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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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BeattiesBackPocket added 13:07 - Feb 19
As I've said you keep selling your best players and buy league one and two players that's where you end up. He struggled at championship level and in some league one games where he should excel more. As much as I don't like lambert or evans this is the kind of attitude from players like the Swindon loss at home when they all come off smiling joking like it doesn't matter id ship him to play with the youth team tbh. Poor attitude that if any other manage cake in would out straight away!
2

jonju11 added 13:20 - Feb 19
He forgot to mention his time @ Stoke. Sacked there I wonder why?
Part of the 5 year Development Plan presumably, involved building
a nucleus of a young squad via the Academy. Definite signs that he
Is on track when you look @ the selected team on Tuesday with
just short of 50% being loan players.
Confused strategy? Or lost the plot.
-1

leroy2488 added 13:20 - Feb 19
We all know you played for some big clubs and played at the highest level.
Unfortunately, what we need is someone capable of managing at a low level.
Unless you're planning on coming out of retirement, it makes no difference how good you were as a player.
As a manager you need to manage players and a club, you could have learned from some of your own managers, it seems you choose not to, or were unable.
1

shefki86 added 13:20 - Feb 19
I am as sick of lambert as the next man believe me but attitude like that really doesn't help anyone, Nolan on the whole has failed to deliver other than a few goals at the club. One of the ‘senior' midfielders in the squad and should know better whether he's frustrated or not. Same for Jackson, all this crap about him being able to play wide yet is then frustrated about playing out of position?? The red card was unforgivable, a horrible horrible tackle that could have been career ending for the lad on the receiving end. There'd be uproar on here if that was against one of our players. The club is rotten to the core and players like this are part of the problem
2

jabberjackson added 13:23 - Feb 19
PL may be trying to drive a wedge between the fans and the players in question here, however social media shows that all he has done is made them more popular, and the hatred of PL increase
0

lukeym18 added 13:45 - Feb 19
The arrogance of Lambert is going to far now, putting well respected journalists down with remarks, Moaning about the structure of the club, moaning about Evans ( to a degree which is right). But if after 2 1/2 years the MANAGER of the football club isn't performing then he's to blame for the state the club is in Now. I don't get why evans hasn't fired Lambert yet, this nightmare will end soon just nobody knows when we all pray soon though! tough times for us as fans but we'll be around long after Lambert has gone.
-1

lukeym18 added 13:45 - Feb 19
The arrogance of Lambert is going to far now, putting well respected journalists down with remarks, Moaning about the structure of the club, moaning about Evans ( to a degree which is right). But if after 2 1/2 years the MANAGER of the football club isn't performing then he's to blame for the state the club is in Now. I don't get why evans hasn't fired Lambert yet, this nightmare will end soon just nobody knows when we all pray soon though! tough times for us as fans but we'll be around long after Lambert has gone.
-1

Pencilpete added 14:16 - Feb 19
I want Lambert out as much as anybody but if this is true then he is absolutely right.

You can't take a bare 18 players to an away game - what if there is an injury or 2 ? you need a couple of extra players in the squad even if your intention is not to use them.

Nolan is paid to play for and represent ITFC and he gets paid an damn sight more than the majority of us do and if that means going to Crewe and not playing his attitude should be to perform in training and get himself back in favour not b1tching that he should have stayed at home with his family.
6

Essexipswichboy added 14:57 - Feb 19
Only travel if you absolutely have to
It's why there is no fans in stadiums PL
-2

eddiespearitt03 added 15:43 - Feb 19
Lambert is fooling no one except Marcus Evans with this awful dialogue and management.

0

happybeingblue added 17:04 - Feb 19
lets be honest though a lot of our players go missing when the going gets tough and have done since they arrived always constantly injured etc,and then you get other pros chambers for example who is available nearly every game,i want a change of manager but also i want a big clear out of players in the summer who have proved they are not good enough or just a waste of time injured bloomin lightweights most of them
0

abandon_hope1978 added 17:04 - Feb 19
Yes Paul, you know when you mentioned you'd played for big clubs and won everything.......... you failed to mention that you achieved this by playing under great managers, who not only knew tactics, but were probably pretty adept at man management, something that you have no idea on both subjects.
Is it any wonder you feel that players would rather spend time at home in preference to playing for you. You're a pathetic joke of a manager, complete with a management team that makes Laurel and Hardy look like candidates for Mensa.
Grow up, take responsibility and leave.
1

RobsonWark added 18:25 - Feb 19
WELL DONE LAMBERT FOR BRINGING THESE PRIMA DONNAS DOWN TO EARTH!

These 2 think they are too good for the club. Do what Sir Alex Ferguson would do and get rid of them - that's If any other club would be willing to take them on.
0

therein61 added 18:48 - Feb 19
I think the majority of the starting X1 + subs have been at home with the wife and kids(mentally that is) judging by match day performances
Lambo can't help himself but spew out the big club drivel and anything else to take the flak away from what has been an abject tenure at our club, i know you are angling for a pay off which is a disgrace after your continued failure at Portman Road yet you seem to be the only person who can't(or won't) see it just be the so called pro/man you profess to be and walk away before you do anymore damage to my club if that is possible(but you would find a way i'm sure) since your canary days you have swelled your bank balance by failing what a nice way to go about a so called career(CHEATING ALL AROUND YOU)
0

moggasnotebook added 22:40 - Feb 19
Half the comments on this post are a JOKE! Clearly just Lambert haters........ Nolan was asked to sit on a bus for an away trip when he is getting paid FIVE GRAND A WEEK. You don't only travel with 18 players because you can only name 18 players - flu / sickness / injury / personal circumstances can rob a manager of a player on an away trip so the muppets would be moaning and bleating if Lambert had named a bench a man short.

Tactics and shape can change depending on who you think opponents may name or if opponents lose a man to injury so you travel with options. Nolan didn't make the cut that trip - it happens, player deals with it like a PROFESSIONAL, KEEP YOUR MOUTH SHUT, DO NOTHING TO AFFECT YOUR TEAM MATES AND MANAGER'S PREPARATION FOR THE MATCH and then air your thoughts to the manager in a private meeting the day (or two) after the match.

Too many professionals on the books, too well paid, can't shift them very easily because no other club wants them because they are not performing - and on the wages they are on not easy to move them on.

Saxonblue74 it's not exhausting sitting on a bus, resting in a hotel room and watching your mates play football before getting back on a nice warm bus with TV, hot food and drinks (free food and drinks) and maybe a game of cards and craic BUT you manage to turn it into anti Lambert. Can you please explain your point of view please so I can try and understand?
3

Sospiri added 14:27 - Feb 20
Lambert is a grumpy, self-important and vindictive little man who has lost the dressing room and needs to be sacked ASAP.
0


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