Boss Paul Cook says the first few days of pre-season have been exciting but has warned that building a new team can be a slow process.

The Town squad returned for pre-season training on Saturday with six new signings now involved at Playford Road. A number of last season’s first-teamers are training with the U23s, although as reported at the weekend Armando Dobra has been promoted back to the senior squad.

“There may have been some concerns from the supporters following the drastic action at the end of last season, but we are starting to build a new team and that can be a slow process," Cook told the club site.

“We're looking to bring quality into the club and I am really delighted with what we have done so far.

“We were in a difficult position with where we finished last season, so naturally there was unhappiness around the club.

“Going forward though, I think the supporters will be pleased to hear that we are going through every detail in terms of recruitment.

“To make a good team you need a mix of experience, youth, energy, goals - there are a lot of factors. We've had meetings with the board and [CEO] Mark Ashton and we are aligned in what we want to do.

“Everyone wants the best for the club and we're working on what is required to take us forward.

“We've returned for pre-season now which is great, and we want to see the players integrating and gelling because we will need that after a lot of change. The first few days of pre-season have been exciting.”

Photo: TWTD

BcarefulwhatUWish4 added 03:54 - Jul 1 It will take Cook time to turn things around. He's brought in quality signings so far IMO. No need to stoop to ad hominem attacks in the forum.
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mojo added 07:10 - Jul 1 Monkey Blue- It is easy to believe in the arc. There for all to see and still stranded in Ipswich Docks isn't it
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BettyBlue added 07:11 - Jul 1 I would put money on us swapping places with Colchester next summer.
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BettyBlue added 07:18 - Jul 1 Great, get rid of all the players and get a few rejects in early for a 5 a side tournament. Easy to buy and sell players when you're using someone else's money. Let's see if all his blabber turns into anything useful on a football pitch. He has had a negative effect so far.
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Brazils_Hair added 08:38 - Jul 1 Suffolkboy I agree with you. We need the excitement factor to stick around and manifest itself with results on the pitch. Plus Dobra back in the first team, its all good news as far as I'm concerned. Very excited about this season.
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Bazza8564 added 08:40 - Jul 1 So many sceptics comparing this with Hurst. However, Hurst sold championship players , recruited league one players and we ended up in league one. He was an inexperienced manager, and alongside owner without a clue about running a club Cookie us selling players with league one and two quality and bringing in the nest players in league one and those with experience of premier and championship. He is experienced, proven to get promotion with more than one club and thoroughly respected in the game, something neither Hurst nor Evans were. We have new owners, a talented well qualified team at the top, money to sign the best players at our level, the strength to rid ourselves of those who frankly failed us, and yet people still think we are on the wring track. Have some faith people even if you have no sense, as I block one or two more idiots from my view before I type something else that might offend……

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Bazza8564 added 08:49 - Jul 1 Oh, and apologies for the fat fingered spelling above…..
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blues1 added 08:53 - Jul 1 Anyone who's saying hes making his excuses early clearly knows nothing about football. Very few teams who make wholesale changes get it right straight away. Been a couple in recent history whove done so, but it absolutely can take time. It's not simply about signing players. Those players have to get to know each other, to know each others game, to adjust to the way the manager wants them to play. Some players may settle quicker than others. So let's be realistic guys. Hes spot on that it CAN take time. And that's all hes said. That it can take time. Maybe it will click straight away, but let's be patient if it doesnt. Let's not have idiots calling for the managers head if we dont start brilliantly. Remember, sir bobby started really badly and if the idiots calling for his head had got their way, wed never have been the great team we were. Too many on here seem to take the view that cse we have new owners, manager and new team, that everything is suddenly gonna be brilliant, that we're gonna walk the league. It's not gonna happen. Take a look at the other teams in this lge this season. Anyone who thinks we just have to turn up is dreaming. Maybe itll just click into place right away, maybe it wont. Whichever tho, we need to get behind them. One thing is guaranteed. We ARE moving in the right direction. COYB.

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Linkboy13 added 08:58 - Jul 1 After ten games i think we will get some idea if Cook is moving in the right direction. These new owners will probably have some body already lined up if things go wrong normally they go for a foreign manager who can bring in their own players that don't cost the earth. But for now im backing Cook all the way.
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ElephantintheRoom added 09:06 - Jul 1 Be interesting to see if Cook can act like a football club manager and actually manage, rather than act like a petulant child and mismanage, His efforts last season were the most dismal by any manager in the club's history - and supporters have to be naieve as well as faithful to think a leopard can change its spots. Perhaps he can take some of his own advice and show some patience. It would be a start

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BobbyBell added 09:22 - Jul 1 Personally I don't care if we lose half of the first ten games as long as we see a team attacking, creating chances and hopefully scoring a few. Yes it will take time for them all to gel properly but as long as the effort and intent to attack is there I'll be happy for wait for it all to work out for the best. I want to see a team that gets the ball and immediately goes on the attack. I'm sick of all the tippy tappy square passing and backward passing. The object of the game is to put the ball in the net and even 90% possession is worth nothing if you can't do that.

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Barty added 09:46 - Jul 1 Really looking forward to next season but appreciate that the rebuilding process may take a bit of time. COYB
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Kickingblock added 10:12 - Jul 1 Cadier... Fantastic use of vocabulary 😀
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senduntd added 10:43 - Jul 1 bingboast stop shouting your crap opinions,
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Ipswichbusiness added 11:08 - Jul 1 I've said it before, but I'll say it again; the easy part is telling the loanees and out-of -contract players to get lost. The harder parts are recruiting replacements and turning them into a functioning team. We have made a promising start to the recruitment, let's see how the rest goes.
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WorcesterBlue added 11:42 - Jul 1 I agree ElephantintheRoom. There's lots of good stuff been going on around the new ownership etc and I am optimistic about that but the abuse dished out by Cook last season quickly undermined any enthusiasm I'd had on his selection as Manager. There is no place for that type of behaviour, particularly from an alleged experienced Manager. All about him just like McCarthy and Keane. Yes, things needed to change but to throw the good players under the bus with those that clearly needed to go, was just lazy. We were sixth when he started (largely due to Gill) and awful from then on. So, forget the excuses, he has only a certain amount of time to get the team playing good football "his way" before he'll come under close scrutiny. And rather than slag Downes and Woolfie off, how about keeping these two players here and trying to coach them to become better. Maybe the kitman (who doesn't like coaching) will be able to unlock their potential if you can't be arsed.

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WorcesterBlue added 11:45 - Jul 1 And regarding recruitment, have we got scouts and analytics. Seems half of our recruitment is based on signing players Cook has managed before (seemingly because they responded to his bluster!).
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blues1 added 13:27 - Jul 1 Worcester blue. What are you on about. So how many players hes signed has he worked with before? And even if it was more than the 1, what's unusual about that? It's common for managers to sign players theyve worked with before, bcse they trust them. And what bluster comes from him? He tells the truth, which is something we all wanted for dome time. Now we have that some1 who does do, people like you are complaining about it. Clearly players like playing for him, or why would they sign for him again? And every player we are signing this season is based on analytics. As us know if u bothered to keep up with what's happening at the club. Is something Mark Ashton stated in his very 1st interview here.

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BeattiesBackPocket added 13:38 - Jul 1 Best thing to do boys is just ignore the Norwich trolls like Betty and monkey blue it's utterly pointless they clearly know nothing about football hence their support of Norwich 🤷‍♂️
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WorcesterBlue added 15:09 - Jul 1 Blues1 - stating it and doing it are different things. I accept my view of Cook is negative but that is born out of disgust at how he behaved last season and his inability to get a tune out of some players who contrary to many on here I think actually had/have something to offer. Lambert was poor as was much of the squad but to effectively write the season off because you can't be arsed to work with what was at his disposal was poor. I am prepared to give him time and hope that my original view of him was more accurate than my current one but the jury is out on that. Is he just a telephone coach rather than a proper one - time will tell.

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BeattiesBackPocket added 15:43 - Jul 1 Worcesterblue you mean those players who all accept for dozzel are at smaller or league two clubs?? You finish where you deserve and two managers couldn't get a tune out of them not just cook. As former players and managers have said the club was rotten too down and it more inclined to believe them than you especially when you think the players we had were good yet have gone to league two doesn't back that up does it

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rgp1 added 19:13 - Jul 1 Blues1 must be the new board moderator. As he/she criticises everyone else but offers very little in constructive comments himself/herself!
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