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Evans: We’ll Get Better and Better as the Season Goes On
Sunday, 15th Aug 2021 10:18

Skipper Lee Evans believes the new look Blues will get better and better as the season goes on.

Town have made a slow start to the campaign following the summer overhaul having taken one point from their first two League One games and also exited the Carabao Cup.

Evans, one of 14 new additions so far with the signing of Accrington centre-half Cameron Burgess expected to be confirmed early in the week with the fee reported to be £750,000, says it was tough to take Saturday’s 2-1 loss at Burton Albion, Lucas Akins’s 86th-minute penalty having secured the points for the Brewers.

“Going 1-0 down, we responded well to get back to one-all,” he said afterwards. “Then it was disappointing not to at least draw the game, if not win, but we’ll learn from that.”

The 27-year-old admits it was frustrating to go behind for the third successive match: “It would be nice to get the lead and see what we do from there but it wasn’t to be today and we’ll just go back and work hard and be ready for Tuesday [at Cheltenham].”

Town have conceded a number of poor goals in their games up to now, which Evans puts down to mistakes which can be stamped out.

“Probably just individual errors, things that we need to cut out as players,” he said. “I don’t think there’s too much the staff can do about it, I think it’s up to us to not make those errors and I’m sure we’ll get better and better as the season goes on.”

Despite the results, he believes there have been positives in the games: “We’ve played some nice stuff, I think you can see the way we’re trying to play.

“But ultimately, especially in the league, it’s a results game and we’ve only picked up a point last week and nothing today. We’re disappointed more than anything.”


Reflecting further, he added: “To be fair, I think there were probably more positives last weekend [in the 2-2 home draw with Morecambe], today was always going to be a tougher game with the way they play, the set pieces, the long throws.

“I think a positive today was the way we defended them. I think we defended them really well, but there’s a lot of hard work and we’ll have to go back on the training ground on Monday and keep working to get better.

“I think we did that really well today. I think the back four did really well. With the set pieces and the boys coming back, the strikers coming back, I think we defended the long throws and the set pieces really well, it was more down to individual errors in open play, but we’ll cut them out and we’ll be OK.”

Over the two league games Evans has forged a promising central midfield partnership with fellow new boy Rekeem Harper.

“Rekeem’s a very good player, he’s got all the ability in the world,” he said. “We’ll get better as well the more we play together and, as I said, the longer we give this team I think we’ll get better and better.”

How long will it realistically take the team to gel? “It’s a tough one, I couldn’t tell you. As long as the performances are getting better, we’ll have try and get better on Tuesday to get a result there.”

The former Wigan man says captaining the Blues means a lot to him: “Delighted, it’s a massive honour for me, it’s a massive honour when I put on the shirt, never mind being captain. It’s just a huge honour and I’ll be hoping to be on the winning side as a captain sooner rather than later.”

What style of skipper is he? “A bit of everything, really try and be a captain more on the pitch, it doesn’t have to be everything with your mouth, it’s got to be the way you play as well, try and lead by example and I’ll try and do that as the season goes on.”

He says the squad is packed with ability with Kyle Edwards’s cameo from the bench having shown a glimpse of what the winger will have to offer during his time at Town.

“Loads of talent,” he said. “Obviously the new signings have come in, you’ve seen Kyle today, he was really sharp when he came on.

“We’ve got good players coming back as well. I think we’ll be alright, we just need to start picking up some more points sooner rather than later.”

The Wales international had praise for the 1,700-strong travelling support: “Brilliant, really brilliant. We were out here 45 minutes before for the warm-up, the whole stand was full.

“It’s a massive football club and the supporters have been brilliant and it’s just disappointing not to send them home with a better result.”

He says having fans back at grounds makes a huge difference: “Of course it does, it’s a completely different game, on both sides, having home fans in here for them and away fans. It just makes the game a lot better, it was soulless last year with no one in the ground.

“Brilliant, and we’re now looking forward to Cheltenham on Tuesday and I’m sure it’ll be a big game for them, a big game for us, we need to try and get three points.”

Evans knows the Blues, as one of the favourites for the title, are there to be shot at by the smaller clubs in the division, such as Cheltenham.

“Of course we are, and we have to deal with that,” he said. “People can put labels on us, but that’s nothing to do with us, we’re a new team, we’ll get better and better as the season goes on. As I said, just looking forward to Tuesday now.”

He says grabbing that first win will have an impact on the squad: “Yes, I think so. I don’t think we’re too far away from it. It’s disappointing to leave here with nothing, we should probably have left with a draw, but I think a win will be massive for the group, and hopefully that will come on Tuesday.”


Photo: TWTD



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90z added 10:31 - Aug 15
The negativity around the club after 2 league games is embarrassing. Paul Cook out players arnt good enough 😂 Jesus Christ! Get behind the team or go support the boys up the road.
33

Ebantiass added 10:44 - Aug 15
Can only echo the above statement. Back the F ing team and things will turn around for the better.

Onwards and upwards


BLUEARMY
24

TonyHumesIpswich added 10:45 - Aug 15
Unrealistic expectations is causing the issue. This is potentially a great squad of players but they need time to gel. 3 games isn't time to gel.
20

TimmyH added 10:48 - Aug 15
What are this weeks Euro lottery numbers Lee?
-8

daniellay19 added 10:50 - Aug 15
Way too much negativity already.. this is what we all wanted.. a big change! You cant just flick a switch and expect it all to fall into place just like that.

Yesterday could have been a whole different story, yes we should have scored the pen and then not giving away a stupid pen but then take the positives from the game, the likes of Kyle Edwards hitting a screaming that was inches from going in.. thats exciting! We havent had that kind of excitement for years!

Stick together and it will come!

COYB
21

Skip73 added 11:18 - Aug 15
Lets hope so, because its no better than lasr year atm. A new team takes time to gel but if it takes too much longer we will have too much catching up to do.
-10

bluewarrior added 11:23 - Aug 15
Well said above. Some of our fans are so fickle it's untrue! Laughable and excruciating at the same time. They must get some obscure pleasure out of being f@cking miserable. I trust they'll eat their words come the end of the season.
8

blue86 added 11:26 - Aug 15
At the end of the day, with the ammount of change at the club aswell as loads of new players in, it will take time. If we are still like it 12 games from now, yeah it's not good enough. Or if were not minimum in the top six by say November/December then I will start to ask questions. But for now I'm happy to see us evolving as a team, and and finding a fairly settled 11 with players in their best positions. Defence needs sorting obviously, but with so many attacking players now, the biggest head scratcher for me is who plays in the 3 attacking midfield positions behind a lone striker in cooks 4231.
5

stiffy501 added 11:31 - Aug 15
I went to the Morecambe game and baring the defensive cock ups what i saw was improvement all over the pitch, long diagonal accurate passing from a good midfield pairing, a very well worked goal from the left, good work from the right side.
In all i saw promise of good things to come, i came out of the ground feeling entertained and looking forward to the next game. Its been a long time since it felt that way !!
I can understand the frustration of some fans because of the lack of success for such a long time but be patient, give the team time to get it sorted.
Things in my mind are going the right way and the wins will come !! COYB
18

dirtydingusmagee added 11:48 - Aug 15
OK , after 10/12 games, we will have an idea how we are doing. Im sure we will be fine when we get our injured players back.!,
2

DifferentGravy added 12:05 - Aug 15
Yeah agree with above comments.......we just need a win is all. Give us something to get going. Hopefully this week

COYB
1

jewellsjewells added 12:29 - Aug 15

You can get good players In which we have but it does take a while to build a team .
6

Class_of_81 added 12:35 - Aug 15
We have a great squad taking shape, trouble is some people just don't understand football at all, they think that just because they are a decent side in the making they expect us to click from day one. NOT GONNA HAPPEN. Give it 6 games and see where we are then. They will come good I have no doubts about that. Once we click we will be top 6 by Xmas. And top 3 by end of season. I have the utmost respect and trust in our coaching team. COYB's
5

Chief added 12:49 - Aug 15
A new management team that is going through it initial transfer window. I think two windows should be the criteria for judgement. End of last season was a learning experience for the coaches and there is plenty of evidence of positive actions... Players out/in, change of style. All against a background of C19 which can be disruptive. I am very happy to support the new project... Would be happy to see an experienced CB on books to nurture the young ones a teach them where and when to go from the pitch.
2

DavefromWatford added 12:52 - Aug 15
Class_of_81 i agree with everything you said, we just have to be patient no matter how hard that is. When we get our new defenders playing we should be ok. No disrespect to current ones.
2

Towny_in_Taipei added 13:02 - Aug 15
Wolfenden was yet again lethargic and didn't close down their player but instead he again backed off allowing the winger unimpeded access into our area, in his defence the players in front of him also switched off for their free kick. However Wolfenden has been complicit in 4 goals this week and isn't learning from his mistakes!
4

Fat_Boy_Tim added 13:02 - Aug 15
You've got to look at the second half performances of players like Dobra and Edwards and the way we attack within, maximum, 10 seconds of winning the ball and think ‘we haven't see entertaining play like this for years!'

Edwards looked like Wilf Zaha when he came on, he looks a serious talent and Dobra went past people like Kieron Dyer of old.

The penalty stung but the performance going forward was means I'm more buzzing than depressed today.

Defensively we have Coulsen, Nsiala, Edmundson, Burgess and possibly Butcher to beef us up and add competition.
4

blues1 added 13:09 - Aug 15
Skip73. What are on about. We're 2 games into the season with a whole new team. Blackpool last season with pretty much a similar team to the previous year, failed to win any of their 1st 10 games but still got promoted. So let's stop the pathetic negativity of the past few years and try backing them. Even if we dont get promoted this year. Which the new owners have already prior to the season starting, could happen. Rome wasnt built in a day.
5

Bazza8564 added 13:12 - Aug 15
Ive seen this team play three times this season (inc Millwall and forgetting Newport that wasn't our new side) and every minute Ive been excited and impressed with an aspect that's better than last year.

At Burton yesterday I went alone and chatted to probably 10-15 town fans, all of whom say the same thing, much better, extremely promising and we will give somebody a good going over and then we will be fine. We deserved to get something from yesterday and when we cut out expensive mistakes we will fly.

I'm left with the conclusion that if every person who watches the games is saying the same thing, then all these cretins (and I think im being kind) are coming on here commenting having done nothing than watch the scores come up on the TV. Its incredibly sad that our club is being slurred with their Cr&p
10

ringwoodblue added 13:59 - Aug 15
It's great to hear from our new captain. His appointment as captain was very low key and I think we should've heard from him before now. Can't disagree with anything he says and he sounds like he has the right qualities to lead us forward.

We desperately need a win as confidence and getting that winning mentality is so important. Fingers crossed it's on Tuesday.
3

WhoisJimmyJuan added 14:17 - Aug 15
It is actually possible and reasonable to feel disappointed whilst remaining optimistic. That is how I feel. I don't like us losing but I keep the faith. Don't understand why people get shot fown on here for expressing disappointment.
5

philpott2 added 14:24 - Aug 15
I'm with the many posters above, after so many years of negativity & aimlessly drifting along as a club, it's going to take time for the players, style, tactics, familiarity of personnel to gel.
It's great to see the ball moved forward swiftly and ITFC looking to have an attempt at goal.... I enjoyed the Morecombe match, and my first views of so many of the players (I missed a fair bit of play looking at the programme trying to work out who was who!😁).
Please everyone, get real, one or two new players often take a few weeks to settle in..... We've got the entire team on the pitch, and with many of them recently signed I'm guessing most haven't even got a permanent home/base yet! So be patient, keep those mobile phone trigger fingers under control and let's enjoy it all develop / unfold over the next 6 weeks or so!!
1

TerryButchersBandage added 14:31 - Aug 15
I dont comment much on here.

I do love reading the comments section on here, probably more than I enjoy the actual articles (No offense Phil).

However I'm finding it very frustrating with the lack of support a large section of posters on here are giving our club.

Its a new team, with obvious talent and potential. Its going to need plenty of nurturing before it comes good (and it will). But please everyone that posts negatively, dont post at all. Its neither needed or helpful.

In fact I feel so strongly about it, how about turning comments off for a few weeks Phil? Should get the boo boys off this site. Not Welcome in my opinion.

Rant Over.
5

coolhand added 14:51 - Aug 15
Who saw the free kick taken 6ft froward of where it should have been and the ref. Absolutely oblivious to what was going on. I know our defence should not have stood back and waited but it caused their first goal
0

Nobbysnuts added 16:27 - Aug 15
Well it can't get worse....can it?????
0


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