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Gill and Klug to Take Caretaker Charge as Cook in Talks
Monday, 1st Mar 2021 10:11

TWTD understands first-team coach Matt Gill and academy head of coaching and player development Bryan Klug will take caretaker charge of the Blues following Paul Lambert and Stuart Taylor’s departure last night.

Gill, 40, has become increasingly prominent over recent weeks, while club stalwart Klug, 60, has previously been caretaker following the exit of other managers.

The pair are set to lead training today ahead of Tuesday's game at Accrington Stanley.

General manager of football operations Lee O'Neill is set to speak to the media regarding the situation at lunchtime.

It’s understood that Paul Cook, 54, is in advanced talks with the Blues with claims that he may be at Tuesday’s game at Accrington - one of his former clubs - ahead of his appointment at Town, although that is as yet unconfirmed.

TWTD revealed in January that the former Portsmouth, Wigan and Chesterfield boss had been sounded out by owner Marcus Evans with Paul Lambert’s departure looking increasingly on the cards even at that stage.

On Friday, Cook was linked with Town as part of the US-backed takeover which is still a number of weeks away from being concluded.

TWTD understands former Blues forward Noel Hunt may be part of Cook’s staff, which it’s anticipated could also include existing members of staff, Gill perhaps among them.

Hunt, 38, played for Cook at Portsmouth and Wigan and was a member of the coaching staff at Swindon until December last year.

The former Irish international was a popular figure with the Blues in a spell which ran between November 2014 and the end of that season, most notably due to his last-gasp debut goal at Charlton.

As reported yesterday, another ex-Blue, Gary Roberts, 36, is also understood to be in Cook's thoughts for a role on his backroom staff.

Meanwhile, Saturday's opponents Doncaster are also now without a boss after manager Darren Moore departed to take over of Sheffield Wednesday this morning.

Coincidentally, Moore's last game in charge of his previous club, West Brom, was also against Town, a 1-1 draw at the Hawthorns in March 2019.


Photo: TWTD



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tractorlad01 added 10:16 - Mar 1
Amazing appointment! Very happy with Cook.
1

Guthrum added 10:19 - Mar 1
Good stuff.

Noel Hunt in the offing as well - wonder if we can get someone like his brother to play wide left again? Certainly add some bite to our attack.
3

Devereuxxx added 10:22 - Mar 1
All sounds promising. I just hope it's all sorted quickly as after the past week, our season has been resurrected from a dying ember. Every point matters, so hopefully the new regime is installed as quickly as possible.
5

MonkeyAlan added 10:22 - Mar 1
Why would.we appoint Cook if this take over is weeks away? And could still come to nothing. This must be a Evans appointment and nothing to do with those wanting to buy the club? Cook could be out again in a couple of months if he is not what they want? Or is Evans not selling, and it's all media cr@p ?!
2

Bergholt_Blue added 10:23 - Mar 1
Itfc will be cook-ing on gas
2

Super_Cooper added 10:26 - Mar 1
The appointment of "Paul's" in the past haven't exactly worked out well; Paul Jewell, Paul Hurst & Paul Lambert!
1

TimmyH added 10:26 - Mar 1
Well if it is Cook which looks likely he hasn't done that badly in recent years - League 2 title winners with Portsmouth and guided a small budget Wigan to a League 1 title only for them to be relegated due to the club being deducted 12 points otherwise they would have been mid-table...so one step at a time and maybe he might be the right manager at this time for us and to get us out of this league.
8

OsborneOneNil added 10:29 - Mar 1
@MonkeyAlan

Jesus man, lighten up!! It's all good, he will be the man both parties want. ME wouldn't crack on with his own man whilst own the cusp of a takeover.

13

BotesdaleBlue added 10:30 - Mar 1
I have no problems with caretaker manager set up this if true and seems to be a sensible and pragmatic decision.

The Paul Cook connection is seemingly getting stronger and stronger which is more excellent news as he is the man the majority of Town fans have touted as their number one choice, of those available who might reasonly want to manage us in league 1.

Whoever come in must start the process of re-connecting the club with the fans first and foremost as well as the excellent local media, as they too are all part of the wider Town family that we all belong to. This includes getting TWTD and Phil back into the club press conferences. No delay.

On the pitch we have got a little bit of positive momentum going and it's clear that the play-offs are again a realistic prospect, with many fans, me included, having just about given up on them only a couple of weeks ago.

Exciting times hopefully lay ahead. When was the last time we could say that with any real belief and enthusiasm?
16

Woodbridgian added 10:30 - Mar 1
Lambert going is an inevitable conclusion to part one of this saga. Where we go from here is the harder one to predict. Sacking Lambert now probably tells us one of two things. Either a takeover is that close that the buyers are driving the decision on a replacement in the background or alternatively it's pure speculation and nothings going to happen any time soon and Evans is still very much in control. If it's the later let's hope it's sixth time lucky , although I have to say if it was Paul Cook personally I think that would be a very good appointment.
2

brendenward35 added 10:38 - Mar 1
Think ME had just enough of Lambert who was giving him bad press so time for Evans to say goodbye to him. I noticed Gill more and more involved last 2 games with Taylor away as well which now works out right. Getting new manager in at this point of the season gives him time to work out his squad for next season get rid of the ones not pulling their weight and leave the ones for a push for the championship next season. These players were not playing for PL only played good last couple of games to make sure the new manager has something to think about. Let hope this positive stuff continues into the next few games it will prove then things were not good in the PL camp hence ME getting shot of him.
6

90z added 10:39 - Mar 1
I thought Matt Gill & Jimmy Walker were part of lamberts set up? Confused why they are still here to? Or am I missing something?
0

buzbyblue added 10:48 - Mar 1
Never ever understood evans` rush to appoint new managers, all of which have gone wrong!? We aren't in a crisis in the league so why not just sit back a few weeks and see whom applies etc?

personally Paul Cook doesn't excite me, another steady Eddie not liable to want big funds or rock the boat
1

JimmyP45 added 10:48 - Mar 1
Why would a departing owner appoint a new manager? If Cook is due to be appointed later this week, surely the takeover must be hours away from completion.
2

IpswichT62OldBoy added 10:52 - Mar 1
That would explain the sensible changes to set up and tactics over the past 2 games, which sort of highlights PLs ineptness
6

gazzer1999 added 10:56 - Mar 1
I can see this Paul Cook ending the same way as the last appointments, plenty on here wanted Hurst and look where that ended. How long before they get on his back?
The appointments should come from within the club, it helps with reconnection with the fans. If K.D. is not going to be part of that why did they bring him back, he at least needs the chance to be manager here, and he is a local lad, what's not to like?
-6

Jonaldo added 10:59 - Mar 1
Agree with Jimmy P45, no sense appointing a new manager if a new owner wasn't imminent.

What manager would take the job not knowing who the owner would be?
1

chappie added 11:02 - Mar 1
This is a positive step 1 in the process.

The new buyers will have insisted that Evans cleans up his own mess and any severance costs related to Shambert will be suffered by Evans, not by new owners.

4

Europablue added 11:05 - Mar 1
buzbyblue It's not exactly a rush to appoint a new manager. This has been on the cards for months now. I think ME only acted once he had his replacement lined up. Where we are in the league right now, we absolutely don't have games to waste. We should be getting in the playoffs considering the position we are in, and we have an outside shot at the automatic places as crazy as that seems considering how poor we have been.
4

arc added 11:07 - Mar 1
So who is Matt Gill? What do we know about him?
-4

Bazza8564 added 11:10 - Mar 1
Priority now is to get takeover across the line, oh and 3 points tomorrow.
I cant believe this is'nt all choreographed, Gill has been doing media work last 4-5 weeks. No way ME would have pushed PL out without that being part of the Cunning plan, he would have waited for the takeover to go through. We are being told a carefully worded story, all of which has been in place for ages.
I hope this plan is a bit better than Baldrick's.....
4

Phil1969 added 11:12 - Mar 1
Definition of madness, keep on doing the same things and expecting a different result. Lambert Hurst McCarthy Jewell Keane ....Cook!!
-3

Suffolkboy added 11:13 - Mar 1
Decisions and quality action from the top of the tree are ALWAYS key to success .In our case ,though I personally know nothing of Paul Cook , he's had a recognisable measure of success over a period of time ,and that perhaps tells us something about his character and skills .
PH was a budding disaster ,plainly out of his depth from the moment he walked in,and his first public press interview illustrated his shallow character and near total lack of presence . Undoubtedly a man trying to wear bigger boots than he knew how ,or had the experience and savvy to cope with : he didn't grow at all in his time with ITFC and one suspects many of those who left ,or were sold, were only too glad to get away .As an Asst CD was plainly a one trick pony not intellectually gifted either in football or man management terms .
We must hope that PC , if appointed , will bring a calming mature and wise presence ,man managing and organising strategy and tactics to achieve the best for and out of everyone amongst a plainly talented team and staff .
Let's all hope M E appoints a manager to harness the efforts a, talents and skills evident throughout the structure ,AND importantly we see happiness reflected everywhere .
COYB
5

brittaniaman added 11:18 - Mar 1
Does that mean Gill and Klug will reinstate Kayden Jackson and Jon Nolan back in the fold ??
Because I am sure that Jackson would be the ideal replacement for Norwoods absence tuesday at Accrington.!!!!
1

runningout added 11:20 - Mar 1
I would be very happy with Paul Cook and hope he's in quick. But what do I know.
2


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