Boss Paul Cook admitted that while Town were never in much danger of losing their 0-0 draw at Rochdale, they similarly didn’t look like scoring the goals which would claim the three points.

Asked for his thoughts on what was a not overly enthralling game, Cook joked: “No chance! Obviously we all watch the same game. For managers now, we’re in a culture where you take positives and the positive is that we’ve got a point.

“We kept a clean sheet, we haven’t folded away from home when we might have done previously but I felt it was a game that we never really looked losing. We looked quite solid at the back. Did we ever look like scoring the goals to win us the game? Probably not the same way.

“The flair players in football today, they’re huge at every football club no matter who you are. Our lads this year, our record’s there where we haven’t really scored enough goals, we’ve huffed and puffed in those areas and today we’re still doing the same things.

“I’ll just keeping working with the boys. I’ve just said to them in there that we have to have a little bit of humility about us as a group. We’re a great club, everyone knows that, they’ve heard all that before.

“And the first thing we all do, we look at ourselves - are we working hard enough, are we doing enough? So going forward then that we can have a plan.

“Today we hoped we’d win the game, but we didn’t believe we were going to win it, we hoped. And a club like ours coming to Rochdale, we’ve got to be better than that, we’ve got to believe we’re going to win, when we’re going to win, what minute are we going to score? None of us felt that. And that’s the sadness but sadness can soon turn to joy, can’t it? That’s for sure.”

"Is it difficult to solve the issue of a lack of a goal threat? “We are, James Norwood is out injured. Oli Hawkins has come on today, we’ve put combinations together which we haven’t really worked on.

“Let’s have it right, we’re at a stage of the season where getting on the training ground is difficult because of fatigued and tiredness, we travelled up north yesterday.

“What we have at the club is a really honest group of players, there’s no doubt about that. I’ve been in this building, I’ve been in dressing rooms that have characters who aren’t honest. We don’t have that.

“We have a group of young lads that are honest but at times are lacking quality and you’d expect us to have that quality at this club, which is something, with eight games to go, we still have a chance of doing.

“I said to them in there ‘you’ve got to be the one to step up, it’s your time, now is your time. Forget everything’s that gone on, let’s step up to the plate’.

Quizzed on whether Norwood would be back for next week’s home game against the MK Dons, he added: “With the greatest respect to every player, it’s hard at this club because we just get more injuries at this club than at any club I’ve seen. I’m not putting dates on it, I don’t think he’s bad, it’s a thigh problem and you don’t want him to carry on playing.

“Again, let’s lick our wounds let’s travel back south, disappointment’s never far away in football and the disappointment is that we want to be so much better than we are and with eight games to go, we’ve got to find a way, haven’t we?

“Within the shape of the team, we do look quite solid, I give them that. But we don’t look like scoring.

“We made five positive subs, I might be wrong with that. Sorry, Myles Kenlock came on the left side because Teddy Bishop was just shattered. Teddy worked so hard, second game [in four days], he carried an ankle problem from the game on Friday, so Myles came on just to block that side.

“But within that we tried our best to get players on. I thought Oli Hawkins looked a handful, I’ve got to say that. Again, it is what it is, you’ve watched it yourselves, you don’t need me to go over it much more.”

Cook started in the 3-5-2 system employed against Bristol Rovers before moving to a four-man backline towards the end of the first half.

“I think our supporters, going forward, know I have beliefs in the game and stuff like that,” he continued. “But at the minute we don’t have the personnel to do that.

“But what we do have is players coming back like Flynn Downes, who will be back with us, so we have options to get good players on the pitch. Kane Vincent-Young will be back this week.

“We’ve got the ingredients, haven’t we? What we’ve got to do is put them into the pot to make a nice meal.

“At the minute, I’m not so sure how it will be next Saturday. Feel free to write in and give us some suggestions.

“Keep believing, that would be my message to fans. I know it’s been a tough year for everyone and it’s easy to criticise us again.

“I watch the games as a fan. If I was a travelling fan today, would I have been happy? No! Not a chance. But would I go home and still support my team? One hundred per cent.”

Many fans and pundits thought Town needed six points from their two Easter games, however, Cook isn’t too unhappy with four.

“I genuinely thought it had to be four and I’ve got to be honest about that,” he said. “I think that if you keep picking four points out of each two games you’ll be fine.

“The reality is that each dropped point puts the pressure on the next game and the reality for us is that if we want to be in the play-offs, it looks at the minute that our home form is good, but away from home we need to be better. And that’s for me and the staff to address.”

That neither side managed a shot on target summed up the game but also illustrates Town’s strengths and weaknesses at the present time.

“You don’t need many comments from me on that,” Cook continued. “That’s the truth. You guys travel, we try and put flair players on. Sometimes our quality in possession of the ball is alarming, but there you go.”

Are confidence or belief the issue? “I don’t know, I can’t answer those questions because we travelled on the back of good home win. We travelled to Fleetwood off the back of a good home win.

“But for some reason, we don’t seem to take games by the scruff of the neck and say ‘we’re Ipswich Town, we’re dominating this football match, we’re about to take control’.

“It’s always hope and you don’t play football with hope, well you have to play with hope, but you’ve got to play with belief and the belief comes off the players. Could our players have ran more or worked harder? No. Did we lack quality? Yes, 100 per cent.”

Reflecting on the game further, he added: “You’ve watched more games than me, you’re not going to learn any more from me today that you don’t already know and the supporters don’t.

“Within that, my big message to the players in the dressing room is ‘step up to the plate, come on, there are eight games to go, so much football to play, let’s step up to the plate’. And that will be the continuous message.”

Rochdale manager Brian Barry-Murphy felt his team, whose only win at Spotland this season was back in October, were the more likely victors.

“I thought it was a tough game,” he told the Dale official website. “I thought our lads put everything into the last two games - the one on Friday [a 2-1 defeat at Portsmouth] and today.

“We’ve had loads of games this season where we’ve played well and probably haven’t got what we felt we deserved.

“Today I thought we defended resolutely and I thought we were in the game for the whole game.

“I thought we were the team likely to win it, in difficult conditions. I’m just really proud of the lads for the amount effort they put into the game to get a result at home.”

Photo: TWTD

Bert added 19:06 - Apr 5 Bishop shattered after two games in 4 days ! Try saying that to most of the England players who played 3 internationals and then a PL games in 8 days. We play walking football at times and it is just not good enough.
4

Woodbridgian added 19:06 - Apr 5 Haha Couldn't would of been better 😂😂
-3

VanDusen added 19:09 - Apr 5 Spot on comments again by Cook. He knows this is outrageously poor and the key will be getting his own players in and starting again next year. But equally it's not all as doom and gloom as even Brenner and Alex were painting it this afternoon on the commentary. We're a pedestrian side, but the league is average too - and objectively looking at the table we've still plenty of chance to make the playoffs just three points off with eight to play, particularly given we've still got Charlton in a six pointer. Obviously looks highly unlikely on today's showing and even if we got there even more unlikely we'd perform in the playoffs. But let's just hope Downes, Vincent-Young, Wilson and Norwood are closer to being fit than we think - as we'd certainly be better with than without them...

2

Disstractorboy added 19:11 - Apr 5 Its all in the name . Paul Jewell, Paul Hurst, Paul Lambert now Paul Cook . No more blooming Paul's please.
-7

sixtyblue added 19:12 - Apr 5 If you lack 100% as PC said you don't have any.
-2

StavangerBlue added 19:25 - Apr 5 With so many players possibly leaving in the summer they will be trying to not get injured. If they get injured they won't get a contract or a new club. That also means they won't bust a gut for a win. The players are this bad. It's what you get when you sell your best, import free agents and spend peanuts. Guess what will happen in the summer? ME will not get the wallet out. It will be players who are free agents; at League One level...yikes.

11

StavangerBlue added 19:26 - Apr 5 @Distractorboy I find your post a-Paul-ling.
1

Wishing4arightback added 19:33 - Apr 5 I think there are players here who do not want to go up, as if we did there is no chance of them being given a new contract, stay in league 1 and they might get another years money for doing sweet FA! It smacks of when we were in the Championship play off year. Players then clearly didn't want to get promoted for the same reason. I'm so glad I have kept paying for a season ticket AND pay for away games on iFollow. I hope the players enjoy our money for doing a lot less work than the fans who have normal jobs!!

1

Hiltzkooler added 19:35 - Apr 5 As much as one warms to Paul Cook, today I question is he as good as his record suggests...which ever way you cut this, the Town squad, on paper is a good one...but PC has not been able to play a tune with it.. not one performance so far that says yes I can see a plan, a pattern of play ...PC speaks well...but the football is not good...how come he cannot get these players to play how he wants...not one player can say they have stood up and been counted... is the malaise, the rot that deep rooted?...I've got to say I'm concerned...what happens if the club does get sold and PC states that the new ownership is not for him...very uncertain times

2

westernblue added 19:36 - Apr 5 ‘I watch the games as a fan'. Then he would have seen that the our midfielders play like strangers. The Rochdale midfield - ok, a low bar perhaps - were different class. Clearly Jackson is not a footballer - everyone, however limited, gets goal side of him, and he does not understand when you can let the ball run - but the poor guy had such poor service. Sorry to say it, but Even the strengths of Dozell seem to have been lost. Bishop - tired? Judge - a patchy contributor who sees no structure. I have no idea what seems to be wrong with, say, Huws, but is his passing and movement - and physicality, for God's sale - worse than Dozell's and Bishop's? Cook really needs to get a grip. At the very least the substitutes should have been given the s

-2

Drifter3012 added 19:38 - Apr 5 Back in February/March Portsmouth were on a losing streak they brought in Danny Cowley, 4 straight wins. We have not seen anything like that which is disappointing but maybe no one could change the desire of our players. However if Cook fails to build over the summer next season could be a disaster. Just really hoping for a change in our fortunes when it comes to players coming in for 21/22.

3

blueboy1981 added 19:40 - Apr 5 Far to much praise heaped on young players in the past before they achieve anything - i.e Dozzell, Bishop, etc; etc; - result - what we see now !! And they still think they are Superstars !! No one will buck Dozzell up in the next 3 years - I wonder why ?? - he'll coast along, as will a few others, PC or no PC.
3

surgery added 19:40 - Apr 5 Strange, when Lambert was in charge it was his fault because the players we have are capable of playing much better, now we have the new Messiah it's not his fault because those same players are crap
13

warktheline added 19:42 - Apr 5 Sums up grotesquely where this club currently finds itself under the ownership of Evans....a labouring odd goal victory over Bristol Rovers followed by a paint drying performance against minnows Rochdale ...a check of the league table should clarify just how far we've fallen, and continue to!!!!!
7

Ipswichbusiness added 20:05 - Apr 5 What has happened to Huws? If Bishop was carrying an injury and/or knackered Huws would be the obvious replacement.
1

90z added 20:09 - Apr 5 Would like to see Paul try some of our under 23 strikers.. Oppong, Bello Simpson.. Zak or Kai Brown.. its something different they can't do any worse than what we already have.
3

Edmundo added 20:13 - Apr 5 Doesn't matter who the monkey is, if the organ grinder is inept, the tune will be cr@p. Equally, if the organ is falling to bits. I think we know that our club is in pieces, left to ruin over many years, like a house neglected by its owner. We don't just need a refit, we need a new owner and a rebuild.
4

WhoisJimmyJuan added 20:20 - Apr 5 My opinion for what it's worth is I am willing to be patient with PC on the basis that, for example, John Lyall and George Burley had slow starts but got it right after a season or so. But PC HAS to get it right this summer and Evans HAS to back him. Massive player clearance needed and a few more promoted from the academy. But I would like to see far, far more in terms of scouting. I remember Burleys scouts finding Bobby Petta out of nowhere on a free. These days we do not seem to cast the net anything like far enough.

4

alfromcol added 20:25 - Apr 5 Huws must have a private problem or we would have been told by now why he isn't in the squad?
2

arc added 20:25 - Apr 5 I'm pleased to see the word "humility" in Cook's remarks. It has been a mystery to me for the last few years that our players are repeatedly reported to be "complacent." What on Earth does anyone in this group have to be complacent about? They have achieved precisely nothing–or worse than nothing. If they want to have decent careers as footballers, they need to start showing some urgency and gumption.

3

muhrensleftfoot added 20:26 - Apr 5 The myth that we have a good squad, or even the best in ge league is long blown. We have a large squad of poor players. One or two may be half decent but under perform week in week out. It would be great to have a small squad playing for the shirt Probably have to wait until next season....
2

grow_our_own added 20:40 - Apr 5 Nailed it Surgery
0

Umros added 20:49 - Apr 5 Utter disgrace to the shirt. Get the Cull underway Paul
1

EricGatesShinpad added 20:52 - Apr 5 Not wanting to depress you all any further check out this link to see how much our prima donnas are getting paid fir putting a shift in today.... https://salarysport.com/football/sky-bet-league-one/ipswich-town/ Not sure how accurate the figs are but very depressing ! not sure how accurate but should give
2

norfolkbluey added 20:57 - Apr 5 Clueless and inept and that's the truth. Can't see even a smidgen of improvement since PC has taken over. I hope he's not a one trick pony like Lambert was at Norwich! Such a disappointment but still think we needed a hard man not a comedian. Sorry Paul but this squad needs a rocket up their arses not a joker otherwise the joke will be on us. I just can't see a positive so far but we keep hoping but more like a miracle now. 8 games to try and score convincing wins. Just fed up with the constant disappointments. Not good for moral.

3

Blogs 295 bloggers

Ipswich Town Polls