Boss Paul Cook admitted the Blues have to be “so much better than that” following their 0-0 draw away against his old club Wigan but insisted he still believes Town can make the play-offs, although is less convinced that the players share that faith.

Asked what he made of the game, Cook reflected: “What did I make of that? What did I make of that? An OK point for us in the end, if we’re being truthful.

“The game lacked quality from both teams, the pitch was difficult I suppose, but you make excuses, don’t you?

“We need to be so much better than that as a team, but we take a point. We move on to the next game. There are 10 games left in our season, the imbalances of the home and away games have been quite strong.

“A big positive is that we drew with Lincoln and we beat Plymouth at home and we go into Bristol Rovers at home now. We need a win quickly, we’ve got to get a win on the board quickly to just give ourselves the belief that we can make those play-offs.”

Was he disappointed that his side didn’t really grab the game by the scruff of the neck? “I’m not so sure we’ve got that in us at the minute, have we? You guys have watched us a lot longer than me.

“We huff and you puff and do what we do, we sort of revert to where we look at times defensively quite OK, but we finished the game very nervily, which I don’t understand.

“We should be controlling games and opening teams up and putting quality balls in the box and it’s just something we’re not doing at the minute.

“We just keep going, get on that training ground and you work harder and harder and you remind the players, and myself, that when you’re managing and you play for a big club there’s an expectancy and that’s a really good expectancy because it’s something you’ve got to step up to and at the minute I’d suggest, myself included, we’ve got a little bit of a way to go to get to that mark.”

Is he still unwavering in his belief that Town can make the play-offs? “Yes. Come on, if I can’t believe [who can?].

“Someone once told me ‘If you can’t believe, how can anyone else?’. I look at it and go to myself, we need a big rub of the green.

“As I’ve just said to them in the dressing room after the game, everyone looks like they’re waiting for someone else to do something. I’ve never seen a team like that.

“We’ve got to have go-to players that step up to the plate and go ‘Have that, cross that onto Norwood’s head’.

“I’m desperate to give Kayden Jackson a run down the centre of the pitch with James Norwood but it’s something I’ve never played and you’ve got to be a very direct team to do that.

“You’ve got to have wingers putting balls in the box, you’ve got to be hitting second strikers but it’s something that I don’t see us being really good at.

“But what I can guarantee to our supporters is that I won’t stick with anything rigid with the 10-game campaign that could see us be successful, that’s for sure.”

Do the players believe the same? “I’d suggest no, if I’m being brutally honest with you. I’d suggest no, I’d suggest that they just look at each other and hope that someone steps up. That’s not how I’ve managed in my career, that’s not how my teams play.

“Home and away we take the game to people, we are off our front foot, we are aggressive. I think Kane Vincent-Young’s substitution at half-time was disappointing because I think there was one situation just before half-time where you saw the qualities that he can bring to the game with a really good overlap and a penetration into the box. That’s what we want to be, that’s a glimpse of it. But it happened certainly nowhere enough.

“Listen, our supporters on iFollow in their thousands, they’ll be as disappointed as anyone tonight. All I can tell them is that there won’t be a stone unturned, we want to go up this year, we are desperate to get in those play-offs. Tonight it doesn’t look good, tomorrow is a different day.”

Is it character and personality he’s talking about? “You know what guys, I think even for you [the media], in my short time as Ipswich manager, I think I’m a very open type of manager, I answer all questions. I think you’ll end up leading me to sort of say one or two things about the team that are lacking.

“I think visually every one of our supporters knows what’s lacking, you guys knows what’s lacking, so we don’t need to keep telling each other.

“What we’ve got to go away and do is find it, find that ingredient to make a nice meal and that’s my job, that’s what I’m paid very well to do.”

Town have 10 games to go, time is running out and players can’t keep pointing to the number of matches which remain to be played.

“I’ll shoulder all that pressure for those players, that’s my job,” Cook continued. “Those players have only got to put a run together to win games.

“In this league, if you win two or three games, you’ll be exactly where you want to be. It’s like starting a marathon, you’ve got to do the first mile.

“At the minute we’re at the starting blocks, we all know the marathon is going to be tough but we can do it.”

Cook confirmed that Vincent-Young was forced off at half-time with an injury: “Hamstring injury, his hamstring, he had to come off. You can’t carry on like that, can you?

“I’m so disappointed for the lad, he’s worked so hard to get back in. But it is what it is and we have to accept it and you’re then putting a centre-half [Luke Woolfenden] in at right-back.

“You know yourselves, I’ve never believed in making excuses as a manager, I never have and I never will. he brutal reality today was that we didn’t have the quality to open them up and that’s heart-breaking, isn’t it. But there you go.”

One positive for the Blues was Armando Dobra’s contribution having come on as a sub in the second half.

“Yes, he showed a couple of good little passages of play by controlling the ball well and retaining possession,” Cook continued. “It’s something that everyone in our team should be doing a helluva lot better.

“As I say, I come out and show a united front to you guys, that’s my job, it really is, I’ve got to make sure that these lads, who probably over a period of time now have struggled with the expectancy on them, [can perform] and it’s their time now.

“There are 10 games running out. We all know with contracts and situations managers can threaten you. My big threat to the players, let’s see what we’re really about in these last 10 games.”

In addition to the club’s play-off ambitions, they have a lot to play for personally with so many contracts up at the end of the season.

“One hundred per cent, and they’ve got to feel that,” Cook said. “Promotions and success in your life, are the best days in your life, they’re what makes you strive to do it again.

“With our lads they’ve got to feel and taste that we’re so close. We beat Bristol Rovers and go up to Rochdale and win, the reality is that we're in the play-offs. Is that asking too much of our players? I don’t think it is. I think I’m demanding it now, if I’m being truthful.”

Asked whether he expected more by this stage having won one, drawn two and lost three of his six games with Town, Cook added: “Of course I did. You come in, you can say what you want. The biggest concern I had when I walked in the building was the lack of goals in the team.

“That was my biggest concern. As I speak to you guys now, I haven’t solved that problem. I love teams that put loads of crosses in, that get in great areas of the pitch, that can do everything.

“At the minute we’re just stuttering away. We’re like an engine that’s just gone a bit wrong and we keep stuttering in the hope that we can find that gear that will take us forward. But I tell you what, we’ll keep working at it, that’s for sure.”

Looking ahead to the week to come, he said: “There’s an U23s game at Charlton on Monday, we’ll be very strong. Myself, [first-team coach] Gary [Roberts], we’ll all be there watching the lads, it’s an opportunity to impress. We’ll get a rest into Chambers, Dozzell, Toto and the rest because they’ve had a lot of games.

“The club will be off Tuesday. We’ll come in on Wednesday and Thursday and we’ll fire into Bristol Rovers in the biggest game of our season on Friday.”

Jon Nolan was with the subs the Town subs but Cook says that doesn’t indicate the midfielder, who suffered a knee injury earlier this month, is closing in on a return.

“No, I’d love to say yes,” Cook said. “Jon won’t play again this season, it was a really tough knock that he got.

“He lives up in Liverpool, it was a chance for him to go and see his family and travel with the players and put a little smile on his face.”

U23s coach Kieron Dyer was on the bench with the staff for the first time. Asked what the thinking was behind that, Cook said: “We’re here to help each other. Kieron’s an exceptionally good coach, he’s a really gifted coach, his career’s there for everyone to see.

“If his experience can help any of our young lads as a role model, why shouldn’t he be in and around our squad and team at the minute?

“Everyone at the club can learn, I’m still learning every day. The reality of football is that we want to help each other to learn so we can get better so we can deliver success for Ipswich Town.”

Asked about a report in one of this morning’s national newspapers which claimed he had angrily sent the players home at lunchtime on Wednesday - when a double session had been planned - and food was as a result donated to a local charity, Cook responded: “We were in Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday. What we wanted to do on Wednesday was give one of the local charities some of the food that we’re lucky enough to get delivered every day.

“So if you’re looking for stories about fallouts, you’ll have to look somewhere else.

“You’re speaking to the wrong guy. I think the reality for us is, if you’re looking for fallouts, you’d be looking for them every day. I think in the press you can always twist a story to how you want it to be twisted.

“The reality is that our lads are working every so hard to get better so that we can finish the season strongly in the play-offs, that’s the story I’d like you to lead on.”

Wigan boss Leam Richardson felt a 0-0 draw was perhaps inevitable as he came up against his old boss.

“It was destined to be like that wasn't it?" he told Wigan Today. “The game ebbed and flowed and took different directions, but on the balance of the 90 minutes a draw was probably a fair result.

“At the minute we've got to try and take each and every positive, and so we'll class that as a point gained.

“And the biggest credit you can give these lads is that they're still here, competing, giving me everything they've got.

Regarding facing Cook, he added: ”It was obviously a very surreal experience, having worked so closely with him for so long.

“I know how good a manager he is, how he sets his teams up and the energy he brings to every club he's at.

“I heard him say before the game he's been carrying me for years. He got that in first, which I don't mind! But we'll have a beer and have a chat, and have that conversation again.

“In a way it wasn't a nice situation to be in opposition to him today, because we both knew how important the points are to Wigan Athletic at the moment.

“We both know how important it is we stay up and how hard the group's worked to give themselves a chance of doing so.

“At the same time you always like to see your mate doing well, so maybe a 0-0 draw was the right result on the day.”

Photo: Pagepix

Umros added 09:08 - Mar 28 Jon Nolan still living in Liverpool having played (loose term) for three seasons for us. Really? What commitment. He can stay there as far as I am concerned......one less than average player to worry about. Get that contract cancelled Evans!
2

ArnieM added 09:22 - Mar 28 Norwichbeater: who are you referring to specifically when you say “old school”? Are you referring ( as I suspect you are ) to Chambers and Skuse? Who else can you play instead of Chambers at right back ? (! It'd been mostly Toto snd Wilson at CB). With mostly Kenlock at left back . Ward has recently come back into that position after Kenlock was given the run around in a couple of games . The problems st tight snd left back are thst the players pencilled in for those slots are either inconsistent ( Kenlock) or injury prone ( KVY) , or in their last season ( Ward, Chambers) but these latter two , legs gone as they are are at least dependable by snd large . Who on earth else have we in this supposedly best squad in this division , have we got that can come in NOW snd do the job? I'd suggest no one . The better younger players in this squad I think will jump ship in the summer when clubs come calling . In that group id list , Downes, Dozzell, possibly even Bishop snd Woolfie. If they get interest I'm sure they'll go . Players you'd expect to be pulling up trees in this division but have consistently failed to do so are, Judge , Edwards, Jackson, Sears. Seriously , I'd boot the lot of them into touch. How long to you give senior pros to step up to the plate ? I honestly believe we need s good clear out of players . It's long overdue . Lambert is culpable IMO because he bottled doing just that . There's something very wrong with this “ group” of players . They feed off each other negatively. It needs breaking up . We do have done good youngsters at this Club and I don't know about you but I'm getting the feeling Cook is now already considering some of our U 23's gif the remaining games . What's he got to lose? COYBs 👍

3

Dockerblue added 10:50 - Mar 28 texastom, you are spot on, we have no on-field leadership, no players that boss games. Our senior players and so-called captain don,t lead by example. Sears came in today and offered nothing so was replaced, Edward's was poor again, Dozzell and Bishop largely ineffective. That's the problem, the midfield are really poor. I doubt we,ll see Sears in a Town shirt again after Dobra came on and showed him how it,s done. I wish PC all the best and hope he,ll get it right but big clear-out needed in summer. Due to the Covid Pandemic football will be awash with unattached players this end of season and l have no doubt PC will find the right type of personnel to mould a team that can manage to play to his preferred style and follow basic instructions. The only players l would keep as definate starters are Norwood, KVY (if we can ever get him fit!) Dobra, Wilson and possibly Woolfenden. Some of the younger ones, Lankester, McGavin, Ndaba, Gibbs in the right squad to develop and the rest Goodbye, you,ve had your chance. A nice touch by PC to have Keiron Dyer along yesterday, maybe he should get him and Butch in the dressing room to tell the over-rated, over- hyped and over-payed wimps what it should mean to play for Ipswich Town! Seriously looking forward to end of season, mass exodus and hopefully mass-influx.

2

groundhog added 11:22 - Mar 28 be interesting to see where all our released players end up next season. league 2 clubs or non league i guess for most.
2

Monkey_Blue added 14:49 - Mar 28 We've had the opposite of a new manager bounce under cook. As we did when hurst replaced Mick. Not giving up on cook or the chance of promotion but there is very little consistency from most fans. The run we've had is as poor as anything under Lambert
-1

Monkey_Blue added 14:57 - Mar 28 I should have added “at this level”. You can hardly blame Lambert for inheriting a championship side filled with journeymen lower league players buy a journeyman lower league manager
0

norfolkbluey added 17:47 - Mar 28 I really think if we rounded up all our past stars who have kept fit they would beat our current squad!! How on earth PC is going to mould this crop of players into a force for promotion is beyond my imagination. They have in truth become worse as a team since PC came. As some on here said we should play half the under 23's who seem to have more enthusiasm and blue running through their blood that our current so called players. Have they no conscience or shame to go out and play like they are at present? Disgraceful is the only adjective that befits them. Who do they think will want them at the end of their current contracts playing as they are. All the loan players we have must be even worse if they are not being picked to play. Again high hopes of these players coming to add something has not materialised. Why? No wonder KVY was allowed to come to us if he's injury prone from CU. They must have known. Finally what is it with managers who persist with one up front when it is blatantly not working with the current players. Week after week fewer goals being scored. It just does not flaming work. Record needle stuck! It aint working Paul and if we get into the playoffs we will easily get done over. Change tactics with one up next year with players you get in. Currently promotion is as far off reality as it gets unless we start scoring on a regular basis. No sign of that with one up front.

0

Barty added 11:02 - Mar 29 I've heard that before but trouble is we cant play better than that because we don't have enough decent players [ in fact we don't have any !! ]
0

Nobbysnuts added 11:19 - Mar 29 The problem is our players are playing at their best..unfortunately they are just crap...remember you can't polish a turd...💩💩💩
1

ChrisR added 11:54 - Mar 29 So some are upset because they have been shouted at ? Poor Dears , perhaps they should look for another profession where their feelings would not be so easily hurt , yet still earn £1000s a week!!
0

Razor added 11:57 - Mar 29 Yes the fans know what is lacking----PASSION EFFORT POSITIVITY. tO BE FAIR WE COULD DO WITH A BREAK AND A BIT OF LUCK----WE GET NO DEFLECTIONS FALLING TO OUR PLAYERS LIKE WE SEE SO MANT TIMES ON SAT NIGHT AND TWO UP FRONT WITH PERHAPS OLLIE HAWKINS HELPING NOZZA----WE CAN NOT CREATE ANYTHING SO LET IT BE BRUTE FORCE!!
0

Linkboy13 added 13:35 - Mar 29 Wouldn't be surprised if Cook walked away from this shambles .He's a proven good manager and bound to get offers from other clubs if they get an inklen or rumours that he's not happy. It's going to take two to three years to sort this rubbish out.
0

Blogs 295 bloggers

Ipswich Town Polls