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Lambert: I Won’t Have a Player Say They’d Rather Be at Home With the Wife and Kids
Friday, 19th Feb 2021 09:24

Town boss Paul Lambert says Kayden Jackson and Jon Nolan, banished to train with the U23s, have let the club down, let themselves down and let their team-mates down.

Jackson angered Lambert with his red card against Sunderland, while Nolan expressed his frustration to the manager after travelling to Crewe and not finding out until shortly before kick-off that he wasn’t in the 18.

“Yes, for reasons that I think are right,” Lambert said when asked to confirm that the duo are training with the U23s.

“As I said before, I won’t have a player [Nolan], any player come to me and say they’d rather be at home with the wife and kids. If that’s your mentality you’re better doing that.

“I need players that are going to dig in at a really hard moment, but you need players digging in and I’m not having it.

“I’ve never had any player do that. I’m not naming names or anything like that but I’ve not known any player at the top level that I’ve played at, top level I’ve managed, I’ve never had anybody saying that to me. I think it’s disrespectful to your team-mates.”

Does he feel they’ve let him down? “They’ve let the club down, let themselves down, let their team-mates down. It’s immaterial to me. I’ve managed at the top level, played at the top level, won the highest things in Europe at the top level, I’ve never had that.

“And I need players at this football club that are going to die for it, that are going to run for it and are going to work for it.”


General manager of football operations Lee O’Neill has confirmed that there was loan interest in Jackson on deadline say, with Huddersfield the club understood to have made an approach, but with the deal not one Town were prepared to do.

Nolan was mentioned in connection with Rotherham United, Wigan Athletic, Peterborough United and Doncaster Rovers shortly before the window.

Asked whether the duo wanted to leave in the transfer window, Lambert said: “Nobody came in, that was the thing. You can’t go anywhere if nobody comes in for you.”

What can they do to get themselves in their manager’s good books? “I really don’t know but, as I said before, that’s my answer to it. The mentality, I’ve never heard that before at any level of football and I need players that are going to die for here, that are going to work.”

With Flynn Downes suspended for the next two games due to his red card on Tuesday, Nolan would have been an option in midfield, while Jackson would have been an option from the bench as the Blues look for goals.

“It doesn’t matter, it’s the attitude to the whole thing, to everything,” he said. “As I said before, I’m not having that, I’m not having it for the team, to disrespect any team-mates or anything like that.

“If that’s the attitude, that you want to stay with your wife and kids, then fine, that’s totally fine. But I need people who want to die and play for the club.”

Do the rest of the squad understand the situation? Has it created waves within the group? “I think anybody can see, OK everybody’s frustrated with results, but one thing you can’t level at them is a lack of fight, you can never label them with that, a lack of fight. For me I don’t have a problem with their fight.”

Regarding that fight in the squad, he added: "Well, it's proven. You don't say that. The clubs that I've played with and played with the best of the best and won the best, and I know the highest level.

“To be in Europe, I know what it's like to play in European finals and World Cups, and I've never ever, ever heard that — ever.

"And that's not the mentality I'm going for. If you want to stay with your wife and kids, then no problem, stay with them.

“At this football club, we need people that want to fight and die for it. That's what we need. And the supporters, maybe it's the first of them hearing it.

“They might turn around and say, 'hang on a minute, so what do we do, let people play when they want to play?'.

“You go back to your boss and say you don't want to do your work and see what happens.

Asked later to confirm that the player he is talking about is Nolan, Lambert wouldn't add to what he had previously said.

“You can take the stories from the other guys. I don't want to go through it again, that's it.”

Asked whether it was unfair that there are two issues and only one player is being talked about, Lambert added: “I told you to take it off [the earlier comments] and if you're going to keep going on, I'll just walk off. Talk about the game.”


Photo: Matchday Images



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BlueBlood90 added 10:41 - Feb 19
What a plank! He's leaving out the fact that he made Nolan travel all the way to Crewe, stay overnight and then left him out of the matchday squad so I think he's well within his rights to say he'd rather be at home with his family. Anybody would! And then to drop Jackson to the reserves because he got a red card? Downes handed in a transfer request and has been sent off a few times but he's not being given the same treatment. Lambert is such a joke.
3

oldbri added 10:42 - Feb 19
How did Lambert feel when he travelled to Shrewsbury only to find the game cancelled at the last minute. Very pleased no doubt. If a player is chomping at the bit , to , play, surely that is a good thing.
0

shakytown added 10:43 - Feb 19
this is just getting sad now. Just move on please.
-1

BlueySwede added 10:44 - Feb 19
Why say something at all in these interviews, and then when asked to elaborate, he ducks and making it out to be the reporters fault for asking relevant questions. He could just have said "It´s for disciplanary reasons, but I won´t get more into that". Instead he tells half a story and comes across as a d*ck, even in a situation when he might have done the right thing.
3

TimmyH added 10:46 - Feb 19
Let's be honest we've had an inkling that something wasn't right in the dressing room for the last few weeks...I bet when Lambert goes (whenever that is) you'll hear a few more grievances from players.
2

Skip73 added 10:51 - Feb 19
Any player with that attitude deserves to be dropped. The club doesn't need players like that. Downvote if you like but imagine it was one of your colleagues at work. How would you feel?
-2

DifferentGravy added 10:52 - Feb 19
Pathetic. There are countless heated comments/arguments between managers and players....but you dont go airing them all to the public. Ive heard far worse. Naturally a player is going to be frustrated at being left out of the squad when travelling. Certainly, it doesnt paint Nolans attitude in a great light...but its all about good management.....and Lambert is not a good manager
4

algarvefan added 10:54 - Feb 19
I don't ever remember the late great Sir Bibby Robson washing his dirty linen in public.
Time to shuffle off Lambert and take your petty grievances with you!!!
2

BangaloreBlues added 10:55 - Feb 19
Get Lambert to stay at home for one match, put the groundsman and a couple of Wombles in charge for the game, and I bet my house we'd win.
2

Michael101 added 10:56 - Feb 19
An I the only one who think he's right??if players say that they want to be home with wife &kids they get what they deserve.must be the first time I agreed with pl
-2

Len_Brennan added 10:58 - Feb 19
I think MattinLondon & Global Blue are right on this.
Did Nolan say he'd rather be home with his family than have travelled to an away match in Crewe? Almost certainly. But what was the context?
Lambert is justifying his extreme action, of banishing a Senior pro to train with the kids, by painting it as if Nolan doesn't care about the club or the game at all & his attitude is I couldn't be bothered going to Crewe to play a professional football match. We know the circumstances are that he went, willingly, only to find out at the last minute that he wasn't even in the squad for the game & would normally be left behind.
Now we can argue about how good or influential a player he is & whether he'd be in our starting XI, but I don't think anybody has had cause to question his commitment or integrity prior to this.
Of course he was pissed to be excluded from the squad & only told just before kick off, after travelling over to Crewe (unnecessarily) during a pandemic. It was dreadful management to do that to him & he was right to tell the manager how he felt. Would a barrage of expletives have been better than telling the manager than he would have been better utilised at home with his young kids? Maybe; Lambert doesn't appear to have any issue with whatever Judge said the referee the other night, so that approach might be better in his book.
Of course Judge wasn't pointing out the flaws & weaknesses of HIS decision when he reacted ... not that any of that kind of thing bothers someone who has played under lots of pressure, at the highest level, in his past!
7

Razor added 10:58 - Feb 19
What a complete cock this bloke is----you have made your point now dont hold grudges and get the players back in the mix----you can not afford to be an arrogant prig in your situation.

Norwood and Jackson up front tomorrow is so obvious it hurts.

Did u actiually apologise to the fans or did you forget us?


EDDIE HOWE NOW!!
1

Michael101 added 10:59 - Feb 19
Also think you don't wash your dirty linen in public
3

DebsyAngel added 11:03 - Feb 19
Beginning to mirror a lot of how it was in the final stages of the Keane era... the public shaming of players etc.
0

vanmunt added 11:04 - Feb 19
He only realized he wasn't playing after travelling up to the venue. Sums up why we are so constantly poor if the players don't have a clue who is playing, what about tactics and formation. This is mind boggling.
2

hollywoodginge added 11:06 - Feb 19
I know footballers have a label about not being the sharpest tools in the box, but I'd assume there being 22 players on the coach, and the fact that only 18 are allowed in the match day squad, there must be an acceptance that you might not be involved? So imagine that every week players had that same response. This coming from a player that got a 3 match ban not so long ago for a ridiculous red card. I'm not condoning what Lambert is doing, but my want for him to be gone will not blind me to the other factors at play regards to having sympathy for players that have let us down. Players play for the club and the fans before any manager, despite who the manager is. They have let us down that's a fact in its own right.
5

blues1 added 11:18 - Feb 19
To those saying why hadnt Evan's sorted this situation out this week? Simple. If you bothered to read anything, ud know that hes out of the country on business at the moment. He does have other businesses to deal with as well as itfc. Should he have got rid earlier? For me, absolutely. But it's his call. And hopefully the meeting between the 2 next week, will solve the issue once and for all.
0

dirtydingusmagee added 11:20 - Feb 19
''the top level he's played at'' ''the top level he's managed,'' he just cant help himself . Its now that counts ffs, you have failed failed failed Lambert, you will leave this club with sod all to be proud of, sod all to boast about, and ''your big time memories even further in the past. I dont think you will be wanting to mention your performance with ITFC in the future.
2

mib added 11:33 - Feb 19
Hollingwoodginge. I couldnt agree more.
0

Tufty added 11:34 - Feb 19
I'd rather stay home with the wife and kids than travel for 5 hours to watch the drivel we have to put up with at the moment
1

barrystedmunds added 11:43 - Feb 19
Can he actually complete an interview without making reference to all his supposed “achievements “ across his career? The one statistic that matters is the sh;t one he is amassing as our so called “manager”. He's like a very annoying long playing record and I for one am sick fed up hearing it.
0

KernewekBlue added 11:46 - Feb 19
It seems like we are stuck in a "Groundhog Day" scenario...

The owner always seems to be missing-in-action when he needs to front up and make clear, forthright decisions to improve the lot of our club.

The manager (perm any one from the last several) talks a good fight to begin with, then completely loses the plot, the dressing room and the fanbase.

Each season starts with anticipation of this being THE year when Town start to dig themselves out of the mire and push for promotion... only for the bubble to burst a few weeks in and we go tumbling back down the table with the real threat of a relegation battle looming on the horizon.

In my humble opinion, what this club needs is a complete reboot...

New owner, new manager, new playing squad, new ethos

Can't see a light at the end of this dismal tunnel until all these underperformers, from the owner down, are swept out of our club.

Sad, sad days indeed!
2

Henz10 added 12:10 - Feb 19
I never thought I'd say this but I actually agree with Lambert here. Still hate him and think he's a useless manager but that is really poor from Nolan. If anyone came in for Nolan we should have sold him as the squad is too bloated and he's not good enough.

Why is Jackson being treated badly? When he's fit he's the best striker at the club. To me it appears that PL is putting himself in a position where we are playing so badly and so much of the squad hate him that ME will have to pay him to leave, which will be roughly £2,000,000. I wish I could be paid that amount for being awful at my job but hey ho.

COYB
2

BartonBluee added 12:20 - Feb 19
It's quite clear he doesn't want to manage Town anymore, but he for sure isn't going to resign otherwise there will be no $$$ pay out. I reckon he'll be here until the end of the season then he'll be gone. Town fans don't want him, he doesn't want us!
1

chepstowblue added 12:27 - Feb 19
The problem for me is...why dont they ever look as if they want to play when they're actually on the pitch?!! We've had about 25 players who look 'bored as ****' this season. It's a 50/50 split for me. The players are as culpable as the manager, but we're stuck with the situation because the manager wont be forced out and no one wants our players. A club in decay.I honestly believe we'll be in league two within the next two seasons.
2


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