Debutant skipper Samy Morsy says manager Paul Cook is as focused as he’s ever seen him and has no doubt that Town will get over their early season struggles and will replicate the success the pair enjoyed at Wigan and Chesterfield.

The 29-year-old, who joined the Blues from Championship Middlesbrough on deadline day, admitted last night’s 2-1 Papa John’s Trophy defeat to West Ham’s U21s was a tough one to take.

“Obviously we wanted to win, disappointing really, that’s football,” the Egyptian international said.

Asked about the mood in the dressing room, he continued: “Disappointment. We want to start winning. There’s loads of potential in the squad but we need to start putting wins together now.

“But we shouldn’t get carried away, there have only been six league games. The league’s never won in September, so we’ll just get our heads down, work really hard on the training ground, which the lads have been doing, and we’ll keep going.”

Morsy is currently serving a suspension which is a hangover from his time with Boro having been harshly red-carded in his final match for the Teessiders, so from a personal perspective it was good to get a game under his belt.

“Definitely, nice to get 90 minutes in the legs,” he said. “In the long term it’s about getting on track in the league, but personally it’s nice to get 90 minutes in the legs.”

Regarding the sending off, in a 1-1 draw with Blackburn, he added: “It just sums up the officials really, it was a shocking decision. I think everyone saw it. But you get on with it.”

The Wolverhampton-born midfielder believes situations such as the current one at Town are a test of character and personality.

“Definitely,” he said. “When things are going great, it’s easy to play, you don’t think about anything, it’s great.

“This is where we see the character of the squad, see the character of the players, we see which players stand up to be counted and who go into their shells.

“This will stand us in good stead for the times in the season when we need to stand up and be counted, which is obviously the case now.

“It’s a good test, without adversity you don’t do anything and this is certainly adversity right now.”

Manager Paul Cook spoke glowingly about Morsy’s character following the 5-2 defeat to Bolton and his former Spireites and Latics skipper is experienced enough to have seen similar situations previously and to have come out the other end.

“I’ve been there before, I’ve been on bad runs before and turned that around to excellent ones, it can happen. It’s just habit,” he said.

“You obviously have to be honest with yourself, take a look in the mirror, you assess your performance, you keep going, you keep working, there’s no magic pill. No one’s going to swallow a magic pill and everything’s going to be alright.

“We work harder than we did yesterday, we keep working and once you get to that level you start winning games.”

Morsy dismissed the suggestion that Cook’s comments put pressure on him. “Not at all, it’s why I’m in the game, why I love football, sort of relishing these these moments.

“There’s no doubt in my mind we are going to go on a great run and this is going to be a leading factor in it because we’ve had this pain, and I know Ipswich for a number of years haven’t been winning games or been top of the leagues for a number of years and we have to change that around.

“The lads were telling me it was top class support even at the weekend and soon enough I’m really hopeful that we’re going to give the fans a team they can be really proud of.”

How worrying is the current league position of 22nd? “Not worrying, we’re six games in. If you win the next six you’re going to be in the top six. But obviously we want to win games, we haven’t won any games so far this season and we just need to pick up.”

Given the lack of a win all season, some fans are inevitably calling for a change of manager but Morsy believes Cook will get it right at Town just as he has with his previous sides having skippered the Chesterfield side which carried off the League Two title in 2013/14 and the Wigan squad which claimed League One silverware in 2017/18.

“He’s been promoted at every club he’s been at with the style of football,” he said. “He’s done really well, he assembled a really good Wigan squad, who in the second half of the season were the most in-form team in the division.

“He knows what he’s doing, for sure, but there’s not going to be a quick fix. Any manager of any club in a summer where you have to sign 19 or 20 players and rebuild a completely different squad it is tough, but obviously we do need results now and the lads need to repay him.”

Has Cook changed much since they worked together at Wigan? “Same guy, even better than he was, to be honest. He’s more meticulous, he’s as focused as I’ve ever seen him.

“At Wigan we were on this incredible run, he put together such a good team and that’s exactly what he’ll be looking to do this season.”

Morsy dropped from the Championship with Boro to what he hopes will be one season in League One with the Blues.

“That’s the plan,” he said. “I think that’s why a lot of people see the big potential of the club, new owners with the manager and that’s the goal and we’ll get there because we keep working hard.

“Training really has been brilliant, I know it’s easy to say and I know people will be thinking ‘He’s probably just saying that’ but training has been brilliant and I think when we get players back fit and firing we’re going to be a real force in this league.”

How big a call was it to move down a division? “I was pretty much told on the last day of the window really. I had to sum it up and obviously I’d worked with the manager before, Ipswich is a massive club in itself and the goal’s to get promoted, no doubt about that, the goal is to get promoted this season.”

Morsy has competition in midfield with Lee Evans and Rekeem Harper having been the starting pair up to now and Tom Carroll having played alongside him last night.

“They’re good players, you need good players in the squad, there’s competition all over,” he added. “You need that, you need players to push each other and make sure you’re at the top of your game.”

Morsy played alongside Evans at Wigan and believes there’s plenty to come from the Welshman, who has had an at times difficult start to the campaign.

“He’s a really good player,” he said. “We formed a successful partnership, we’ve won some big games together, we’ve done well together.

“I think when you’re not winning games it’s hard, it’s hard for every new player at the club but Lee will turn out to be a good signing I’m sure.”

He believes the key is to find a blend in midfield: “Definitely, and we will get there. There’s no doubt about it and you get there by just keep working, by keeping positive.

“It’s that self-analysis as well, you look at where you’re going right and where you’re going wrong, it’s the honest conversation really. Losses definitely bring that. But we just keep going.”

Asked about the strengths in his own game, he said: “People who have seen me play know my strengths and we’ll just see. I’ve definitely come to win games and get this club promoted, that’s what I’ll say.”

Morsy captained the Blues last night and says it was an honour: “Brilliant. I wear it with pride really. I’ve won the league twice, the last time I was in this league four or five years ago I captained the lads to a league title.

“It’s a massive honour and it’s something I don’t take lightly and I’ll make sure the fans have a team they’re proud of.”

He says manager Cook is yet to have a chat about who will wear the armband permanently with Lee Evans having been in possession in the league up to now. “No, I think he’ll just make that decision when he sees fit.”

But he says he’ll provide leader whether he’s the captain or otherwise: “It will be the manager’s decision. Every club I’ve been at I’ve been a leader in my own right and that won’t change here.”

Morsy will miss the trip to Lincoln and then the home game against Sheffield Wednesday due to that lingering suspension and admits he can’t wait for the chance to make his league debut when Doncaster visit on Tuesday 28th September.

“Definitely, but I’ll just keep working away and come Doncaster I’ll be ready,” he said.

Does he find it tough watching games? “I’ve come to terms with it. I’ve just got to keep training hard and just be ready for when I play.”

Morsy believes there’s more than enough in the squad to win at Lincoln on Saturday: “Absolutely, the league’s so unpredictable, anyone can beat everyone but it’s going to be about appetite, application, a little bit of luck as well, which you need in football and it would be great to get our first win.”

He added: “Momentum’s powerful, good or bad. When it’s going well, everything drops for you, when it’s not, we had a clear penalty tonight, for example [when Zanda Siziba was fouled in the second half]. I’m not going to use that as an excuse but if we score that penalty we probably win the game.

“That’s just where the club’s at at the minute. It’s still very early days so there’ll be no massive reaction, we’ll just keep going, we’ll keep working, we’ll work harder than we’ve ever worked and then when it clicks we’re going to be in a really good place.”

Photos: TWTD/Matchday Images

cat added 22:56 - Sep 15 Marinersnose fair play in your response but I don't agree. I've been impressed with Burgess but each to their own. Edmundson was the weak link last Saturday, way off the pace but first game for him, so I'll give him the benefit.
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ipswich134 added 02:02 - Sep 16 The problem is we aren't an attacking team previously . So it takes time to develop that play and defend with just a few. I think it will take more time for us to gel as a team and failure to win has cause the confidence to drop. I just hope we turn the corner soon.
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algarvefan added 07:24 - Sep 16 It's encouraging to read this, someone who know Cookie well, yes we all had great expectations and we want the good times to happen now, but they won't until we get a settled side. So I'm going to hang on in there, although I didn't get his team selection against West Ham one bit.
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