Cook: Signing a Quality Player of Pigott's Calibre Another Statement Tuesday, 13th Jul 2021 17:27 Town boss Paul Cook says signing a player of Joe Pigott’s quality is another statement of where the Blues are and what’s trying to be done this summer. The 27-year-old former AFC Wimbledon striker joined Town on a free transfer yesterday, signing a three-year deal. “Delighted,” Cook told iFollow Ipswich. “I think all through the summer, from last season, I don’t feel the need to speak about last season and what’s gone on, there’s no point. “Going forward now, we just want to be an exciting team, we just want to make our supporters happy. “We want to play at Portman Road, we want to play with a tempo, carry an edge and a quality player of Joe’s calibre coming into the club, it’s just another statement of where we’re at and what we’re trying to do.” Cook says he has strength up front, where he usually fields one central striker: “With Macauley Bonne, James Norwood and Joe Pigott we’ve got three lads at the top end of the pitch. I think next season we’ll play a certain style. “I think at times at home we’ll have to go with, not two up front, but I presume teams will come at times with a low block as they say now, and we’re going to have to find ways to win. Certainly two strikers on the pitch, I would never rule out.” Asked whether there was still business to be done, Cook enthused: “Yes, 100 per cent! I think our fans, I think [CEO] Mark [Ashton] said to me on Saturday he could feel it in the voices of some of the supporters around the stadium, that excitement builds, and why shouldn’t it? “Going into the season, we should be looking at the season with great optimism. We’ve signed good players, we’ve still got good players at the club. Going forward, we’re going to sign one or two more and let’s see where it takes us.” With season ticket sales up to 12,500, Cook is looking forward to the opening day of the season, his first Portman Road match with fans present. He added: “I think from my point of view as the manager, when we’ve got more business to do, I think the quicker we can get to the end of our business the better. “From my point of view and the staff, integrating the players into a group of lads that are going to have each other’s backs for the season.
“That are going to be there for each other every day of the week. We’ll have our highs and our lows and sometimes that squad togetherness can only come in a bit of time. “So from my point of view it’s getting that squad in place as quickly as we can and getting that group together. “Obviously we start off against Morecambe at home, which will be a great occasion, it’ll be great for myself, for [coaches] Gary [Roberts], for Franny [Jeffers], for Ian [Craney] who’s come in, [goalkeeper-coach] John Keeley, to welcome our supporters back in for our first game there. “Our new owners, it’s their first game, for Mark Ashton, for [chief operations officer] Luke [Werhun], for [director of performance] Andy Rolls and [head of sports science] Andy Costin and [fitness coach] Jon Ashton, all the lads that have come in. It’s going to be a really big day and it’s one we’re working towards.” Cook was speaking at an ITFC Community Trust PDP session he attended at Needham Market along with Roberts where they spent an hour with young players, posing for photos and answering questions. “It was fantastic to be there," he added. “Gary and I popped along after training and really enjoyed it. “It’s good to give the kids a bit of our time. These are our future supporters and we, as a community club, need to get out there and give them the message that we'll do our best to make them proud.”
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