Boss Paul Lambert accepted the Blues’ display as they drew 0-0 at home with lowly Northampton wasn’t good enough but said he wasn’t going to be “the only one to blame” and cited a longer term malaise at the club, although stopping short of blaming owner Marcus Evans for Town's decline.

In a rambling post-match press conference Lambert was asked what he made of the draw in which the Blues managed only a single shot on target against a team which went into the match second-bottom, climbing two places as a result of their point.

“It wasn’t good enough, it’s not been good enough for a number of weeks now,” he admitted. “I’m not going to stand here and be the only one to blame, there are a few others there. I made that mistake in the past, I’m never doing it again. Collectively we’re having a hard time without a doubt and tonight wasn’t good enough.”

Does that mean the players are letting him down? “I just think it’s the whole thing, the whole thing, the way everything is. I couldn’t ask any more effort-wise from them.

“They’re a young team, I’m loath to criticise players and that’s the way I’ve always been and they’re young and they’ll come through things like this.

“This is probably a learning curve for them in a lot of aspects and they have to deal with the pressure of a big club, all those sorts of thing that come with it, but they’ll come through it.”

Are there too many young players? “That’s what we’ve got at the minute. We’ve so many games, Saturday-Tuesday, Saturday-Tuesday, I’ve tried to get the balance right so everybody’s going to be OK with it.

“It was the forward areas where we were struggling with it. We never really tested the keeper until Nors, who I felt did well when he came on, he had the chance.

“I thought we should have had a penalty with Judgey’s one. I’ve seen it back, it was a trailing leg that got him and I think it’s a penalty.”

Asked why he felt the display was so under par, the Blues having been far better in their last home game against Blackpool, did the weekend events at Shrewsbury have an impact?

“No excuses there, if the game was on or not, no excuses travelling,” he said. “You only make these excuses when you don’t win or you don’t get a result.

“From the Blackpool game there was only one change, Judgey was out and then Josh [Harrop] came in, I had to get him up to speed, so that was the only change.

“It just looked a nervy one for some reason the way they were. Whether yesterday [the Blue Action protest and resultant small fire] affected them I don’t know because they’re young. It wasn’t great, I don’t think that was real Ipswich fans, that. It wasn’t great.”

Quizzed on how he felt about that incident, he said: “It’s funny because I was facing away from it and I thought it was just a fire and I just turned around and saw it.

“But I’m old, I’m 51, I’ve seen all these things before, I’ve been in major crises before, for me this is no nice but it’s not something where you think ‘OK…” but the younger ones, some of them 18 and we were training against the younger kids yesterday. You have to come through it.”

Does the strength of feeling among fans, illustrated by the protest, bother him? “You don’t know me that well. Everybody gets hurt, you’re raging inside at times like that

“But it’s very hard to explain because I played with Celtic for nine years when you guys don’t know what it’s like up the road when it’s life off the pitch, everything’s scrutinised, everything is scrutinised. Dortmund is huge.

“I played for huge clubs but for me it’s different from how it is for these young ones. The older ones as well, it’ll be hard for them.”

Lambert says he understands why fans are angry: “One hundred per cent, for God’s sake, 100 per cent. I hate it that the club’s in the position it’s in. I hate the way it’s went, not just this year, but for I don’t know how many years

“So why the hell’s it happened? Why’s everything gone the way it has? I don’t know. We’ve been here two and a bit years. This is a cumulation of years. And I get it 100 per cent, but I’m loath to sit here and say the last nine, 10, 11, 12 years of no success is my fault.

“Mick McCarthy did an unbelievable job here in the Championship and that turned sour towards the end.

“Mick McCarthy had an incredible time here, albeit in the play-offs but never took that step up, but did a great job here.”

Lambert dismissed suggestions that this evening’s performance was a concern, that he might worry that the players aren’t playing for him.

“I’ve seen the fight, I couldn’t ask any more of the fight,” he said. “Flynn showed that. I think Flynn Downes is going to be a real top player because he’s got that devilment in him. I’m really happy with how he plays and how he fights.

“Judgey I thought came on and did great, Norwood did well when he came on, but we just lacked that little bit of cutting edge.”

The Scot admitted it was a missed opportunity to close in on the top six with few other clubs in action this evening but believes the Blues are far from out of the running.

“We’re four points off it with a couple of games in hand, but you tend not to look at that,” he said. “You’ve got to look at what’s happening now, albeit it’s still well, well within the club’s capabilities to do it. You don’t really look at that side of it.”

Can he turn things around if he’s given the chance to do so? “You better ask the main guy [owner Evans]. We try our best, we try everything we can do. Are we frustrated? Yes. Are we angry? Yes. Everything, absolutely everything.

“I come out and see you guys and put a face on but deep down it’s a different kettle of fish.”

Does he believe he deserves the chance to turn things around? “You only get in football what you deserve with hard work, you’ve got to come through the good, bad and indifferent.

“With experience you tend to know how to handle it but you’ve got to come through bad moments.”

Asked whether he believes Marcus has his back, he said: “Well, listen, you never know. Nobody knows anything, but I think everybody at the football club needs to take a good look at themselves as well, everybody, at what’s happened at this club, there’s no way it should have happened, but it has happened.

“I get Marcus puts a helluva lot of money in but it’s a build-up of years and years and years and I totally get it, but the football club needs a bit of help, without a doubt.”

Any thoughts of walking away? “No, I don’t think about walking away just after a game, I just think about the game, I don’t think about anything like that. I wait and talk with the staff after the game and we’ll see.”

In saying the situation is a culmination of events, does that mean it’s down to the owner? “No, you’re trying to put words into my mouth. I think what’s happened to the club over however many years, in years gone by and the frustration that comes with that. The club should never have been the way it is.

“There’s been something drastically wrong going right through it and it’s not good enough, that’s the bottom line.

“If somebody puts X amount of money into a football club like Marcus has done, nobody can point the finger at that because that’s been an incredible amount of money and what’s happened to it.”

So what is it? “It’s everything, for me it’s everything. Structure, everything. It’s not right. One hundred per cent it’s not right, the structure.”

Asked who and what he is angry with, he added: “Everything, everything, absolutely everything. You know, a manager takes the whole thing on his neck and on his shoulders.

“I’m not going to be that lamb to the slaughter when I know there are things wrong here that shouldn’t be wrong. I’m loath to criticise anybody but collectively this is not right.

“Forty years ago, Terry Butcher, unbelievable, John Wark, unbelievable, Paul Mariner, unbelievable guys, top guys.

“They must be looking at it and thinking ‘What the hell’s happened here?’. They must be. It’s horrendous. That guy there and that guy there [Bobby Robson and Alf Ramsey, pointing to the stands], it’s criminal.”

Given that only one man pulls the strings, who else can he be directing his anger towards but the owner.

“There is, aye, but he’s put in an unbelievable amount of money,” he said. “I don’t think you can have ‘one blame culture’, I think it’s everything.”

And how do you put that right? “My opinion is that everyone has to get round the table and they strip it back, they have to because it’s not moving and if things aren’t done behind the scenes to try and get them going and to give him some advice, whether it comes nobody knows, but I definitely think we have to get round the table and stop this feeling that’s around here.”

Is your frustration that everything is directed towards you as the manager? “One hundred per cent. That’s always the case.

“Absolutely, there’s got to be a sit down at this football club to see where it’s going.”

Are you prepared to ask the owner to have that sort of discussion? “We’ve spoken, he knows my feelings on a lot of stuff. He knows, he’s not a silly guy.

“I get on well with the guy, no problem. But you’ve got to put friendship aside at certain times in football. At the minute, this cannot go on.”

Do you feel you’ve not got the tools at your disposal for things to be better than they are? Do you feel you’re doing your best with what’s at your disposal?

“And I can’t ask for any more effort,” he reiterated. “As a manager, all you ever ask of people is effort, whether the quality comes, nobody knows.

“There are a lot of young guys there who only know this club as well, they don’t know anything else. They’re having a hard time at the minute, so are the other guys.

“What they give is unbelievable effort, they give you absolutely everything. I’m not going to criticise them on that.”

Town have won just four of their last 14 games and taken 23 points from 20 matches. Regardless of any issues with the structure and anything else at the club, and Lambert accepts that it should be much better.

“It’s not good enough, 100 per cent,” he said. “I can’t argue with that.”

Northampton caretaker-manager Jon Brady felt his team's performance deserved a win rather than a draw.

“It’s a good point but when I look at the performance I’m a bit disappointed we didn’t get all three,” he told the Cobblers official site.

“If you look at the stats for the first half we had six shots to Ipswich’s none and we are the away side.

“Their keeper made an incredible save from Peter Kioso on to the bar and it won’t show in the stats but we also had a really good chance just after half-time.

“You could see signs of a performance on Saturday, we knew what we were trying to do and what we are trying to implement.

“This is an intelligent group, they will work hard for each other and they are expressing themselves.

“We were decisive in our defensive third tonight, we need to be a little bit more decisive at the other end but that will come.

“We are building from back to front, we are getting more crosses in, more shots off and the goals will come. The only way for us now is forward, we went toe-to-toe with Ipswich on a top class pitch.”

Photo: TWTD

algarvefan added 08:52 - Feb 17 For the first time today I feel a bit sorry for Lambert, those are the ramblings of a broken man. Town can replace him tomorrow, it will not solve the issues at the club that he has eluded to, in the same way that sacking all the managers since Magilton has not really worked. The writing has been on the wall for a long time. I am truly heartbroken reading this about the club I have loved all my life. I can't see anyone other than desperate wanting Lamberts job and who could blame them. Our only hope is to get someone in who has deep connections with the club and hope that works? Evans will only do what is good for his pocket.

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Michael101 added 08:53 - Feb 17 Itfchorry,y you make some good points there but having seen mad Mick McCarthy doing the same it's becoming the norm at itfc.
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ArnieM added 09:09 - Feb 17 So that's now Lambert and Hurst stating there's something fundamentally wrong at this Club. Do they mean Evans or are they referring to something else because they both refer to the “ structure “ of “ infrastructure “. Is there in- fighting going on at the Club ? Ie the coach on gardening leave in Scotland. What's that all about? Whatever the problem is , it's up to Evans to sort it out. But can he even be bothered ? Does he have the expertise to sort it out ? We all know the answer to that don't we . Is it now coming to the time where EVANS becomes the focus of attention and not his long list of hapless , disempowered managers. If pressure and more consistent focus of attention was exerted on HIM would we finally see Evans sell up ?

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Cloddyseedbed added 09:14 - Feb 17 The owner and the way the club is now run will break any manager. Underfunded in every dept and any talent sold off. I am not a fan of Lambert but I think managers don't stand a chance here now. The club is run by people with absolutely no football experience or passion. No way forward whilst Evans remains in charge of the football club. Best managers in the world couldn't turn this around under the constraints put upon them.

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barryblue added 09:20 - Feb 17 saxonblue74 you have it bang on. lambert is just deflecting attention. he has the tools to do the his job which is to win football matches, its o'neill's job to over see operations and structure. newcastle have had issues for years so have sunderland and when warnock took cardiff up he had to get a load of loan players to make a team, and so many other clubs in same situation. Evans has backed him best he can with salary cap, we have a very large squad with some good players that are not performing, what other manager in this league would not love to swap squads, not many. maybe a joey barton would give them a kick up the backside, [literally}

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norfolkbluey added 09:22 - Feb 17 I feel a D.I.V.O.R.C.E is coming fast and the faster the better. In some ways I feel sorry for PL. Unfortunately its gone ti*s up for him. I cannot believe that ME is a rich man because his appointments under him here smacks of naivety and ignorance. The fans in general know that there has been something dramatically wrong behind the scenes for years. However when you see what's going on, on the pitch PL has to take the rap. Last night was a disgrace not just the players but also by the ref. Outrageous. Nobody is out there wanting to buy Ipswich but there are some good managers. I do think this club needs a hard man like Pearson who is a no nonsense physical type who would take the club by the scruff of the neck and would not be afraid of roughingling a few feathers on the way. I love my club and am distraught at the way it is being lead.

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MonkeyAlan added 09:27 - Feb 17 There is one problem. And it's been here 13 years. Get your finger out or fcku off Evans. You have been well and truly found out now.
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BettyBlue added 09:42 - Feb 17 You've had since Oct 2018. And the best you can do is draw 0-0 with a bottom 4 club in League One. If things are rotten at ITFC, I know where I would start the clear out.
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BettyBlue added 09:42 - Feb 17 What have you been doing for the last 3 years, Paul??
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BettyBlue added 09:45 - Feb 17 I know the answer is to change 4/5 players for the next game bringing back Chambers and Ward. Let's play a completely different team until the end of the season and then vote on which was best......
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Bazza8564 added 09:47 - Feb 17 Brilliant. He's now quoting us to us! Its a plan so cunning even Baldrick would be impressed.
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BettyBlue added 09:50 - Feb 17 Why can't you pick the best under 25's team you've got with players in their best positions and stick with them for the rest of the season.
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BettyBlue added 09:52 - Feb 17 Chambers is a malign influence that needs removing asap.
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Blue_Meanie added 09:53 - Feb 17 This is probably a learning curve for them in a lot of aspects and they have to deal with the pressure of a big club, all those sorts of thing that come with it, but they'll come through it.” Parrot- Spurs Mathson- Wolves McGuiness- Arsenal Harrop- PNE Pressure of a big club??? They've all come from bigger clubs; Paul ya fool
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sospier added 10:01 - Feb 17 Lambert has completely lost the plot now.Please go now.
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oldegold added 10:15 - Feb 17 Are you listening Evans ? Come out with a public statement for God's sake man..you work in the business of communications so stop treating the fans with contempt..get a grip man on the situation and tell the supporters what is going on and what you intend to do
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Bobbiesboys added 10:19 - Feb 17 We all know there are major problems at the club, but there is no way it runs right through the club as the U23 and U18 teams are both currently second in their leagues with the U18's sitting one point off top position with two games in hand. So we do have a great deal of talent and coaches in the club and I do believe we also have some decent players in the first team but unfortunately due to miss/poor management and coaching from all the first team coaching staff and the general management of the club at the top end we are now in a spiral downwards which can only be rectified with complete clear out from the top down to the U23's.

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thechangingman added 10:22 - Feb 17 I have a sincere question: can someone give me even one sensible/measured reason why Lambert should stay on? Given his win rate, out of 110 matches: w 35; d 27; l 48, the club's overall demise, his own mental-health/well-being, the broken relationship with the majority of the fans, the shambolic/chaotic nature of every last element of the club, and the lack of any sense of hope from any but the most hardcore optimists, it really feels as if Paul's tenure is in its last knockings. I wish him no harm, but I am exhausted by his vain boasting of past successes/glories, of his erratic/inconsistent/unintelligible team-selections, and his singular failure to rally either the fan-base or his team. If he doesn't leave, or isn't sacked, RIGHT NOW - then I genuinely fear for how low we'll be as a potentially viable club by the time we re-appoint. These are awful days for us Town fans, and I have no desire to get into a tit-for-tat argument with anyone. It simply isn't productive or positive, and look where internal fighting got the Labour Party!! Instead, it's time for us to rationally discuss this, try to reach a consensus, and move forward together for the long-awaited 'new-beginning'. In my own opinion, the harsh reality is we can't take any 'fresh-start' seriously with either Evans or Lambert in situ. They've had their chance, and look where it's got us... I sometimes wish I could just not care, but I still do - and that's why I long for genuine root and branch change. In the meantime, I wish every single Town fan well in these very worst of days for our previously proud club...

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BiGDonnie added 10:35 - Feb 17 Fcuk off you useless kunt.
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BeattiesBackPocket added 10:40 - Feb 17 Oldegold the only statements evans ever gives out are about his 5 point plan which even ex players, ex manager and current manager don't seem to be aware of or are showing it doesn't exist. Some on here will lap it up each time he comes out and says it normally around season ticket renewal time but this is one of the problems at the club I'm sick of words and pre planned interviews with evans now he needs to put the club up for sale sorry but it didn't work out mr evans.

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BangaloreBlues added 10:42 - Feb 17 @ Zondervantheman That's why I wrote that comment! I'm being rude and arrogant but I'm just in shock at what has happened to us. I don't know what to say about it all. I awoke this morning hoping for great news but no... Bristol City didn't mess around, why is ME? I wonder if he is purposefully doing this. He is incapable of getting the right managers in, MM excluded.

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Kingfisher49 added 11:28 - Feb 17 After reading press reports, people's opinions on this forum and Paul Lambert's statement post match there certainly are problems throughout the club. We all have opinions on who is at fault, and those opinions differ between the owner, the manager, the players and the structural set up and the people involved in that. Paul Lambert is right when he says people involved need to sit around the table, because whether he is manager or not these problems need to be identified and sorted. All involved need to accept criticism if it is in their area of control and afterwards Marcus Evans should sit back and act on what changes are needed to bring about change. If ME feels he is staying after hearing the blunt truth he should act to bring around a new one year plan, throwing away his five year failed one and get it sorted fast and properly. There may be casualties and new people arrive but change of approach is needed to start to get the supporters of this great club on board. All this needs to be transparent and finally all this silly business with the press and TWTD should be put to bed for everyone to see a start has been made.

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BettyBlue added 11:31 - Feb 17 I suppose a lot of the older players are fed up with Lambert as they'll see their wages cut in half next season and with no-one else wanting their services....
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SickParrot added 11:47 - Feb 17 A strange and disturbing interview full of inconsistencies. He admits that results and performances are not good enough but doesn't accept any responsibility, inferring that it's beyond his control because everything about the club is wrong. When pressed on what is wrong he mentions the management structure but also defends Evans. Having said that everything about the club is wrong he then says we could still make the playoffs! I am now as confused as he is! The only thing I am certain of is that he is a major part of the problem and we will never have any success under his mis-management.

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eddiespearitt03 added 11:49 - Feb 17 When you see the presence of the people owning a prosperous football club in the corridors it has an effect on the club as a whole. Many football clubs have directors and the V.I.P.s in and around the club. There will be celebrities being shown around the club. People with influence having a pre match meal before taking their seat on match day. There is none of this anymore at Portman Road. Marcus Evans and Lee O,Neil sitting there as a lonely pair. No longer does Ed Sheeran etc bother to watch 90 minutes of dire desperate football. The restaurant is empty and just a scattering of people in the fan zone grabbing an over priced beer. The club has suffered over and over again from poor ownership. ITFC has become a soul-less pit of despair. Similar to a derelict factory that was once the pillar of the community. Go Evans. Your last duty is to find new ownership.

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