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Cook: The Only Way You Change Opinion is With What Happens on the Pitch
Friday, 20th Aug 2021 10:57

Boss Paul Cook knows that what happens on the pitch is the only thing which will change the opinions of the minority of fans already expressing dissent and frustration regarding the Blues’ start to the season.

Town have got off to a slow start, picking up just one point from their first three League One games and exiting the Carabao Cup at home to Newport County.

That has already led to a few supporters expressing their frustration on social media.

“The only way you change opinion is by what happens on the pitch,” Cook said. “We can have as many of these Zoom meetings as we want and speak about time as much as I want, but we all know that we will get results in the end.

“The reality is that we have a strong group of players. We have a really good appetite to be successful. Unfortunately, at the minute, getting those players together [hasn’t been easy].

“If you look at Hayden Coulson, for example, 12 days off with Covid [prior to joining the club]. You can’t do anything about it, can you?

“Kyle Edwards again, coming into us late, making his full debut Tuesday night, we’ve got players at the club that are very good and very exciting, and all we’ve got to do is give them time to adapt.”

He added: “I just keep going. When I was at Portsmouth, we drew with Carlisle 1-1, we drew 0-0 at Crewe, we lost 2-0 at Morecambe [early on in the campaign], but we won the league winning 7-1 in the last game of the season.

“So if anyone wants to criticise us, there’s no problem. When you put new teams together, it takes time and that’s the brutal reality of it.

“You can’t have lads playing together, travelling together for the first time. So unfortunately with the pressure of being at the club and the pressure of everything that goes with it, getting results quickly will help everyone’s situation.

“I’m a great believer that performances lead to results. I’ll concentrate on getting our players confident and ready to go out at Portman Road and believe we’re invincible.


“And when that happens then we will be hard to stop. At the minute, it’s not going our way. We will work very much harder to make sure it does.”

Last season Blackpool and Oxford were respectively 18th and 23rd at the end of October and both eventually made the play-offs, with the Seasiders subsequently winning promotion to the Championship.

Cook knows it’s a 46-game season and there will be little panic at Portman Road, despite the disappointing first couple of weeks of the season.

“You all have your jobs to do and now you’ll have phone-ins, now you’ll have everything else. At the end of the day, I will not change my views on the game or my principles towards football,” he said.

“There won’t be a prayer. If anyone wants to look back on my managerial career to see what I’ve done, have a look back.

“I’ve always had exciting teams, we’ve always scored goals and we always take the fight to the opposition.

“That’s exactly what we plan on doing with Ipswich Town. So for people who want to get ahead of themselves quickly, feel free.

“Management is not easy. Management now, we live from game to game. I don’t live in that world, I live in a world very much of building and being aggressive and giving players the belief.

“We’ll train well today again, and we’ll train in relationships and what we believe will happen tomorrow.

“And then my big one is I trust our players, that’s my biggest thing for players go out to play for us.

“Macauley Bonne hasn’t meant to miss a header from two yards at Cheltenham — come on! Scott Fraser hasn’t meant to miss a penalty at Burton — come on!

“And these are the moments that will go our way, so whilst there will always be bits of bickering and stuff, we get it.”

He says in time the players will start to form partnerships: “When I go back historically through all my teams, I remember all the partnerships that have developed over periods of time.

“You know for us as a club now, when you’ve got possession of a shirt at Ipswich Town, you’ve got to keep it. You’ve got to make sure that nobody takes it off you.

“And unfortunately, at the moment, with the lateness of the signings and all the excuses you want to add, we’ve just got to get on with it now. That’s the brutal truth of it.

“The partnerships will have to grow from within. When we sign players, the reality is we want them to be fit and ready, but in modern-day football that is not necessarily the case, and one thing’s for sure no one will be feeling sorry for us, you can be rest assured on that.

“So the reality is we’ve just got to keep on working hard and time is very much our friend in terms of getting better and getting stronger.

“I know that time in football is not something some people want to give people. They think sacking manages every week is the right way and unfortunately that’s the football world and that’s life, isn’t it?

“I’ve been in it long enough to know the rules. I’ll just keep working as hard as I can with those players every day to see the progress we’re making on the training ground come out on the football pitch.”

Cook said recently that pressure doesn’t bother him, but does he see the tough start as a test for his players on how they handle it?

“Pressure in football is never far away,” he reflected. “It’s the nature of the game we’re in today. If people think sacking managers and changing squads is the way forward, then we can’t change people’s perspective on doing that.

“If people think that when we’ve got a squad of players and we haven’t even seen some of them on the same pitch together and it’s right to criticise, then criticise.

“I will never stop people having opinions on football. What I do, and I look back on all my times at all my clubs when we’ve had moments when it’s been disappointing and things haven’t gone well, we work harder, we fight more, we do the basics better and then our quality will shine through. And I have no doubt that will happen at Ipswich Town.”


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buzbyblue added 11:03 - Aug 20
Plastic fans moaning that's all, should learn to look at the bigger picture going on and be thankful it's finally happening........
12

itsonlyme added 11:03 - Aug 20
No doubt PC will get the right blend, just a matter of time. Am I the only one who thinks it's gone quiet over the pond??
9

midastouch added 11:11 - Aug 20
Very early days but a win this month would be nice! Could tomorrow be the day? I sure hope so!
5

Suffolkboy added 11:22 - Aug 20
Results will change the picture ,improve the outlook ,and help all the supporters Renee faith in PC Tandridge his new group of players ,who we ALL want to succeed .
COYB
1

cornishnick added 11:58 - Aug 20
I don't think it's just moaning about the slow start to the season, but at Cook's total record of 4 wins in 20 games which concerns many.
5

JewellintheTown added 12:09 - Aug 20
@cornishnick - 4 wins in 20 games with either a rubbish squad of lazy incompetents or a complete overhaul & rebuild of an extire club structure, personnel & squad. I think even sir Bob would have been sacked by now under those circumstances. Stats out of context can paint whatever you want them to paint. Be patient with the rebuild. Even if PC does eventually go, we still have a better squad & structure & well run club with money & will to be successful than this time last year.
6

thechangingman added 12:14 - Aug 20
This is a tough one. Obviously, it's too early to call for Cook's exit, but 4 wins in 20 speaks volumes as well!
I didn't expect us to hit the ground running, and win every game; but neither did I imagine we'd have one point from three matches.
For the time being I'll maintain my quiet hope and optimism, but I have to admit the first signs of doubt are starting to creep in.
Weird times for sure...

11

MrJase_79 added 12:37 - Aug 20
How about the media mentioning the vast majority of fans that are 100% behind him and the team and want to bring positivity?
7

BurleysGloryDays added 12:51 - Aug 20
Right behind you Cookie!

COYB!
4

blues1 added 13:07 - Aug 20
To those who keep going on about the 4 wins in 20 games. For heavens sake, last season needs to be taken totally out of the equation. He had a poor squad of players. Players who the vast majority of fans had all wanted out of the club for 2 years. Who downed tools just bcse he told them the truth. And yet u can actually turn round the statistics in his favour for that spell by the fact we were unbeaten at home under him, last season. Anyone judging him on last season needs to give their head a wobble. Pep and klopp put together couldnt have got anything out of that squad. What we have now, is a far better squad of players. But despite those who are slagging them and cook off, whether they like to accept it or not, it will take time for the team to gel. We may or nay not get promoted this season. The new owners have clearly stated that it could take a few years to achieve what they wish. 10 years of demise arent gonna be turned round in 5 minutes. The last thing the team need is negativity from the fans. All that will achieve is to knock their confidence and we all know how that would go. And let's not forget that bobby robsons early record here was DLLLLLLL. Fans were calling for his head. Fortunately John cobbold ignored them and indeed apologised to bobby for those fans and the rest is history. Just imagine if he had have sacked him? Where could we be now? Cook needs to be given time, along with the team. So let's all just get behind them. Cut out the ridiculous negativity already creeping in
8

Paddy39 added 13:11 - Aug 20
BurleysGloryDays Here's another "Right behind you Cookie!" We will come good. All this talk of 4 wins in 20 games. If you were supporting the team last season then you know the lazy, unwilling to compete in games, and give up after half time, is what those over paid w@nkers were giving us. IMO Cookies games are played 3 lost two draws 1. Last season does not count so get off the manager and teams back and show some true support. COYB's.
1

Monkey_Blue added 17:23 - Aug 20
Can we stop re-writing history? The squad last season according to many was terrible…. Yet we were top six for most of the pre-cook time in this league and never bottom half. So the players were either not that bad or Lambert was a genius… Surely a good coach can look at the players even if they aren't “his” and improve performances and results. The opposite happened. He was lucky to inherit a side a wafer out of the play-offs unbeaten in 5 , 3 clean sheets & 3 wins on the bounce. These are all logical views and facts. So I'll get voted down for them. If the truth is negative don't shoot the messenger. I think a good coach can get the best out of any group of players and not start ranting because they don't fit his ONE system. So, was lambert performing better or were the players better than cook made them look? One of these two has to be true.
0

marinermyhero added 17:50 - Aug 20
Blues1 well bldy said m8 you used to get on my nerves but you do talk a lot of sense why mention last seasons games they wasn't his players and clearly he noticed they weren't good enough or not committed to town and just wanted easy money
-1

bedsitfc added 23:45 - Aug 20
Pressure in football is never far away,” he reflected. “It's the nature of the game we're in today. If people think sacking managers and changing squads is the way forward, then we can't change people's perspective on doing that.

Confused

Mr contradiction is at it again
1

Oldboy added 07:30 - Aug 21
I will judge him on results and results only. I have had a gut full of managers saying what they think I want to hear. Those who say that 4 wins in 20 is irrelevant need to wake up. This is his squad, his players, they need to start delivering. Like I said, I will judge him purely on results and so far he is failing. All this talk of time to gel winds me up. They train every day and are professional footballers, so time to deliver. Very poor start and the balloon is starting to deflate. No more excuses, results are what football managers are judged on and so far massive improvement is needed, starting today. I really, really hope that Cook knows what he is doing, can't handle constant managerial change. I will judge by results alone.
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