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Lambert: 99.9 Per Cent Chance I'll Not Be Here After a Takeover
Saturday, 27th Feb 2021 18:41

Town boss Paul Lambert says it’s 99.9 per cent certain that he won’t be manager of the Blues if the US-backed takeover is confirmed.

News of the £30 million takeover of the Blues by the consortium emerged this week but with the club insisting yesterday that owner Marcus Evans is “not actively looking to sell”. Nevertheless, TWTD understands the deal is close to being done and Town could change hands within a matter of weeks.

Although Brett Johnson, a leading figure at Phoenix Rising and FC Tucson, has entered the spotlight having followed Town’s Twitter account in recent days, the Los Angeles-based business man is not the main driver behind the deal with former West Brom chief executive officer Mike O'Leary believed to be the leading figure. O'Leary is close to Bristol City chief executive Mark Ashton, a former board member at West Brom and one-time goalkeeper with the Baggies.

Former Portsmouth, Wigan and Chesterfield boss Paul Cook has been linked with the Portman Road hotseat currently filled by Lambert.

Asked what he knew about the takeover situation after today’s game, Lambert responded: “I’m aware of it. I have to be careful what I say as I know much as you guys, I guess the best person you have to ask is the owner of this club.

“He’s always said he’ll do the right thing for the football club and try and move it forward and [regarding] investment, it certainly needs it, without a shadow of a doubt. It certainly needs investment and help somewhere, where they’ll get it from I don’t know.

“It’s an incredible club, an incredible fanbase, 20-odd thousand people [coming to games] in this league, and Ipswich fans have been brilliant. It certainly needs that help on that side of it.


“Regarding whether I know much about it, not really, which you’ll probably think is a bit bizarre but I don’t.

“My own position? I’ve been in the game long enough to know the way things happen. What I do know about it is that when a takeover generally comes in, 99.9 per cent I’ll not be here, that’s what happens.

“If that happens, I’ve got no worry, no fear, no nothing. I’d wish everybody all the best and hopefully they can go on and do it.”

Asked whether if anything was imminently set to happen, today might have been his last game in charge, he joked: “When I came in this morning, Paul Cook was in the office up there! No, I’m only kidding.

“Listen, I don’t get involved with all of that. If you ask me if I think I’m going to be here when there’s a takeover, no, I don’t.”

Lambert, who was watched while he spoke to the media by first-team coach Matt Gill, who has been suggested as a potential caretaker boss if the manager were to move on before a new man was confirmed, met with Evans on Thursday in what’s believed to have been a frosty meeting and revealed they spoke again yesterday.

“Marcus is the one who has said he would sell it to somebody better or somebody who can invest,” he said.

“As I said before, 99 per cent of the time when a takeover takes place, I’m not here. But we have to wait and see.

“I’ve spoken to Marcus, I’ve spoken to [general manager of football operations] Lee [O’Neill], we had discussions on Thursday, discussions on Friday night. I’ve not been involved in too many situations where I’m talking on Friday night about other stuff, which I find quite bizarre, but there we go.”

Asked whether he’s got to deal with the here and now, he said: “That’s it, and we win. That’s the most important thing. The football club has got incredible support behind it, it certainly needs help.”

Quizzed later on him wanting to know the lie of the land should the takeover happen, he reiterated: “Ninety-nine per cent I won’t be here. When the takeover comes, it wouldn’t matter if I was sitting at the top of the table, 99 per cent normally the manager’s away. That’s football.”

Would he be disappointed by that? “No, that’s football. I’ve been in the game since I was 15 when I made my debut all those years ago at St Mirren. I’m 51 now.”

Wouldn’t it be a shame not to complete the project here? “You have to ask Marcus.”

Does it sound like anything is imminent? “I don’t know, ask him!”

When it was pointed out that Evans won’t speak to the media, Lambert added: “I wonder why he doesn’t speak to you! I don’t know, I’m going home for a nice beer, I think.”


Photo: Matchday Images



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62WasBest added 19:36 - Feb 27
Unlike many of you, I am more concerned at the club falling into the hands American owners than if Lambert stays or goes. All managers are transient. A lot harder to shift owners and I'm unimpressed about what I have seen so far on balance from most clubs that are or have been owned by Americans. And I certainly don't think Paul Cook is much different to Paul Lambert, for what it is worth.
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62WasBest added 19:36 - Feb 27
Unlike many of you, I am more concerned at the club falling into the hands American owners than if Lambert stays or goes. All managers are transient. A lot harder to shift owners and I'm unimpressed about what I have seen so far on balance from most clubs that are or have been owned by Americans. And I certainly don't think Paul Cook is much different to Paul Lambert, for what it is worth.
-2

tetchris added 19:40 - Feb 27
He will walk away richer and will probably manage to talk his way into another job somewhere so he isn't bothered.
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Bluesince92 added 19:52 - Feb 27
I'm sure he does feel OK about it all with a 5 year contract payout he will receive for doing nothing for 2 and a half years.
-1

JewellintheTown added 20:02 - Feb 27
I do have to question why players manage to turn things around just at the time there's talk of new owners & managers, especially with tougher opposition.
Surely they've had that in them all along, in which case is it either to impress new leadership or fearful they'll get moved on?
Should be professional & 100% committed all the time considering how much they get paid.
5

Dear_oh_Dear added 20:12 - Feb 27
Round it up to 100% and I'll be happy
2

itsonlyme added 20:18 - Feb 27
It is always sad when someone loses their job but it means that they have not done very well. PL's record is abysmal here so he can't complain. Seems ironic we are now getting the results maybe the pressure has been off and he's known about the situation of the proposed takeover for some time. Why oh why did he not switch to two up front months and months ago I really don't know, especially in this division. As for Evans, well, we can thank him for keeping us afloat but that's about it. He should have sold up as soon as we were relegated.
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BlueySwede added 20:41 - Feb 27
I dont get all the hate. I want a new manager as well, but no denying we have improved. Lambert is a pro in regard to what is happening and I I appreciate that.
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dirtydingusmagee added 21:01 - Feb 27
Makes a change to the crap thats gone before, He aswered in a decent manner, prob knows more but it really wouldnt be his place to divulge anything. Respect where its due. Just a waiting game now .
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Robert_Garrett added 21:05 - Feb 27
Be careful what you wish for? A>n instant change around never happens. It took Leeds and Sheff Utd five years and a lot of money to get out of League one and Sunderland are still there! You should never have hounded Mighty Mick out of the job! Its the same moaners who are messing things now. Have a whip round with a bucket and buy a new centre forward. Thats positive - moaners are a menace to the Tractor Boyz.
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dirtydingusmagee added 21:10 - Feb 27
in addition to my previous post, i think this whole sale situation has been in his head a while ,[before the news broke] in which case i i feel i can cut him a bit of slack for the crap that weve had for past month or so. He has obviously been p#ssed off with Evans and the state of the club. He will move on and life will go on.Judged on his achievments here , he may well be in the wilderness for a while, but he has been in chains with Evans not investing.
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ringwoodblue added 21:13 - Feb 27
He knows he will get a tidy payoff when he goes and I'm sure he can blag his way into another job one day soon so it's not surprising he's ok about it.
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bluemay77 added 22:16 - Feb 27
The takeover can't come soon enough we've been poor for too long and bad decisions have cost us on and off the pitch cant wait part of me thinks it won't happen and we will be stuck with Lambert and Evans for the foreseeable future
1

USA added 22:24 - Feb 27
I thought Lambert handled today's interview with a good dose of dignity. Something certain other managers lacked when under pressure.
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Orraman added 23:45 - Feb 27
Just like @62 was best I am filled with dread with the thought of Americans taking over. Their business models are totally alien to our way of thinking - just look at the way American ownership has decimated retail business in this country. If they don't start making money quickly they will pull the trigger quickly. Patience is not in the American vocabulary. Those of you who expect a spending spree think again.....have you forgotten FFP?
4

Lightningboy added 23:56 - Feb 27
I don't dislike Lambert & didn't dislike Mick or Jewell (couldn't stick Hurst)...but we've had a succession of poor managerial choices since Magilton left...we all want better,I just hope we don't get worse but enough is enough under this ownership.
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runningout added 00:05 - Feb 28
it's a risk whatever nationality buys into a football club. Some part is up to us as supporters to make it known to owner if they don't know already, how fantastic this club once was, is, and can be again.
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NITFC added 00:09 - Feb 28
Whilst tying not to use the "careful............." phrase, I hope this takeover goes through. BUT only if the new owners are the right ones. As I recall Bolton were going quite well until they had new owners. And despite today's result who knows how far Birmingham are going to fall after their "exciting takeover" a few months ago
4

Fat_Boy_Tim added 00:42 - Feb 28
Honest to god, the people on here who constantly hark back to 'the Ipswich way' or to how great it was under the Cobbolds blah blah blah. Seriously, you need to have a reality check if you you think that selling the club to an american hedge fund will get us anywhere closer to those ridiculous ideals. We might be to spend some money on players but that for every pound spent there will be an expected return in the future. We might get rid of the 'dead wood' that a lot of Monday morning managers keep bleating on about (Like Judge apparently!). The big problem with the idea is that the club loses about £10m per annum. That means that to sell it at a profit after 2 years, it needs to go for $50m plus the return hedge fund managers expect. Does anyone expect us to be Premier league in 2 years? If not, add another £10m for each year we aren't! So, if we are in the Championship in 5 years time they will need to sell at £80m, plus interest, for a second tier club unless they have sold off significant other assets (Training ground etc) in the mean time and it will only get progressively less attractive as an investment. Beware the ancient Chinese curse 'May you live in interesting times'
4

KernewekBlue added 01:08 - Feb 28
I've been a Town fan from an early age, 45 years or so and counting, and am blessed that I can remember the days when the Portman Road turf was graced by one of the finest teams, with some of the finest players, in the country. We had not only the finest players but the finest managers too... notably Sir Alf (a little before my time) and Sir Bobby, both of whom went on to great things with the English national team!

Having lived through and witnessed some of the greatest games this club has ever participated in, it has saddened me to the core to watch it collapse into the mediocrity we've all had to suffer over recent times. We've gone from challenging for League, FA Cup and European honours to barely holding our own in the third tier of English football... dark times indeed!

This malaise, which has taken up residence at our club, has much to do with the decision to sell ownership to Marcus Evans. Ever since the man walked in through the front gate, our fortunes have taken a serious nose dive. The track record of his tenure makes for some rough reading. His decision to get rid of Jim Magilton and install Roy Keane as boss was an error of immense proportions... and it has all been downhill from there... one bad decision after another.

If there really is a consortium looking to purchase the club and invest the necessary funds to push ITFC forward, then I'd be grateful if Marcus Evans packed his bags and hot-footed it out the door, quick smart!

I'm not thrilled at the prospect of foreign ownership but realistically, could it get any worse than it is at this moment in time?

If there exists a straw out there, I'm willing to grab it in the hope of a brighter future.
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Monkey_Blue added 06:55 - Feb 28
From what I've read this supposed takeover is about pumping money in to get us to the championship and possibly premiership and then selling the club for a nice profit. What happens if they throw money at it and we don't progress? Do you think they'll do what Evans has done, keep the club stable financially and not care if they get that money back.... or turn us into a Bolton or worse still a Bury? Evans isn't given a fraction of the credit he deserves and the downside to this takeover could be massive.
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therein61 added 07:05 - Feb 28
He cut quite a sad figure in that interview but credit to him he was honest and none of the usual drivel, he knows what's happening just not when
He had a good start result wise last and this season then it all turned turtle and he seemed out of his depth as to how to put it right and new owners or not that cannot carry on.
2

SnowyBlue added 07:37 - Feb 28
99% chance he won't be here when we've been taken over?
What a defeatest.....
Surely Paul be optimistic and you never know, if you turn our fortunes around and keep winning back to back games you might keep your job?
But to say your being replaced before your gone that's terrible management.
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bobble added 08:03 - Feb 28
latest on USfootball.com news is that donald trump is buying us oit and installing roy keane as manager and paul hurst as director of football with lambert as tea lady.
0

thechangingman added 08:32 - Feb 28
It's clear Town are in the worst state we've been for a very long time, if not EVER. Personally, I find it hard to remember any good moments since Evans arrived, and although Lambert came in and healed some wounds with the fans, he hasn't done much of merit since.
Therefore, I'd be happy to see both these men cease their association with Town forthwith.
Lambert's overall win-rate with us is 1 in 3, and he's reported to have received upwards of £5 million pounds compensation from Aston Villa, to pay off his cancelled four year contract after 101 games. Obviously, he'll be compensated again at Town, to pay off his five year contract, after 113 games with us.
In other words, whilst I'll never celebrate a person losing their job, I don't think he's going to be destitute any time soon.
Certainly, if I were buying a football club, I'd never consider keeping someone with Lambert's record, and the ever-increasingly-bitter 'relationship' he has with the fans and media.
So, whilst I am not ready to unequivocally embrace new faceless owners, neither can I tolerate much more of Evans, and his string of appalling managers.
So, please take your non-interactive and anonymous ownership elsewhere Mr Evans, and I am sure Lambert will blag his way into a new job shortly - I mean, he's played for a lot of Big Clubs, you know...
Whatever happens, it's hard to imagine another scenario that could be worse than the one we've lived for the last decade.
On a personal level, I'd just like a little optimism and hope in my life about Town, and to one day soon return to Portman Road without either Evans or Lambert in attendance.
Onwards and upwards, and here's to the next adventure...
ITID and COYB!!!
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