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Chambers: A Disappointment But We've Another Game Tuesday
Sunday, 7th Mar 2021 10:22

Luke Chambers admitted it was disappointing that the Paul Cook era got off to a losing start as the Blues were defeated 3-1 at Gillingham, despite the skipper having levelled the score with his third goal of the season.

After a week in which the mood at the club has changed dramatically following Paul Lambert’s departure and Paul Cook’s appointment, the loss to the Gills in the new boss’s first match hadn’t appeared to be in the script, particularly with the team unbeaten in five and having won the last three.

“We’re disappointed for ourselves, we’re disappointed for him,” the 35-year-old said. “As a team, we’re all together, so we’re very, very disappointed today.

“We’ve been on a great run and we coming into it we were full of belief and we’ve caught by their way of playing. I think they’ve done a job on us today.

“They’ve scored two great goals but once we’ve got back into the game, we’ve got to secure at least a point minimum, and we haven’t done that.”

Gillingham’s up-and-at-‘em direct, physical approach isn’t something the Blues will face every week, but Chambers says Town knew what Steve Evans’s side would be about.

“You know what you’re coming up against,” he added. “They’ll fight for everything, they’ll chuck balls in the box from every single angle, from anywhere on the pitch. They’ve got big boys in the team.

“I think we’ve handled that well, I think they scored early which for the second away game running gives us a mountain to climb, but we’ve responded well, staying in the game, defending what we had to defend, but the way we’ve conceded the second and third goals today is unacceptable.

“We gave the ball away sloppily and contributed to our own problems. We haven’t particularly got done by Gillingham’s way, the boys have sort of dealt with most of their threats. The way we conceded the goals was very disappointing.

“But you can nullify that, you can get rid of that so nothing that’s too much to worry about, but very, very disappointing, obviously.”

Chambers felt Town would go on to win following his header which made the scoreline 1-1.

“Yes, and you looked at their team and you looked them in the eyes and you though ‘yes, this our game for the taking’,” he reflected. “But you can’t do what we did and expect to win a game. That is the annoying thing.”

Regarding his goal, a looping header from Josh Harrop’s free-kick, he added: “Always nice to score a goal, but at the end of the say we’ve been beaten 3-1 and it means nothing.’


Looking back on a whirlwind week at Portman Road, he said: “We’ve got a fantastic proven manager that’s come into the football club that we’re all going to all fight together for and that will be no different.

“We’ve got a tremendously strong group of players in there that are as honest as the day is long. Never, ever stop working for each other and for the football club.

“Obviously we’ll come up short sometimes, we’ve had a fantastic week and one disappointing result doesn’t put us on a different path than we need to be.”

Asked about his early impressions of new boss Cook, he said: “Very positive, he knows what he wants. If you don’t give it to him, you won’t play. That’s football.

“Everyone knows what’s required from them, there are no grey areas and we’ll be looking to implement that as quickly as possible.

“It’s a difficult situation for him because we’ve got games every few days and it’s very difficult to get on the training ground to really go through ideas.

“But, like I say, over the last week or so, we’ve given ourselves such a fantastic opportunity to really get ourselves back in the mix.

“Today’s a disappointment but we’ve got a game Tuesday against another good team [Lincoln at Portman Road] and we will go in full of confidence again.”

Chambers says the run prior to Cook’s appointment has given the Blues a real chance of being in the running for promotion.

“That’s why it’s probably even more disappointing today,” he said. “It’s always disappointing to lose a game but the way we handled the setback of the first goal, to then to continue to deal with their threat, and slowly find our way back in the game, and get an equaliser, that’s the disappointing thing.

“With 20 minutes left you’re thinking there’s only going to be one winner here and the way we’ve conceded the second goal and then the third, which was a great finish from their perspective, but we can stop them. And I don’t think that will happen again, so we move on.”

Was the managerial change needed? “It’s not really my place to say. Like I say, the group as a bunch of professional footballers have been absolutely impeccable in their professionalism and their approach and their effort for the football club.

“May have been lacking in quality at times but I am proud to be the captain of the group of players in there and, like I say, we’ll move forward together and we’ll crack on and see what [the future] brings.”

Town have 15 games to go, virtually a third of the season, and Chambers believes there’s a real opportunity of being in the shake-up come May.

“We’ve got a great chance and teams will see our run of form recently,” he insisted. “But you can only say so many things in the press, clichés, but there’s another game Tuesday and we’ve got to go and win it.”

Chambers says he’s proud to have entered the Blues’ top 10 all-time appearance-makers having taken his total to 386 yesterday.

“Fantastic, I never envisaged that coming in when I was 26 years old,” he said. “To have had the trust of all the managers that I’ve played for, to continually be selected for the team, it speaks well of my professionalism and my approach to the football club and games.

“Because I don’t just play because I’m the captain, I feel I’ve played because I add value to the team and as long as I’m doing that, I think you’ve realised the manager will be pretty honest, and if I’m not doing what I need to be doing, I won’t play.

“That should always be the way at a football club. If you don’t do your job properly, you shouldn’t be near the team. But ultimately you always trust the manager’s decision and we go with it.”

Cook was very vocal from the stands at Accrington, which Chambers says was illustrative of the new manager.

“That’s his personality and that’s infectious and you want that,” he said. “You want to feel the trust from the sidelines and he gives you that.

“He’ll make it perfectly clear what he wants from you and if you don’t deliver it, you won’t play. That is football, it couldn’t be any more simple than that.”

Cook has been joined at Town by Gary Roberts and Chambers recalled a run-in with the now-former winger on the opening day of the League One season.

“We had a few cross words he came in because last time we played them first game of the season he gave me a little rabbit punch to the back of the head, so he was laughing about that,” he laughed.

“Fantastic addition to the club, they’ve had success wherever they’ve been. Today it’s very, very disappointing to get off to the start we’ve got off to but we need to focus on what we’ve done in the last week or so and keep moving forward.”

Regarding first-team coach Matt Gill and goalkeeper-coach Jimmy Walker staying at the club, he added: “They’re very, very good at their jobs and fantastic to have at the football club, so I’m delighted they’re still here.”


Photos: Pagepix



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sospier added 10:27 - Mar 7
We're all disappointed but let's move on to Tuesday and hopefully we can win and return to winning ways again.
6

Chrisd added 10:32 - Mar 7
Probably the right way to look at it now in the cold light of day. What's going to be important is how our players react after that defeat. At least the games are coming thick and fast and there's little time to dwell on the last result and performance.
10

martin587 added 10:37 - Mar 7
That was a real wake up call for PC.I'm sure from that display he can see the weak links and put it right.Tuesday is a tough game and Paul will I hope have them fired up I hope.
7

Suffolkboy added 10:45 - Mar 7
Professional, objective , totally emotional in his assessments always , but plainly so so committed to being fit and ready to fulfil he criteria for selection , Has his standards and sets standards ,an ideal example for us and any Captain .
Will likely make a very god Manager after retirement from playing ; does not mince his words and thinks clearly about all to do with the game !
COYB
6

Suffolkboy added 10:46 - Mar 7
Correction !! UNEMOTIONAL !!
-3

cressi added 10:53 - Mar 7
I would hardly call it a run, for me 8 to 9 games is a run and this bunch of players have Not got it in there locker
12

PositivelyPortman added 11:21 - Mar 7
We've been on a great run and we coming into it we were full of belief and we've caught by their way of playing. I think they've done a job on us today.

Gillingham's up-and-at-‘em direct, physical approach isn't something the Blues will face every week, but Chambers says Town knew what Steve Evans's side would be about.


Two quotes above from the Captain.
Either they knew how they played or he didn't and they got ‘caught'.
4

stocktractor added 11:36 - Mar 7
Please leave chambers ever since you joined we've been nothing but mediocre like you
Get rid get rid get rid
And take skuse as well
-8

ArnieM added 11:37 - Mar 7
Contrary to what Chambo says, I'd suggest we DO NOT handle the way they played against us yesterday. Indeed we clearly struggled all afternoon with balls being lumped forward to their giant of a striker , and we didn't come close to matching their physicality all afternoon ( not for the first time this season against league one sides either). And neither did we match anywhere near our opponents endeavour or work rate.

That's your free hit boys ...

PC will do what he needs too: expect casualties in this underperforming squad !
8

istanblue added 12:13 - Mar 7
Chambers: We Go Again

How many fu*king times do we here this season after season from this guy?
7

Cheshire_Blue added 12:18 - Mar 7
Oh dear. No Paul Lambert so it is have a go at Chambers time. There has to be someone.
1

ChrisFelix added 12:30 - Mar 7
For their first important goal i wonder where our right back was. Not marking their scorer !!!
6

BarbelBoy added 13:08 - Mar 7
It's all very well to say that we coped fairly well with Gillingham's robust style of play - which we did. BUT all three of the goals we conceded were down to individual errors on our part. For their first goal Dozell gave away another clumsy foul in a dangerous position. Then when the ball was played into our box we had four defenders around the one attacker who still managed to flick the ball on to the far post where we had no one marking the guy who scored. For their second goal Freddie Sears had the ball by their own goal line (!) and then misplaced an easy pass which resulted in their breaking up field and scoring. He then repeated the error for their third goal giving a sloppy and mis placed back pass which forced Holy to have to rush out of his goal to clear to Chambo whose pass upfield was intercepted and ended up at the feet of the guy who then scored (a good individual shot but he should not have had the ball in the first place).

Cut out these school boy errors and we will at least have a chance of staying in the game.
4

hammo56 added 13:19 - Mar 7
More like Groundhog Day.
4

cat added 14:07 - Mar 7
First and foremost credit to Chamb for a well taken goal, not so on the calamities defending.

They say you judge your captain on their success......... Mmmm? not much to add on that front.

We need senior heads with footballing ability who can lead the youngsters forward, not proper club men who are great off the pitch.

Memo to P.C, if you stick with the seniors in this current squad then we are going nowhere. Big clear out required as we need to freshen things up and get rid of this anti footballing mentally, pronto like.
10

Tractorboy58 added 15:32 - Mar 7
YYyyaaawwwnn
0

norfolkbluey added 15:34 - Mar 7
If we keep positive thinking but playing like this there's no chance of promotion this year. Sloppy play against a physical side can only lead to failure. We have to toughen up without fouling (Jason)! I think the next match is going to be critical. 15 games to make up 10 points over our rivals for a top two finish is a tough ask for any team. Especially those who are still giving away sloppy goals are unlikely to get automatic promotion. WE NEED CONSISTENCY NOW. No more excuses just cut out the errors and 'manup'. COYB.
4

dirtydingusmagee added 16:20 - Mar 7
they put balls into the box from all angles ! thats so unfair . We dont do things like that.In fact we rarely even shoot. FFS. hope PC can get through to these players ,and explain what the game is about .
8

therein61 added 16:34 - Mar 7
There's been far too much complacency in this club for the last god knows how long, we get over paid so called pros saying the same old every week just as Lambo did, they don't give a toss as long as the club continues to fill their wallets every week the other top earner will be ready to let us down again soon so we will get more of the same from him after another mistake ridden performance, unless of course Mr Cook starts rattling a few cages.
6

Vanisleblue2 added 17:13 - Mar 7
Is Emyr Huws injured or out of favour? anyone know?
0

Ipswichbusiness added 17:31 - Mar 7
“I think we've handled that well, ...”

Sorry, Mr Chambers, the scoreline says otherwise.
4

Bert added 17:58 - Mar 7
Every successive manager has spoken well of Chambers. Ok, he is in his twilight years so not always consistent when on the field but his value is too often overlooked by some supporters. Would he cut it in the Championship, probably not but while he is still here he is more of an asset than a liability. He will go on to be a decent manager somewhere because he has strength of mind and good man management skills. Great goal by the way in an otherwise very poor team performance.
1

buzbyblue added 19:14 - Mar 7
Headline should read: Chambers: A Disappointment

Scored a goal yes, but he's /supposed/ to be a defender, time and time again he's left in no mans land, far to slow now

I really worry now after PC's comments about Chambers, Skuse & Ward.... Betting if Evans ain't gone by the summer they'll be no funds for replacements and all 3 of those will be given a new contract <shudder>
4

johnwarksshorts added 19:18 - Mar 7
Crazy league, anyone can beat anyone. Look at Northampton v Portsmouth and Burton result. Let's hope we can put this game behind us and go on another good run.
3

cat added 20:58 - Mar 7
Buzbyblue I dread that very thought. They need to move on, they been here to long and appear to have a lot of influence within the club. It's failed, fact! Change is needed.
3


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