A clearly hurting Flynn Downes spoke to the media following last night’s 3-0 defeat at AFC Wimbledon and the midfielder admitted the result and the performance were far from good enough.

Asked to put a tough night into words, Downes said: “Obviously the result stinks, 3-0. It isn’t good enough from us, we know that. We knew their game plan, two big strikers in the box, put balls in, but we didn’t deal with it. That was the story of the game.”

The 22-year-old says he gets why fans are losing heart regarding the play-off push with the Blues now ninth, five points off the top six with only six games left to play.

“That’s understandable,” he said. “We should be winning games like this easily, and we’ve lost 3-0. It’s not good enough. I don’t know what to say really.

“We’re not out of it yet. Obviously it’s harder now but we’re not out of it. We’ve still got that in the back of our heads and we’ve got to put it right.”

Asked why things are going so badly, Downes admitted: “If I knew the problem I’d sort it. Honestly, I haven’t got a clue. I haven’t got a clue.”

Are the players feeling the pressure? “No, I wouldn’t say it’s that. Honestly, I don’t know what to say, it’s not good enough, that’s all I know. The boys are trying but it’s not good enough.”

The Brentwood-born schemer says the players are hurt by the criticism they have been faced as a second successive League One campaign drifts to a mid-table finish.

“Obviously it hurts a lot, you want to be getting praised and winning games and doing all that,” he said.

“But it’s not happening for us at the minute. We’re drawing, obviously losing tonight. It’s not good enough, we should be winning these, we should be winning these comfortably, but it’s not happening. There’s something wrong.”

Downes was very evidently hurting: “Yes, I ain’t sleeping tonight. It is what it is, that’s the industry. But we’ll go again on Saturday.”

He added: “Honestly I’m speechless. We’ve lost 3-0. We knew what they were going to do - two big geezers in the box, put it in there and we didn’t deal with it.

“That’s cost us the game. We’ve got to go back, watch it all back and sort ourselves out really.”

Downes says his team-mates are similarly hurting: “I suppose everyone deals with it in different ways. It’s hurts me a lot. It shouldn’t be happening. It should not be happening.”

Manager Paul Cook was also evidently feeling the same way: “He’s very passionate and we want to play like that. It’s not a fair reflection on him either.”

He added: “Losing 3-0 is not good, it’s going to damage the confidence. But we’ve got to go in tomorrow and try and put it right on Saturday.”

On a more positive note, Downes is pleased to be back on the field after just under a month out with a hamstring problem.

“I’m happy to be back out there but I want to help the team. Losing 3-0 isn’t doing that,” he reflected. “I’m glad I’m back playing, getting my fitness back.”

Looking back at his season as a whole, the former England U19 and U20 international says he has had a frustrating time.

“For me it’s been horrible,” he continued. “Injured, I’ve just been injured basically. I did my knee and that’s basically it. Got back to fitness, then got injured again. Touch wood it doesn’t happen again.”

A plus for the Blues at the weekend was fellow academy alumnus Tristan Nydam making his first senior appearance in two years following his lengthy spell out injured.

Downes was pleased to see Nydam make his return: “Big time. He’s been putting in the work over the last year. It was good to see him back and he did well when he came on, he did really well. He’s a good one to have back.”

He believes the midfielder could have a big season next year: “Definitely. You saw it in the Championship under Mick he was playing week in, week out. He’s got unbelievable quality. Once his fitness comes he’ll be a standout player for definite.”

Photo: TWTD

Steve_ITFC_Sweden added 13:21 - Apr 14 Downes stood out last night as a player who looked around, got things moving, and generally was in control of what he was doing, rather than flapping around and achieving nothing. Holy did well enough, including a very good save. Some will no doubt disagree, but I thought Toto put in a reasonable shift, winning a lot of balls lumped up to their big forwards. I'd like to see Nydam in the team. As for the rest ... not much to write home about really. Agree with Chris Kiwomya that maybe PC should have picked a team and stuck with it to the end of the season, but then that's easy to say when the results have been so bad. The sooner we can move on, the better. COY[New]B!

2

Steve_ITFC_Sweden added 13:27 - Apr 14 Bazza8564: We could certainly do worse than put out the team you mention on page 1! Maybe Dobra instead of Lankester/Bennetts? Otherwise, looks ok.
1

Trac70 added 13:31 - Apr 14 If Flynn stays at the club in the summer he will, in opinion be made club captain and quite rightly so. Head and shoulders above the rest in both ability and commitment. Reading his interview it sounds like he knows the majority of his team mates are stealing a living!!!!
4

johnwarksshorts added 13:51 - Apr 14 Shows the lads character to come out an face the media after a performance like that. He is one of the very few players in our squad I'd keep. At least he shows some fighting spirit which is, I'm sorry to say sadly lacking in most of the team.
2

Marinersnose added 13:56 - Apr 14 Downes is a massive asset to this team and to the club. If we can keep him another season it would be excellent. Cook needs to find a number 1 keeper two full backs two centre backs four midfielders and four strikers imo. Hopefully the Dads Army will be shown the door which will free up large sums which are currently being wasted on their wages. I'd be happy if he only kept Downes from last evenings starting eleven. They would show real intent.

0

cjpase1027 added 14:06 - Apr 14 Build the team for next season around him, (if we can keep hold of him that is) hes head and shoulders above everyone else.
-1

delias_cheesy_flaps added 14:11 - Apr 14 Send back all the loanees...useless and no use to us next season. Get shot of Dozzell, Chambers, Skuse, Jackson, Sears, Edwards, Huws and all those out of contract as your abject failures. Keep Downes, KVY...struggling after that though...that's how pish poor we are!
4

Chris_Knights added 14:48 - Apr 14 Any team line up won't cut it I'm afraid .....most of the players are rubbish and need to leave .... as for downes ? Decent player but that's all .... worth £1.5 million to Crystal Palace . Enough said .
3

ringwoodblue added 14:58 - Apr 14 Sorry but if Flynn doesn't know what's wrong then how will making him captain help? If he doesn't get snapped up by a Championship side over the summer Id be very surprised but I'd be very happy if he stays. We need a new captain, a real leader who is vocal on and off the pitch, someone who can help motivate the players and lift them when we go behind. Sadly Downes is not the right choice now but could be in years to come if he stays.

0

multiplescoregasms added 15:18 - Apr 14 Think next season we have to see Flynn as captain. I think that extra responsibility would calm him slightly and make him a top player. We should look at the future backbone of the team and build from there. Think it is possible that last night was the final straw for PC as far as some of those players are concerned. If he guts the squad and beings in who he wants, I am sure we will all back him on that.

1

ESSEX75 added 15:20 - Apr 14 Cat takeovers will not save us from lge 1 mark my words.
-3

havinit69 added 15:24 - Apr 14 Are the players feeling the pressure? “No, I wouldn't say it's that"... And this right here is the problem! - Playing for Ipswich should come with the pressures of expectation. These players don't feel it because they don't care enough. All these empty words don't mean a thing, it's actions that we want to see. I like Flynn and i hope that he is one of the few that we keep and make captain but there is a massive rebuild required and a huge change of mentality needed!

3

WeWereZombies added 15:31 - Apr 14 The football industry? First we hear it from one of the new management team and now from Downes (who, I guess, is spouting what is being drummed into them.) It almost seems like Hurst talking about the business instead of the Club was the good times. Long gone are the days when you brushed off a defeat with 'it's only a game' and got on with real life.
0

Ipswichbusiness added 16:05 - Apr 14 We have a captain, but he prefers to send Downes out to face the media following a 3-0 defeat to the mighty Wimbledon. We also conceded three goals, presumably as a central defender, Chambers would accept some responsibility (if he could be bothered to do his media job). The rot starts from the top of the player group. How anyone should think that Chambers should be given a new contract is beyond me.

-2

phillev231069 added 16:05 - Apr 14 He may be hurting, the rest of them.... Probably not fussed. A team of snowflakes i'm afraid, agree with people saying he should be made Captain as we need a player who's prepared to commit everything to the cause. I reckon the John Duncan team could paste this lot!
1

dirtydingusmagee added 16:21 - Apr 14 Marginal but ,woulkd keep Downes on, in better company he has the potential of being a good player and captain.The rest apart from Dobra who i still rate as a good player for the future can go with no reservations at all imo, AND although i'll prob get down marked that includes Norwood .Cook has failed in as far as he hasnt been able to polish a turd, so give him some slack ,new era new players and judge him then . COYB .

3

Juggsy added 17:18 - Apr 14 Not sure how Downes can be blamed for wanting away. The rot was well and truly set in already and Shambert was only making it worse. Any player who didn't have their head firmly up their own a$$ would want away from it surely?
2

gosblue added 17:46 - Apr 14 Downes was the best town player last night but that isn't saying much. He was trying to play football instead of making rash tackles or getting involved in off-the-ball nonsense. He is far from captain material atm but maybe next season he'll be mature enough to wear the armband if he's still here.
1

Trac70 added 17:46 - Apr 14 #Dirtydingusmagee I totally agree about Norwood. Came here thinking he was "Billy big balls" and has produced very little. Wrestling ang GIFS seemed more important. Now he has a drink drive court case hanging round his neck. He's a bad apple in my opinion.
3

bernie added 17:57 - Apr 14 Shame on them !! You should be hurting big time , what the bloody hell has happened to us ?? I knew we were bad , but not this bad . And Mr cook well what can I say but you haven't improved us one bit , but understand you need more time .
0

therein61 added 18:37 - Apr 14 Give him the arm band now the responsibility could be just what he needs to keep a cool head(have a chat with Mick Mills young man he was our skipper from an early age) and still be as competitive he would i reckon command respect from the youngsters then ship out the over paid so called footballers who have cost this club fortunes while taking us further downhill and not giving a toss(only in post match interviews of course 4&8 ring any bells??) we have a manager who will serve us well when he can build his team after the deadwood have left the building.

1

Marinermagic added 18:43 - Apr 14 To us good old boys this all seems to have a bit of similarity to the early Robson days. Whilst we know how that turned out there is one big difference. With only a few exceptions this so called team is far worse than the one Mr Robson inherited. But with a strong will and unflinching support we might just might find a way out of this but boy have we got to be patient and get behind the current manager. The Deadwood Stage is getting ready to leave Town - all aboard. COYB

3

Saxonblue74 added 19:19 - Apr 14 Players not feeling the pressure? Well they bloody should be! Perhaps they'd put in a better shift if they were! Sorry but can't agree with Downes for skipper. He needs to learn to keep his head first, no good wearing the arm band as you're trudging off for your early bath!
-1

norfolkbluey added 20:28 - Apr 14 Where are the likes of Terry Butcher, Beatie, Mills, Wark and their like? There is not one of our current bunch that would have been even a sub on the bench in their teams. No characters, faceless and inept is a partial summary of their uselessness. The last decade has been difficult to accept. A slow decline into a complete farce. I will never stop supporting the club but my goodness what we as supporters have had to put up with is near hell. To add to this ignominy, we see our neighbours dressed as canaries going up AGAIN to the premiership. We can't even beat Peterborough, Lincoln and struggle against Northampton! I was hoping for a bounce with PC but his record is even worse than PL!!!We have to say unless we see a 360 degree change on Saturday there can be no promotion this year. Sad sad times, but hey ho COYB.

0

Kickingblock added 21:03 - Apr 14 Deadwood Stage? Whip-crack away! Whip-crack away! Whip-crack away!
0

Blogs 295 bloggers

Ipswich Town Polls