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Woolfenden: I'm Still Standing!
Wednesday, 28th Jul 2021 12:37

Central defender Luke Woolfenden is delighted to be among those still standing after Portman Road’s summer cull and says life at the club is now night and day compared with last season.

Woolfenden played 81 minutes of last night’s 3-3 draw at Colchester, which he felt would have been an entertaining watch for supporters.

“It was a strange game, it was like a basketball game at time, but I’m sure the fans loved it,” he said.

“It’s what pre-season’s about, getting our legs in, everyone getting minutes. It’s not going to be a perfect performance because you’re playing alongside people you never usually do.

“But that’s what it’s all about, getting minutes in everyone and getting back in the rhythm of things.”

The 22-year-old is one of only a few of last season’s senior players to still be involved at the heart of things as the Blues prepare for 2021/22.

“I listen to Elton John, ‘I’m still standing!’,” he sang. “I listen to that every morning!

“To be fair, it’s so much better at the ground now, we’ve got enough staff, it’s night and day how much better it is now and I’m loving every minute of it.

“The players that we’ve brought in, some really, really good players in there. With the gaffer it’s a lot different to how it was last year.

“We’ve got a style of play we’re going to stick to throughout the whole season and I’m looking forward to getting the season started.”

On a personal note, he added: “I had a chat with the gaffer at the end of the season and he said he wanted to work with me in pre-season and throughout this season.

“Last season I had it in my head that I wanted to get in the team and stay in the team, I never had any [thoughts] about going anywhere, I just wanted to stay here and get in the team.”

Ipswich-born Woolfenden is aware that there’s going to be pressure on the Blues in the season ahead with the bookies having them as either joint-favourites to win League One along with Sunderland or second-favourites behind the Black Cats.

“I think you’re playing for Ipswich Town, so you’re going to have the pressure,” the former East Bergholt High School pupil reflected.

“You’ve seen tonight, no disrespect to Colchester, but they’re playing out of their skins because it’s Ipswich Town, they want to put one over on us, and it’ll be the same for every team in League One.

“You’ve got to deal with the pressure and the gaffer has signed players that he knows can deal with the pressure of playing for Ipswich Town, so you’ve got to go out and show you can do it every week.”


Photo: Matchday Images



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ImAbeliever added 12:41 - Jul 28
Good to hear
10

Rootshall91 added 12:42 - Jul 28
Glad we've kept Woolfenden. With the right coaches he can have a great career with ITFC.
17

iaintaylorx added 12:45 - Jul 28
Great to hear and it's exactly the type of character we want to have! Could be a big year from this guy!
6

buzbyblue added 12:46 - Jul 28
Time to knuckle down Wolfy, the gaffer has given you his backing & now time to repay him
17

BiGDonnie added 12:50 - Jul 28
Fookin love that Woolfy, big season ahead for you! COYBs
7

BeattiesBackPocket added 12:51 - Jul 28
Another player who's come out and said the same good on him. Hopefully a minority on here will finally stop moaning about Cooks and the clubs restart method which most of us knew needed doing and will now finally get behind the team, cook, Ashton and owners! Also on a side note nice to see Ashton last night come out and greet the fans in the stands. COYB's
11

BaddowBlue1 added 12:52 - Jul 28
He and Dobra has risen to the challenge thrown down by Paul Cook where as others have decided to move on. Well done Luke, the club has a different mindset this season, make sure you are part of it big time!
11

BlueRuin69 added 12:54 - Jul 28
Good man, right attitude, now go and cement yr place in the team, Local lad along with Bonne Coyb
10

Unhinged_dynamo added 13:25 - Jul 28
It's interesting he says we have enough staff at Playford Rd now, for all those querying the appointment of so many coaches I think it shows an area that needed rebuilding as well as the playing squad
11

Unhinged_dynamo added 13:25 - Jul 28
It's interesting he says we have enough staff at Playford Rd now, for all those querying the appointment of so many coaches I think it shows an area that needed rebuilding as well as the playing squad
1

chepstowblue added 13:35 - Jul 28
He's saying the right things.I hope that this is the season that he starts to do the right things.Very lackadaisical at times,and along with Toto really needs to up his performances and stay switched on if we are to succeed. Very much the weak department of the team and a calamity is only ever a split second away. Walk the walk young man. Fingers crossed your performance levels match your attitude.
7

Marinersnose added 13:41 - Jul 28
Wolfenden is a player of quality who can defend but also play with the ball at his feet. Last season he appeared to lose his confidence but now he appears focused and up for the fight. He is our top central defender and has the potential of Matt Clarke and Adam Webster
4

VanDusen added 13:51 - Jul 28
Good stuff. Now just hope Downes can get his head right and come back into the fold too. Be better to have him knuckling down in the first team than wasting away in the U23s as he has the ability.
2

grinch added 13:51 - Jul 28
IMHO Wolfeden is at least a season away from being a first choice centre half. His positional sense on the field is still questionable and we could do with another quality CB to add to our recent signing with Wolfeden on bench. I know I will get marked down but if you mixed Nisala and Wolfeden together you would have a decent CB at moment they both have flawes and require good coaching to get them to a position of competence
3

Skip73 added 13:58 - Jul 28
Good lad, maybe he can foge a good partnership with Edmundson.
4

IpswichT62OldBoy added 14:18 - Jul 28
Interesting to hear how the behind the scenes changes are so positive,"night and day".
This is the beginning of something big, a very special journey from the nadir we found ourselves in last season , to I believe, The Premiership.

My dream would be to have consecutive promotions as Champions, built on solid foundations that will endure.
Why not?

10

rgp1 added 14:39 - Jul 28
Standing being the optimum phrase for last season's performances!
1

ringwoodblue added 14:40 - Jul 28
Woolfie and Dobra have proved that if you have the desire and the right attitude, Cook will reward you. Shame some of others didn't realise this.
10

PortmanTerrorist added 14:59 - Jul 28
Captain in 2 years!
1

Pilgrimblue added 15:24 - Jul 28
Like Woolfy's attitude, he's young enough to learn in a position that requires maturity. So much to learn bt hope he makes it.
He has risen to the challenge unlike som ewho think it'll be easier elsewhere!
2

Blueboy23 added 16:22 - Jul 28
2 young centre backs, that could work well together, nsiala as back up(not sure if he is strong enough) but Woolfy and Edmundson I think will be solid, I think we need a cover Right Back, and another Midfielder(defensive wise).
2

Linkboy13 added 17:15 - Jul 28
Never doubted Wolfendens ability just his maturity reference attitude after the home defeat to Swindon last season.
1

Mariner1974 added 17:29 - Jul 28
Like the reference to "I'm still standing". Wish Teddy Bishop was still upright with him.
0

Texaco73 added 17:56 - Jul 28
“To be fair, it's so much better at the ground now, we've got enough staff, it's night and day how much better it is now and I'm loving every minute of it."

That is the key phrase for me too.
The former players were heaped with a lot of criticism and justifiably so, but it can't be underestimated the effect that running the club into the ground had on the motivation of the players.
I lost interest as fan to the point of apathy, so I'm sure over the excruciating slow demise, season on season, the culture throughout the club also built into one of resignation and carelessness.
My point really is that unmotivated players won't produce the goods and so they may not have been as useless footballers as we saw.
I suppose there was so much baggage, a clear out was the only way to break the culture and start again.
0

Eddie1985 added 18:08 - Jul 28
Good interview and I like wolf. Not sure about these comments saying he forced his way into cooks plans??? He had a poor season but was included in the first team list from the off and never had to play his way out of the under 23s
1


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