Wes Burns has urged Town fans to stick behind the team and ease the pressure on boss Paul Cook that has steadily grown following the team’s failure to win any of their opening eight league and cup games this season.

Asked about the fact that some supporters are already calling for Cook’s dismissal, Burns said: “I think it’s very unfair at this stage. I know a lot of them are asking how long it should take for a team to gel but how long is a piece of string?

“He’s got a lot of ideas on how he wants us to play and there’s only so much you can teach during the week in which you are preparing for a game.

“There’s only so much you can do each day in training without burning the players out and frazzling minds with too much information. I would say the supporters need to stick with us and I believe times will change.

“The gelling process is still in the making and with the calibre of player we have here it is probably one of the best squads that I’ve ever been a part of and I think it’s probably one of the best squads that League One has ever seen. We’ve got to make sure the fans stick with us and don’t turn on us too quickly.”

Burns is of the view that once midfielder Samy Morsy has served the remaining two games of the three-game ban he incurred with former club Middlesbrough, and Dijon loanee Bersant Celina has reached peak fitness, Town will carry greater attacking threat and be more sound defensively.

He has witnessed their impact in training and added: “Samy has that leadership vibe about him and we saw it straight away. He literally trains exactly how he plays and it can rub some people up the wrong way with his challenges and the way he can kick people. But that’s just how he is and that’s what he has been brought in to do.

“I don’t care if he trains like that and I don’t even care if he kicks me because I know he’ll do exactly the same to the opposition on a Saturday when he is ready to play after his suspension. He comes from a place where he is so eager to push this team forward.

“I have no doubt that when Samy is allowed to come into the squad and he’s fully fit he will have a lot to offer — and it’s the same with Celina as well.

“I don’t think I’ve seen Bersant give the ball away in training since he’s been here and he’s going to add so much more in terms of firepower to the front line when he is in the side.”

Burns is delighted to be an Ipswich Town player and to have been reunited with the club’s new chief executive, Mark Ashton, who has been at the forefront of the massive rebuilding exercise since he started his role at the beginning of June.

Burns said: “I worked before with Mark at Oxford, when I was on loan there, and going further back to when I was a permanent signing at Bristol City.

“What he built at Bristol City is quite evident for everybody to see — the stadium, the new training ground and the amount of players, plus the calibre of players, who were coming in.

“With speaking to my family and my agent we knew the sort of project that the manager and Mark were proposing right from the start.

“It wasn’t smoke without fire and was definitely going to happen. They were very clear from day one that they were going to bring in an entirely new squad of players, upwards of 15 of them. I never believed it wouldn’t happen and saw it as a case of just waiting for the players to be signed.”

Finally, Burns admitted he still harbours hope of playing for Wales in next year’s World Cup, which is scheduled to take place in Qatar in December. “Playing international football is definitely something in the back of my mind,” he said.

“If I am playing well and the team is doing well it can only help. Lee Evans is here as well and he will also be pushing for a spot.

“If we turn this start round and go on to win promotion, meaning we will be playing in the Championship next season, and there’s the World Cup coming up next year, it would be a massive achievement for me and I think I speak for Lee as well.

“If we can build a case for getting into the World Cup squad, that would be the ultimate, the cherry on the cake if you like.”

Photo: Matchday Images

OliveR16 added 20:22 - Sep 16 This is like the Liberal Democrat conference assuring us that they can win the next election. Which of course they could by winning the majority of seats. And won't.
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London_Blue added 20:45 - Sep 16 It's funny, I read some of the comments on here, and the Facebook forum, and think people looking in from outside think they're watching a video game or reality TV show, and I'm sure a huge percentage have never kicked a football in a competitive match of any quality. People shouting for PC to go should ask themselves whether they're true supporters of this club. We've just been bought by a huge US based pension fund, have a CEO who has literally worked magic in the transfer market during the summer, and 19 new players, who, as a collective first choice selection have not actually played together before, signing the last two and arguably the most important, two weeks ago. Paul Cook is more qualified that literally every person commenting on this forum. Do you think he watches matches and thinks ‘mmm, not sure what to do next' or is that something that so-called fans like to think because comments like ‘PC out' give them attention. We're six games in, have a brand new team and a bloody good manager analysing performances to make improvements. Get behind the team and manager, be that twelfth man and help get us out this division, stop the bloody negativity and moaning!!

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Stato added 21:58 - Sep 16 The Pull C@ck fan boys are out in force telling the rest of us we're thick for not seeing the master plan. Cook will win a game soon but for goodness sake he is in charge of the strongest squad in the league so please don't start crowing when he does. I'm opting out of the spin on last year's team not being his choice as that's the reality of all new manager appointments. The top managers make an immediate difference and show the fans just how bad the previous guy was. The clown Paul Lambert had that squad 3 points off the play offs when sacked. Until PC goes above that how can anyone suggest he is the right man for the job.

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Lloyds added 22:11 - Sep 16 Tempzzzz… I'm sorry to hear you were threatened and abused by someone when you applauded Bonne. They don't sound like a fellow supporter and just want to control …. I would keep doing what is right and support the team and mention to a steward next time. You shouldn't have to put up with that. I'm looking forward to watching The Lincoln match this Saturday and then off to see us at home vs Sheff Wednesday… really looking forward to all the matches and happy to be patient… I think it'll be worth it.

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OliveR16 added 10:18 - Sep 17 London_Blue 'Paul Cook is more qualified that literally every person commenting on this forum' Some things are opinions and debatable but that comment is categorically wrong. Which isn't to say that those are the negative people - you are just assuming the forum is made up of people like you, a common error. In general, players and staff often use fan forums by proxy too.

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Eddie1985 added 10:21 - Sep 17 London Blue... Really??? You say we've been bought by an American pension fund as if its a good thing, personally I think it's the type of story that always ends badly and that's not me saying Evans was great it's having reasonable precaution over an ownership model that is questionable, Paul Cook has come to our club and performed badly, he blamed that on the standard of player so he was allowed to get rid of all the players and bring in his own players and staff at great cost.... He's still performing badly, without leam Richardson he seems to be an awful manager, maybe they worked as a team but his record here is dreadful, we all bemoan previous management but his record is far worse and his coaching team!!??? Franny jeffers who threw his talent away, Gary Roberts in his first 1st team coaching job and a bloke who used to put the fabric conditioner in at Wigan... The Americans have been as good as there word so far but sometimes you need to accept you have made a mistake, I honestly think kieron dyer would do a better job

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Pilgrimblue added 11:53 - Sep 17 Burns has been fantastic and deserves to be on the winning side. Just think that scoring two isn't enough to win! For me Cook has failed. Last season he took over a team that were just outside the top 8 but he failed to take them any further. Fast forward to this season and not any better despite a stronger squad!! He needs to look in the mirror and work it out before the owners do!!

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istanblue added 20:22 - Sep 17 Burns: Players Need to Start Performing Fixed it.
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