Boss Paul Cook admitted that his side had put in a “really poor performance” as they were beaten 2-0 at Fleetwood Town and says his players need to “carry a little bit more weight” on their shoulders.

Goals from ex-Town loanee Callum Connolly and Ged Garner saw the Cod Army to a deserved victory.

“The last thing the supporters need to hear is me coming on saying adjectives that can describe a really difficult night for us, a really poor performance,” Cook said. “I’m sure you can come on and you can say so many things when you play like that. To say we’re disappointed is an understatement. To say we’ve got to be better is a given.

“As I’ve just said to the players after the game, we have to be better. To play for this club, you have to carry a little bit more weight on your shoulders because every time you play against opposition, they are bang up for beating Ipswich Town in this league.

“Not different than the Sunderland lads have it probably, no different probably than the Pompey lads.

“And if you dip short on performance, you get beat. And we’re finding that out to our cost at the minute.”

Is that pressure weighing too heavily on the players’ shoulders? “No, you’re not going to drag me into comments that I don’t [want to make]. I just think tonight we got beaten fair and square, we were second best all over the pitch and sometimes you’ve got to take that as a manager.”

Asked why the display was so poor following Saturday’s home win against Plymouth and an impressive first 20 minutes against the Pilgrims, Cook said: “I think if you look at our consistency this season, it probably wasn’t a surprising performance.

“I think we’re quite consistently inconsistent, aren’t we? That’s something as a manager you don’t like. You want a level performance out of players.

“Conceding goals after six minutes away from home, in the three games I’ve watched, Accrington, Gillingham and Fleetwood, you give yourselves mountains to climb away from home.

“If you look back, it was probably only the Accrington sending off that saved us because that game took a very similar pattern to this.

“There’s so much work to be done, I really look forward to getting my teeth into the work. But, like I said to the players, I really am looking for lads that I can see signs of life in and trust, where you go ‘yeah, you can be part of a club and a team that takes us forward’.

“They’ve all got that opportunity at the minute and certainly one or two didn’t play like that tonight, that’s for sure.”

More work than he expected? “No, not at this football management game, if it was easy we’d all be doing it, wouldn’t we?

“We’ve got to stay with these players, that’s my plea to our supporters watching difficult nights like tonight. Managing’s tough because you really do get worked up inside and I can be quite hot-headed with the best of them.

“But on this run-in now, we don’t have time for negativity, we can only have positivity because we have an excellent chance of still achieving something that, albeit tonight as we drive home - and it will sink in with the players - it feels distant. But it’s not distant it really is within touching distance.”

So no need for harsh words? “Oh no, I wouldn’t say that, I think there are harsh words in dressing rooms, I just don’t think it’s the right thing to do in the press because I think the players, for whatever reason now, if you look back 18 months to the relegation, not going up last year for whatever reason, this season similar.

“Sometimes the players have probably heard negativity and conversations from Paul Hurst, Paul Lambert and Paul Cook because the reality is that’s what the performances have been offering up. We’ve got to change that as a group of people and a group of men.”

Cook dismissed the suggestion that injured pair James Norwood and Flynn Downes were missed.

“We didn’t miss them Saturday when we won, did we?” the Blues boss responded. “Flynn went off and James wasn’t there, but you always miss players and this is something we’ve got to get away from - the minute you lose a game now players who haven’t played become better players, and that’s not right.

“The lads who started tonight had earned that right. Cole Skuse came in who is an excellent player, has been an outstanding servant to the club.

“And because we have a disappointing night we can’t just look to say that people who weren’t here should have been here and should have been playing.

“The team that was picked tonight was comfortably good enough to win the game for Ipswich Town.”

Quizzed on whether Myles Kenlock, who was subbed in the second half, had a particularly tough evening. Cook said he could have replaced plenty of other players, as he could have done in the Blues’ previous away game.

“At Gillingham away, no different than tonight, I could have made four or five substitutions at half-time,” he said.

“But as well as trying to get promoted, I’m also trying to find out about the character and the players, and that can be tough for a manager because while you want to help them and make changes, sometimes it’s only in adversity you find out about people.

“We go through adversity one week and pleasure the next, if you like. And that’s not fair on the supporters, that’s not fair on everyone.”

Questioned on whether Norwood, who has been suffering from back spasms, has got a chance for the weekend, Cook joked: “You can’t ask me three questions about James Norwood, you’ve asked me two and now you want to get three in! I think the cleaners at the training ground have got a chance of playing on Saturday the way we played, so there you go, live with that one.”

Fleetwood boss Simon Grayson was delighted with his side's performance.

“I thought we were very good tonight, there were some really good elements to our game, we were positive, and we made a really quick start with and without the ball. We got in their faces and never allowed them to settle," he told his club's official website.

“They have some good players, who with time on the ball they can really hurt you, but we never allowed them to do that because when we had possession with the ball, we were very composed and used it really well.

“Our shape was really good, and we pressed them in certain areas, we dropped off when we needed to and we mixed up our game really well. Overall it was a really good collective performance.”

Photo: TWTD

jas0999 added 01:46 - Mar 17 Great interview. Spot on by Cook. Sadly, little will change with Marcus Evans at the helm. The squad isn't good enough. Years of cheap buys and pointless loans has cost us. Selling all your best players isn't a good idea. That's what Evans did and replaced with cheaper players.
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Steve_ITFC_Sweden added 04:44 - Mar 17 I think PC is in the wrong job. He should have been a psychologist. This was the most insightful carrot-and-stick approach, avoiding all the platitudes, that I've heard from a manager for a long time. I really hope he's able to fix things for us because if he can't, I doubt anyone else can.
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JCBLUE added 06:09 - Mar 17 Terrible performance but sensible words from PC.
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trncbluearmy added 06:10 - Mar 17 Several players careers about to finish and some who thought they could play about to find out a few home truths. They have been warned,but as the saying goes not fit to wear the shirt,bye bye,good riddance
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braveblue added 06:17 - Mar 17 If he really thinks Skuse and Chambers are excellent players we are in real trouble.
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Saxonblue74 added 07:02 - Mar 17 Good stuff from PC, given time he will sort this mess I'm sure. Can't believe there are anti Cook murmerrings already! In terms of the squad we have, we can thanks Hurst for that! The young, upcoming manager that so many were calling for and excited to see replace McCarthy. That was the call from those fans who shouted loudest, and that's what we got. "Hurst is a failure, he has to go and quick" was the next call. He was sacked.....promptly. "we're going to need experience to dig us out of this". Enter Paul Lambert. "Shambert has to go to save our season".........you get the idea! With a salary cap and a global pandemic to deal with there has been no opportunity to right the wrongs of Hursts abysmal "shake up".

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blues1 added 07:05 - Mar 17 Pazzy. Just one thing. Hurst didnt buy holy. Lambert brought him in.
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Europablue added 07:17 - Mar 17 Saxonblue74 I haven't read any anti-Cook murmurings at all. I'm not sure where you got that from. I really agree with Cook that the team he put out was good enough to beat Fleetwood. Cook has inherited a mental frailty. I was probably naive to dream and hope that we could somehow put a good run together. We're still in with a shout of the playoffs, but we can't honestly see clear evidence to suggest that we will grab the opportunity with both hands.

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johnwarksshorts added 07:20 - Mar 17 Well said PC.
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Saxonblue74 added 07:22 - Mar 17 Europa, promise I didn't make it up! Were you on the chatroom during last night's match?
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Europablue added 07:23 - Mar 17 In the Evans era we've had two managers who have really set us back terribly by selling and marginalizing decent players and messing with the culture of the club. These men were Roy Keane and Paul Hurst. At least Hurst should have gotten us ready for league one considering all the players he brought in from that level. Other managers have never really solved the problems running though the club, the most worrying being MM. He was an abbrasive character, but he managed the club really well. It was just a shame that he didn't care for the Ipswich way.

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dirtydingusmagee added 07:25 - Mar 17 theres hope yet , PC concidering playing the cleaners ! something many of us have been wanting for ages . coyb
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shakytown added 07:37 - Mar 17 I think hes coming very quickly to the realization that there are quite a few players in this squad who dont give a rats a..e about anything but their paycheck. Massive cull needed and a squad downsize to bring in not only quality but desire as well.
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Bildestoned added 07:52 - Mar 17 It's games like that which make you wonder if we aren't jut simply where we're exactly where we belong. It was a utterly grim performance.
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Vic added 07:54 - Mar 17 Very, very similar to what Hurst and Lambert said a various times.
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Karlosfandangal added 08:30 - Mar 17 Every transfer window I hope some of our stars will stay. Beginning of the season I hoped Downes and Woolfenden stayed so the club would grow. Now with so many out of contract I hope we let them go because we seem to get worse and worse. We need some new blood in here
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Bazza8564 added 08:52 - Mar 17 Its a fair quote and Cook obviously gets the size of the club, as well as the task. Currently we have a huge squad with many loanees none of whom offer us anything better than we have already. WE have talent coming through, and in the absence of the takeover and some cash to spend, the question really in this squad who would I fight to keep? Norwood, Downes Lankester, KVY if we can ever get him fit, Bishop Probably Woolfenden Nsiala, Wilson and Kenlock. Thats 9 and im struggling to that let alone past that. The ones coming through like McGavin, Gibbs, Baggot, might as well get them in and playing. Without inward investment and some talent from outside the current crop just dont cut it. And if you realistically cant cut it in league one.......

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ringwoodblue added 08:58 - Mar 17 Cook has now realised if he didn't know before the enormity of the task in front of him and I just hope he (unlike the ones before him) can turn things around. As I'm a realist, I've now accepted that we will be in Lge1 next season.
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Thebot added 09:13 - Mar 17 The way the league looks to me is 9 teams playing for 5th and 6th. With the "consistently inconsistent" team we have I don't think we will do it. Nothing has changed under cook, same formation same players same results.
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kpblues added 09:18 - Mar 17 I like Paul Cook but if he's putting his faith in Skuse and Chambers then he will making the same mistake as the previous managers. Same talk as before. We need new blood but we're keeping these two. These two have been the consistent factor in our fall from the championship to league 1. Chambers is a blocker nothing else. His pace and distribution are woeful. Lots of appearances doesn't make you a legend. Winning things does. Skuse just does safe passes so his statistics must look great. Sideway passes the norm so no chance of creating an attack on goal. Come on Cookey. Lets go forward with some new thinking. !!

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grow_our_own added 09:18 - Mar 17 "we have to be better" - I hope you include yourself in this statement Mr Cook. ".anagement's tough" - Then please make it easier for yourself by selecting your best players such as Teddy Bishop, who is a proven scorercreator at this level.
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Marinersnose added 09:20 - Mar 17 Again PC excellent assessment of the game and won't be drawn in to speaking in a negative way about any individual. I like so many watch the team with a glimmer of hope but the reality soon becomes so evident that this squad of players are poor and aren't up for the fight. Maybe two or three of last evenings lineup should be retained the rest can leave and no doubt play conference football or similar. Norwood can score goals but I don't see him as the future of this club going forward. We haven't got any quality up top and that's unfortunately a huge issue as we struggle to score goals. We haven't got a midfielder who scores goals either. I'm keen to see a Summer clear out and an enjoyable competitive season after the summer. I'll be amazed if this squad is any better than last season. Top ten is about right.

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ChrisFelix added 09:25 - Mar 17 For me last nights display made worse as earlier i had watched big match revisited on itv hub. Town v Chelsea Sept 1975.Viljoen, Johnson Beattie. The current town team its simply quantity over quality whereas our side from 45 years earlier was the opposite. Im sure Cooks team can make the top 6 but not Wembley if we get a performance like last night !!!!
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Blue_Meanie added 09:25 - Mar 17 Who would I play?: Keepers: No Defence: No (Kenlock,Wolfie at a push) Midfield: Downes (needs to kick on) Forwards: Norwood (if can keep fit) No loan players (what's the point as they will return to parent club if any good) The rest have proven they are not good enough to sustain a challenge in the third tier of English football. Good luck Cookie
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Pezzer added 09:43 - Mar 17 A good starting point is looking at those players who absolutely hate losing, and get rid of those who don't. Personally I would like Chambers and the old pros out as they have been a common denominator since the dire last days of McCarthy's tenure and the subsequent fall from grace, something in the dressing room hierachy sounds a bit iffy.
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