with quite a few of the first team squad been shown the door . This will not be popular on here but our young players are also very overated in this league they should be holding there own. Im old enough to remember when we produced players that went on to play for their country.

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dukey44 added 17:13 - Dec 3 What a load of t o sh he is basically doing as Evans says.. He's not going to say yes we want another manager is he... How can they be happy that we on our annual slide and yet again let it jusy happen in front of them.... The manager has got ignorance in just like the ignorant Irish fella who's now manager in some lost league in depths of where he belongs... Rubbish...

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