Left-back Stephen Ward admits Town’s poor record against teams in the top half of the League One table can’t continue, the Blues having been comfortably defeated 2-0 at home by Portsmouth at Portman Road on Saturday.

Former Republic of Ireland international Ward admitted losing to another of the challengers towards the top of League One was a blow, Town having been defeated by Hull City, 3-0, and Charlton, 2-0, in their previous two home matches.

The Blues, who won just twice against teams who finished in the top 10 last season, are yet to beat anyone in the top nine this season having been beaten away by Lincoln, 1-0, Doncaster, 4-1, and Sunderland, 2-1.

“Really disappointed, really, really disappointed. It was a big chance for us to turn over a good team and start the week well,” he said.

“Listen, the lads are really disappointed with how we performed. It just lacked something today. I think we’ve said it before about being a bit more streetwise, a bit tougher.

“It’s not always going to be as easy to play the football we want to play and we’ve got to look ourselves in the mirror and find that inner belief, that strength to get through these games and make it a lot more difficult [for the opposition] than we have, especially the teams that are up there that we need to be beating and turning over.

“We’ve made it too difficult for ourselves and it’s disappointing. Especially with the fans back in.

“It was great to have them back in and we’re really disappointed that we couldn’t give them a performance and a result that they deserved coming back in after this long.

“We’ve got to look at ourselves in the mirror, we’ve got to regroup, we’ve got to draw a line under it.

“We’ve had a long discussion in the dressing room. This can’t continue, it can’t happen again. We’ve got to dust ourselves down starting Tuesday [when Burton Albion visit Portman Road] and start afresh and make sure as a team we’re a lot stronger, a lot tougher, we need to show that side of the game a lot more than we have, especially in these types of game.”

Town, who have dropped to sixth, have now gone behind in each of their last eight games aside from the 0-0 draw at Oxford, which the 35-year-old admits is a worry.

“That is concerning,” he said. “We’ve got to look at that, we’ve got to maybe start games differently, whether it’s applying pressure in their half a bit more and getting the ball forward a bit quicker maybe.

“Listen, we had a great start to the season and we’ve lost a lot of players, we’ve got a lot of inexperienced lads coming into the team that are giving it everything, giving it their all, but it is hard sometimes when you come up against seasoned pros in this league that know the nitty-gritty side of it, and that’s what they showed today.

“If you look at their performance, they’ll look at that as a good away performance, solid, they didn’t make anything easy for us. They got their goals when they got them and in the second half they sat in and made it really difficult for us.

“And that’s the side of the game we need to get a bit more of. The lads are learning every day, it’s just about finding that belief that sometimes it’s going to be one of those games where you’re going to have to grind it out and at the minute we just don’t seem to be able to do that.

“And that’s something that we need to work on, as a squad, not as an XI, not as a staff, as a collective.

“The manager said it in there, we’re the only ones that can change it. We’ve got to find that ‘collective-ness’ in terms of being harder to beat because I think on the ball we’re as good as anyone in this league.

“It’s the other side that we need to work on and that’s something that can’t always be given to us by staff, we’ve got to find that ourselves, find that as a team, get back into our shape quicker, make it a lot more difficult. At the minute, it’s just not going for us in that sense.

“On a positive note, it’s still early in the season, there is time to change that. We know we can do it and that has to start Tuesday.

“We’ve got to draw a line under it and we’ve got reflect on our own performance, not just individually, as a team and really start a fresh season in terms of going again from Tuesday.”

Ward was disappointed that the 2,000 fans back at Portman Road for the first time since March weren’t able to celebrate a win.

“It was great to have them back,” he said. “It’s been tough for them and it’s a credit to them how much they’ve supported us in terms of being away from it, it’s not easy.

“It’s not easy for us because we want a passionate crowd here to make it difficult for away teams and I think that’s the most disappointing thing.

“We’ve put on some great performances early in the season at home and it’s disappointing that we couldn’t give them one today.

“But hopefully, we’ve got another game Tuesday, we’ve got to dust ourselves down. You can’t get too high in this game, you can’t get too low, you’ve got to react, you’ve to prove that you can react and you’ve got the stomach for it, and that’s what we need to do come Tuesday.”

Is it a case of going back to basics on Tuesday? “A bit of both really. I think we showed a lot of character last week [in coming from behind to beat Plymouth 2-1 at Home Park] that maybe wasn’t there [against Portsmouth].

“We’ve done a lot of good things this season, we’ve played some really attractive, good football, we’ve ground out results when we’ve had to, especially in the two games off the back of the two defeats, going away to Oxford and away to Plymouth.

“We showed that we have that side, but we need to find that formula to get it altogether and, listen, the basics is a part of football everyone needs and that’s something we need to work on and be a bit better at.”

Photo: Matchday Images

Radlett_blue added 20:07 - Dec 13 We've been hearing these words from Town players for a year now & nothing changes. You would think the manager might be trying to do something about it.
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kizaitfc added 20:12 - Dec 13 It can it will and has done for the last 5 years
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istanblue added 20:16 - Dec 13 WHEN'S IT GONNA END ROBBIE!?
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TractorRoyNo1 added 20:16 - Dec 13 Yeah yeah yeah just do you job on the fing pitch
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SickParrot added 20:23 - Dec 13 If only Lambert would come out and say, it can't happen again and if it does I will quit.
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heathen66 added 20:43 - Dec 13 In all honesty we are leaderless from top to bottom. Off the pitch the manager just wants the players to keep doing what they have been doing, but hoping for a different result. On the pitch there is no leadership...we have internationals such as Ward and Judge and the club captain in Chambers, but I see very little encouragement for the young lads. Too much looking down at their own shoelaces. This was so evident on Saturday where the whole Portsmouth team were talking and encouraging each other Someone in the side needs to take responsibility. That is why it takes us so long to deliver the final ball and we end up going back wards because that is the easy get out ball, letting someone else make a decision !!! Ward is right...it can't happen again, but unless something fundamentally changes I fear it will continue

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cat added 21:10 - Dec 13 Footballs a results business and when your managers winning 3 games in 10 (with or without the injury situation) it's quite clear we ain't going anywhere. Christ, we are falling so far even the McCarthy era with Murphy and McGold up top is beginning to look like a golden age (lol) 😂😂 Still it ain't all bad, cause when things go tits with the manager at least it livens up on here.

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Pilgrimblue added 21:31 - Dec 13 Sorry Ward but you're not good enough. Very disappointed we didn't sign Garbutt and to think he didn't even play yesterday. Guess it was down to money which brings us back to ME's failure to fund the squad. This year's loans are not right for L1. Very poor choices by PL and shows his lack to appeal .
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Vanisleblue2 added 21:31 - Dec 13 Mr. Ward, it is Lambert's decision to play the young lads. if that were the problem he could play Hawkins, Nsiala, Donacien ,Jackson and Huws Our team has Cornell, Chambers, yourself, Judge and Jackson, plus Woolfenden played a whole season with Swindon. Do you think free-scoring Skuse will make a big difference when he's back? Or Bishop who unfortunately is always injured or Wilson or Sears? Possibly Downes and Edwards will help.

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MickMillsTash added 21:36 - Dec 13 We haven't addressed the amount of crosses coming in from the left and the goals scored from them, the lack of adequate defensive cover for the back four, the experience in key positions in the team- Until we do, with confidence as it is, the results will get worse.
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Karlosfandangal added 21:47 - Dec 13 If Town struggled to get 2000 in the ground then the players might start to realise. However even with the pandemic Town had just the same amount of people willing to buy a season ticket. I stopped going to games about 2 years ago, because it was costing me around £100 a time. I have now stopped paying for ifollow, as the football is just boring,don't mind losing as long as you come away think that was a good game and been entertained. RB Leipzig were getting 2000 a game 10 years ago now 38000... start using your feet people as that is the only way things will change

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ChrisFelix added 22:11 - Dec 13 The last 3 home games prove we simply aren't good enough. With free scoring Peterborough coming up we all know what will happen.
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BcarefulwhatUWish4 added 22:55 - Dec 13 We will get a really boring 1-0 against Burton (lots of passing around the back) and everyone will be smiling again.....
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dominiciawful added 00:38 - Dec 14 Fickung load of absolute drivel.
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marco5113 added 01:03 - Dec 14 as elvis sang a little less conversation a little more action please. ok prove what you are saying is meant and put effort/determination/the will to win at any cost into ALL games and look back with no regrets. that way these after match negative breakdowns will stop and we will succeed. come on prove yourselves and convince the fans. we want the team to do well believe it or not.

3

TimmyH added 01:17 - Dec 14 It will happen again...
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BcarefulwhatUWish4 added 04:32 - Dec 14 Feels like "Groundhog Day" being a Town fan. Can't remember many good memories at all in the last decade. Tommy Smith's-equaliser in the play-offs (shortly followed by our worst nightmare as Redmond and Cameron destroyed our defence). Tamas Priskin's goal against Arsenal (which ultimately led to nothing). I remember Chaplow's winner against Charlton (but game didn't mean much). Depressing. Really depressing.

2

BettyBlue added 06:19 - Dec 14 Stephen Ward, you are the problem. When Bertie finally walks, please show your solidarity and walk with him.
0

BettyBlue added 06:23 - Dec 14 We will lose against Burton. We're so lazy and weak, they think that they can just show up against the bottom team. Lose and we are in relegation season. We have the weakest group of players. get rid of Lambert and we still have nothing to work with. 14th looks optimistic when you've got dinosaurs like Ward in the team.
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HARRY10 added 06:28 - Dec 14 If Evans is only funding the club to the level that old has beens like Ward are all we can afford then no one should be surprised that we are where we are. Blame Lambert if it makes you feel better, but the Robin Reliant that is our club is never going to win a race even if it had Lewis Hamilton behind the wheel.
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smithy0981 added 07:20 - Dec 14 This is the worse group of players we have ever had at the club, if you care play with a bit of passion and fight. Your an embarrassment to this club
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therein61 added 07:22 - Dec 14 Too much talk off the pitch not enough action on it, it's getting a bit boring and predictable now same old same old week in week out we badly need somebody to take this club by the scruff of the neck and give it an effin great shake up and as there isn't anyone in the building capable then it has to come from outside damned quick.
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MrJase_79 added 08:46 - Dec 14 Xmas is early in the season now Wardy? I don't think so.
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MonkeyAlan added 09:22 - Dec 14 Are the club taking the p!ss out of the fans? Same old BS from a different player after every defeat. It will happen again because the Owner doesn't give a to$$, the manager is clueless and the players don't give a stuff. The club is rotten from top to bottom.
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Ipswichbusiness added 09:31 - Dec 14 He claims that there are a lot of inexperienced players in the side and that we are not streetwise. Let's take the starting line-up and look at their career (all clubs) appearances (numbers according to Wikipedia). David Cornell 153 Luke Chambers 684 Luke Woolfenden 93 (includes 20 for Bromley) Mark McGuinness 9 Stephen Ward 470 Andre Dozzell 53 Jon Nolan 291 Armando Dobra 7 Jack Lankester 29 Alan Judge 358 Kayden Jackson 247 Of those McGuinness, Dobra, Dozzell and Lankester can claim to be inexperienced. However, of them only one (McGuinness) plays in the defence. We had an experienced ‘keeper, three of the back four are experienced and in front of them was Nolan. It is time for them to stop blaming the youngsters and for the experienced players to start taking responsibility.

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