New Blues boss Paul Cook says it’s not currently possible to do too much work with the squad at Playford Road with games having come thick and fast since he took charge just over a week ago, but that he is looking forward to a “big training week” following the game against his old club Portsmouth a week on Saturday when Town are for once without a Tuesday fixture.

Cook says he's not been able to ask the players to do too much on the training field so far due to the constraints of a busy fixture list which has seen Town have a midweek game for the last five weeks with another at Fleetwood next Tuesday.

“You just keep going, this is the thing,” he said when asked about the hectic schedule. “The manager’s impact at the moment is purely on their personality and everything else, that’s the truth.

“We’re not training and showing the lads [too much], we’re trying to get on the training ground, of course we are, but if you’ve got lads who were running 12k on a Tuesday night and on Saturday and then again on a Tuesday night, the reality is that you’re not going to ask them to do much in between.

“We’ve got a free week coming up after Portsmouth and that will be a big training week for us, it really will where we can get a lot in to the players.”

He says he gets more of a handle on Town with each day that passes: “Just every day, you’re just learning about structures at the club and the different stuff, working alongside [general manager of football operations] Lee [O’Neill], obviously with [owner] Marcus [Evans] overseeing us - what can we improve on, what can we make better.

“Because going forward, I just think that [for] clubs [to] function, you need a recruitment room, you need an U23s, you need the first team and in the end we’re all here to help each other.

“If we can get the club functioning properly, I think the results can be improved and I think we can bring a little bit more happiness than there’s been.

“And, by the way, that doesn’t mean there’s been unhappiness, you know what I’m saying.”

He admits there are aspects of his new job he’s not been able to turn too much attention to so far.

“I think [personal secretary to the manager] Sally [Boyle] at the club’s quickly learning that I don’t read much that’s put on my desk.”

Asked whether he feels he’s learning something new about his players every day, he added: “It’s been such a whirlwind week, it really has. It’s been a great week. You come into the club not knowing anyone and you feel a week later that you know people really well and that’s good. Those relationships have got to build with everyone at football clubs like ours.

“It’s a massive community club, it plays a massive part in the Suffolk area and our success is paramount to the area having a greater enjoyment factor, if you like. That’s mine and the players’ job to help that now.”

"But he says nothing he has learned so far has come as a surprise: “Not really. I think sometimes when you look at stats and certain stuff, we haven’t been scoring enough goals in general and then you’re looking at certain other aspects.

“In general it is what it is, but we’ve got so many good players and I think that can become a problem sometimes because outside everyone’s telling how good you are inside, but inside we don’t feel like we’re making those strides that we can visually see.

“I believe in making small steps, I really do and I think if you can make small steps over a period of time, you’ll get to your destination the way you want.”

Realistically how long does be believe it will be before he truly makes an impact?

“Tell Marcus eight windows, lads!” he joked. “I think if we stick to eight windows we’ll all happy, won’t we? Just have it consistent amongst us to Marcus, it’s eight windows for a manager to achieve success. Get Marcus believing that and we’ve got a right good chance.

“It might be, and I don’t mind telling you this, one window and a pre-season.”

Asked about the importance of developing and improving players to go on to play at a higher level, such as Andre Dozzell or Jack Lankester, Cook said: “Going forward, I won’t be singling players out a lot. I think we heap far too much pressure on our players at football clubs. The demands of expectation can be too much for some younger lads to carry.

“My job as a manager, especially in the six-week period in the summer, you ingrain your habits on your team in that summer. You ingrain your shape, your balances and what you expect of the players.

“We’ve got a lot of bright young players at this club and they need to blossom now going forward.”

Photo: Matchday Images

chopra777 added 17:19 - Mar 11 Agree with his small steps. Some progress is better than no progress.
4

SickParrot added 17:34 - Mar 11 Everything he says is positive and makes sense.
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muccletonjoe added 18:23 - Mar 11 At last , a manager low on bulls#i% and high on purpose. It's only taken you 13 years Marcus.
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Jonaldo added 05:02 - Mar 12 Loving the pop at the "8 windows" contract that his predecessor secured. Like your style and humour PC.
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bobble added 06:33 - Mar 12 heard it all before , results will sway me
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johnwarksshorts added 08:40 - Mar 12 In Paul Cook we trust. COYB!
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johnwarksshorts added 08:42 - Mar 12 Has the ITFC coffee bill gone up since he arrived! Never seen him without a cuppa coffee in his hand.
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