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Cook: Our Supporters Can See Signs We Are Growing
Saturday, 25th Sep 2021 18:21

Town boss Paul Cook felt Blues fans could see signs that his side is growing despite requiring a last-gasp Conor Chaplin equaliser to draw 1-1 at home to Sheffield Wednesday.

Chaplin, one of the 19 summer signings, tapped home after stand-in skipper Macauley Bonne had robbed Sheffield Wednesday keeper Bailey Peacock-Farrell having hidden behind the on-loan Burnley man as he looked to kick out of his area.

“I was delighted, I’ve got to tell you that, if I’d been sitting here after losing 1-0 it would have been a really bitter pill to swallow,” Cook said.

“I thought it was an excellent football match, I thought it was a great occasion, a fantastic crowd in, both sets of supporters played their part in a fantastic atmosphere and the game was always on a knife-edge.

“You felt that tension in the game, you felt it on the sidelines. Sheff Wed have got some excellent players, Ipswich have got some excellent players and I think for me, I’m probably biased, but I thought we probably deserved to win, and I know I might be a little bit biased with that.”

He added: “You’ve seen now, it’s eight league games we’ve played, coming from behind at home to get a point against a very strong team, the character, I’ve questioned certain aspects of our squad at the minute, and I think our supporters can see signs that we are growing, we are getting stronger and that’s there for everyone to see.”

Regarding Town’s goal, Cook said: “He nearly missed it, I believe, Conor. He was telling me he’s scuffed it. I’d have never spoken to him again in my life if he’d missed, I can tell you that!

“I’m made up for Conor, he’s had Covid, he’s come in, he’s not fit, he’s had a couple of starts, he did his hamstring and he’s desperate to get going.

“And for players, they want to have relationships with the supporters, and those moments make them.

“Conor has now made that little moment with those Ipswich fans and the celebrations you saw there were great and it was great to be around Portman Road to see the emotion of a happy Portman Road rather than what we’ve seen over the last few weeks.”

"Regarding Bonne’s role and that of Scott Fraser, he added: “Macauley’s a constant threat, it’s what he does. As a manager there, you’re looking at subs we can make, and it’s hard because you don’t want to take Macauley off. He’s our goal threat and as it proved in the game, he was the goal threat.

“Scott’s a good player, again Scott was one that I was looking to take off. But you’re loathe to take your good players off because we have got so many of them, but we’re also wanting to bring freshness on and give everyone a chance.


“They’re just decisions as a manager you have to make and I’m sure tonight it looks a good one, next week it’ll probably not look so great.”

"Cook was most pleased that the Blues gave up few chances to the Owls having conceded five times in their last home match against Bolton.

“Yeah, I think by the time they left the game with Bolton, everyone would want to play us, that’s how I looked at us,” he said. “‘The gaps are there, if you run through those gaps you’ll score goals’.

“You don’t see us running back to our own goal a lot now out of uncomfortable positional play. The lads have worked very hard on the training ground and they deserve a pat on the back for that.”"

Did he feel Town needed to take something from the game to build on last week’s first win of the season at Lincoln? “You’ve just got to keep going. We’ll get beaten at home when we probably least expect it, we’ll win away when we might be under par, but it’s football and I’ve seen it for long enough.

“For me, team performances are huge. We didn’t give up a lot of chances in the game today, we don’t look open at the minute, we look quite solid and within that we know we’ve got goals in the team, so long may it continue.”

He added: “I’m pleased with us, genuinely. I’ll sit in front of you sometimes and you can see the tension in my body or my body language, I enjoyed the game today. As a manager on the sidelines today I enjoyed watching our team play.

“I saw late on when we made some mistakes, Matt Penney made a couple of mistakes. Matt was excellent today, for 80 minutes of the game he was absolutely superb. And that’s where the fitness and the repetition and what you do is important.

“I’m pleased with the point, Sheff Wed are a fantastic football club in a great league and I thought it was a great advert for League One.”

Asked the reasons why he handed Bonne the captaincy, he said: “I just felt because of Macauley and the way he is, Samy Morsy is going to be available on Tuesday night, Lee Evans has got a hamstring injury and he’s out, so the reality is we’re looking at it again on Monday.

“I just thought it was the least Macauley deserves, he’s an absolute pleasure to be around, he’s just a fantastic young man, he’s a credit to himself and our football club while he’s with us.

“I don’t think Lee’s [going to be out] particularly long, it was just disappointing. But I’ve got to say I thought Idris was excellent, I really did and I’m so pleased for Idris because he had a Papa John’s Trophy game playing out of position to accommodate other players, he’s worked so hard behind the scenes and he got an opportunity today and I felt he took his opportunity really, really well, so well done Idris.

“Again, you see the effect Rekeem [Harper] has when he runs forward in the last minute of the game, he has a big, big chance and I just felt that I want Rekeem to be looking at possibly different positions on the pitch for us, and I felt with the emergence of Samy on Tuesday possibly that Idris deserved that chance, he’s waited so patiently and long. If he hadn’t have got the chance today, the reality is he mightn’t have got one.

“Now he’s had a big one and he’s showed everyone at the club that he can play for this team. Well done Idris.”

Is Morsy champing at the bit to finally make his league debut for the club following his suspension hangover from his time with Middlesbrough.

“I think Samy’s always champing,” Cook continued. “He’s a really good lad, he’s captained all my clubs I’ve been at with him, so I know Samy inside out, he knows us inside out, he’s a competitor, he’s a winner and he’ll want to win desperately for Ipswich Town Football Club.

“We’ll look at that situation tomorrow, I think all the lads that have been involved today deserve a big pat on the back, I think it was a great spectacle at Portman Road, it was a really good football match and I think the supporters from both teams can go home quite content.”

Cook revealed that winger Kyle Edwards is set to be available for Tuesday’s game after his injury, as is Toto Nsiala, who has been out with a hamstring problem.

Asked why he waited until the 75th minute to make his subs, Cook said: “I thought we were playing well, I was enjoying us. Did we really look like scoring? Possibly that could be questioned, I would suggest that would be fair. Did we look very comfortable in the game where you felt we would get a big chance? That’s how I felt.

“And as a manager I think you learn to be patient but also when you’ve got Joe Pigott, Conor Chaplin, those type of lads on the bench, you’re always itching to get them on because you know their energy levels will be right on and the desire to score, and that was great for Conor.”

He added: “I thought it was a good game, a genuinely good football match, probably both teams will be happy with a point I suppose because both teams are going to get stronger without a shadow of a doubt. There were some good players on the pitch, for both teams.”

Wednesday manager Darren Moore wasn't too hard on keeper Peacock-Farrell for his error.

“What’s happened has happened but we are 100 per cent behind him,” he said

“He has been absolutely terrific in everything that he has been doing, there have been one or two things that he thought he would have done better at but he can only learn from them.

“If you analyse his game he has been absolutely superb, he’s been absolutely tops.”

He added: “We talk about the first half and Macauley Bonne has gone straight through and he has saved us. The positives far outweigh the negatives and he has been absolutely terrific.

“The crowd is noisy and deafening. It’s happened and it won’t be the last [time], he’s a top, top goalkeeper who I firmly believe will play in the Premier League and play regularly in the Premier League, that’s how I highly rate this young man.”


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slade1 added 18:24 - Sep 25
Surely we have gelled by now? Other teams have
2

TimmyH added 18:31 - Sep 25
hhhmmmmm...I want Cook to succeed but what I gather today there wasn't much 'growing'...is this the new word to take over from 'gelling'? Still not a home win at this level!!
8

cat added 18:33 - Sep 25
Look, you can take the Pos or the Negs from today's game so I'm gonna say it as I see it and I throughly enjoyed it. We are playing some decent stuff on the front foot, some of our passages of play and one touch football is entertaining and I'm sure that most in attendance can see, like me, it's just a matter of time before we start blowing teams away. We shaded it today but I'll take the draw. Win required on Tuesday!
32

HighgateBlue added 18:33 - Sep 25
Our supporters can see signs we're in the relegation zone, Paul...
0

Eddie1985 added 18:40 - Sep 25
It's worrying how pleased he is with things given the situation looks terrible
6

ringwoodblue added 18:42 - Sep 25
“you're always itching to get them on because you know their energy levels will be right on and the desire to score”

so Cookie, what took you so long to bring the subs on then?
5

OwainG1992 added 18:47 - Sep 25
I can't understand how certain fans are so desperate for us to fail it seems.
That was a solid result again a solid team in this league.
It's 4 points from Lincoln and sheff weds.
That's not bad going.
Donny on Tues win that and then it's onto Accrington.
Be positive.
22

Marinersnose added 18:47 - Sep 25
Yes we have better players but the team formation isn't working and we are so easy to play through.i haven't seen improvement just changes in personnel game after game. I'm very concerned as our team appears to have little confidence. I expect promotion this season after the number of players brought in. Anything less will be failure imo.
13

schenkermental added 18:48 - Sep 25
This fan is growing - tired of you.
0

pennblue added 18:49 - Sep 25
We certainly did not deserve to lose that game today. A draw was probably a fair result.

We need to work on that period of play we seem to have in every game, where we say to the oppo, 'here you go, keep attacking us until you score" period of play. The warning signs are often there before we concede, and we need to get better at digging in, and being gritty during those periods of play.

Enjoyable to watch though, hoping Morsy will move us up another gear in terms of competitiveness, and we just need to get some confidence flowing the side. Confidence is everything, if we get that we will go on a run for sure.
18

tractorboybig added 18:54 - Sep 25
more bul ?hit than lambert.
2

DifferentGravy added 18:55 - Sep 25
Didnt see the game and so Im always interested in the report from those that viewed the game. With the exception of their last game Sheff Wed didnt score or concede many....so perhaps a 1-1 was predictable. Glad cook has FINALLY shored up the defence but frustrating we didnt try to be more assertive with substitutions and surely Norwood should be on the bench for such an occasion.

Gelling, growing......whatever. Far from convinced but a win on Tuesday will be another step in the right direction
1

rgp1 added 19:07 - Sep 25
More platitudes again just remember chaps that's no home wins I repeat no home wins in Division 3!
4

Suffolkboy added 19:16 - Sep 25
Wonder of wonders, again we receive the same sort of ‘pleading for time ‘ messages from PC ; alongside his assumption that the supporters can see the ‘signs of growth ‘ !When shall we see the crops flourish and the flowers bloom - don't want to wait til next spring .
Come on PC give us the real analysis of exactly what isn't right, doesn't happen , what the mistakes are , who is showing the strength of character to ensure we,and you, succeed .So far there's a lot of emphasis being placed on certain individuals (Morsy for one) to bring the drive and assertive influence ; we'd love to read that all our side shared the characteristics you're looking for but it's still only a ‘promise ‘ to come .Please let it be soon !
COYB
-2

Churchman added 19:28 - Sep 25
League One, no wins at home, 20th in the division and deservedly so. The table doesn't lie. And Cook thinks we are growing. Growing what exactly? Mushrooms?
13

Lightningboy added 19:29 - Sep 25
Bl00dy awful and that's saying it.

Looked like a bunch of blokes who'd been asked if they fancy a kick about on Saturday afternoon.

Meanwhile at Wigan......🧠
8

Dear_oh_Dear added 19:36 - Sep 25
We were very poor. Celina woeful. Bonne 'fire' missed 3 sitters in Jackson/Norwood esque style. We hoofed a lot, gave the ball away a lot. VERY fortunate to equalise due to their goalies mistake. I don't think the fans are content Paul...
3

Lathers added 19:43 - Sep 25
We are improving no doubt. 1 goal conceded in the last 2 games. 3 consecutive games having the same CB pairing and we are improving defensively, that's no coincidence. Get a regular CM partnership and we will improve there too. Get more game time in to Celina and he will improve and so will others etc etc. If we win on Tuesday night then that's 7 points from 9. Small steps, it's early on still and we have the best squad in the league. Judge the manager and the team in early November and I'm sure we will be top 8 at least by then.
9

Facefacts added 19:47 - Sep 25
It is clear we will not rip up this league and no one is going to make life easy for us. Big relief to get a draw today.

No one plays 4 4 2 anymore, it leaves you vulnerable in midfield, where most games are won and lost. Ok you can go two up top and route 1 at the end to grab an equaliser but that's it. Total waste of time and energy trying to get Cook or any other manager to change that mindset.

Big gap for Morsy to fill in our midfield. We don't have a player like Bannan. Ball winners and passers lacking at the moment.
2

Eddie1985 added 20:09 - Sep 25
Teams do still play 442
2

itfchorry added 20:39 - Sep 25
Sadly Mr Cook - I don't share your philosophy or
view point -

What is the point in us having all this strike force
when you are only playing one up top ?

4

jas0999 added 21:02 - Sep 25
Wow. Seven at home. No wins. Pitiful. Cook deluded. Ashton needs to say something here.
9

ThaiBlue added 21:03 - Sep 25
Im sorry but this guy is kidding everyone,what i saw today was rubbish and the team are not growing as its never settled due to injuries every week and what cook putd on the park is a bunch of individuals who cant put more than 2 passes together,growing pull the other one cookie you dont no what your doing.
5

OzzyBlue added 21:16 - Sep 25
Getting real tired of the negativity on here. Yes, the results aren't what we want. Yes, we should be higher. We all know this.

BUT, given the amount of change - I personally expected this. The crowd was great in the stadium today, the team clearly are starting to gel and play better and I think the results will shortly come. The defence was leaps and bounds above where we were weeks ago, and the goal we conceded was a bit of brilliance that I doubt they could replicate again if they tried.

We will get there and we should all support our team. Give the team a few more games to see, then I think there will be a genuine reason to start complaining if things don't get better. Until then, let's act as a 12th man and support the boys.
7

bluewarrior added 21:42 - Sep 25
Enjoyed the game. Some mistakes but interspersed with some excellent interplay. Far from perfect but this side is immeasurably better than last seasons pathetic sh1te. The players are up for it and deserve the backing that they're getting from the vast majority of the crowd. Anyone that was there last week saw how passionate Cook is for his team (and Ashton too). Cook's system has an outstanding track record in this division. Still a work in progress but definitely going in the right direction. I honestly believe I was at a different game to some of the posters above (maybe some of them weren't at the game at all!). Looking forward to Tuesday night.
18


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