Cook: Chambers and Skuse Both Still Have Football in Them
Friday, 7th May 2021 11:47

Town boss Paul Cook believes veteran pair Luke Chambers and Cole Skuse still have some football in them whether that’s at Portman Road or elsewhere next season.

The duo, both 35, are among those who are out of contract in the summer and along with their team-mates will learn their fate on Monday.

Centre-half Chambers joined on a free transfer after leaving Nottingham Forest in the summer of 2012 and has been club captain for most of his time with the Blues, while his close friend midfielder Skuse signed on a free transfer from Bristol City the following year.

Both have been linked with Colchester United - along with ex-U’s striker Freddie Sears - with Skuse having been spotted at the JobServe Community Stadium last weekend with another friend, ex-Town defender and Maldon & Tiptree boss Wayne Brown.

The Jammers have a close connection with the U’s with Brown having been the League Two side’s caretaker-manager earlier in the season.

Cook has kept his cards close to his chest on who he might keep and who he will release in the summer. However, whatever he decides on Chambers and Skuse, he believes they will still have a part to play somewhere.

“One hundred percent,” he insisted. “They’ve both got football in them, whether that’s at Portman Road, as I say we want to do everything properly now guys.

“It’s tough because everyone has a feeling when a new manager comes in when the squads in the position it’s in, when new ownership comes in. There’s so much doubt around the building, and it’s not nice.

“Because this is people’s livelihoods and families and people have moved to the area, and there’s a lot of pain and hurt around it.

“It’s easy for managers to be brutal and say this and that, but we’ve got to remember all these people have feelings that we’re involved with.

“So let’s do everything as well as we can, everyone that will play the game Sunday, we’ll speak to everyone involved, and hopefully, people will have clarity on their futures and the way forward for us a club.”

Will there be any room for sentiment regarding his team selection on Sunday with both having been great servants to the club over many years. Chambers may well be involved in any case at right-back with Kane Vincent-Young out with a shoulder injury which is expected to require a minor operation.

“Again, for Ipswich fans, I think sentiment in football is something that I’m not so sure there is if I’m being truthful,” he reflected. “I think it’s a very cold industry now.

“Certainly for the two guys we’re speaking about, Chambo and Cole, I think they’ve been exemplary pros for this football club, I think they’ve been stand out men, stand out people, they’ve had good careers at the club.

“Chambo will obviously be involved on Sunday, as will probably Cole in the squad but what the team selection will look like will be seen.

“For those two lads, it would have been obviously a lot better if the supporters and their families could have been in the stadium to see them play.

‘Obviously that’s not the case, but both their futures are still to be decided as well, so whilst we do look on that side of it, the sentiment, we’re also looking at ideally wanting to win the game, that’s what football is about.

“We’re trying to get messages into players, consistent messages now, on how we play, on style of play, on identity and converting chances. And certainly in the last two games we’ve had enough chances to win football games, and that’s been a small pleasing point.”

Photos: Matchday Images

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