Town boss Paul Cook pulled no punches in his assessment of the Blues’ 2-1 defeat away against his old club Accrington Stanley.

Second-half goals from Colby Bishop and Harry Pell saw Stanley to the three points after Macauley Bonne had given Town a 38th-minute lead with his eighth of the season.

Cook, a one-time manager and player with the Lancastrians, was asked whether he felt it was a disappointment.

“That’s an understatement, isn’t it?” the clearly frustrated Blues manager said. “We didn’t turn up, apart from Macauley Bonne, again with an outstanding finish, I don’t think we had a player, possibly Janoi Donacien maybe a little bit, I don’t think we had a player who could come out from it with any credit.

“It was an absolutely shocking performance, I didn’t see it coming. I thought we took the lead against the run of play. Accrington had so much more hunger and desire, which I knew they’d have and you’d expect our quality to come through. At no point in the game did that happen.”

Did the performance come as a surprise? “Lads, you watch us the same as me. Football’s a funny game, just the minute you think you’re starting to do something well, it bites you. And today we had to match Accrington, which we didn’t do, we had to run harder than them, we had to work harder than them, and we never did.

“And you can debate tactics, formations, players, if you don’t win individual battles, you won’t win a game and we didn’t win many on that pitch.”

He added: “I always think if we’d have left today with a point, you’d be going home happy because you’d think we’d probably pinched a point away from home.

“You can make excuses about anything you want. Listen, Accrington have travelled for two games, to Morecambe, to Oxford and they ran every blade of grass today. They were on every second ball, they were hungry, they were off the front foot and unfortunately for us, we went under, and that’s a horrible thing to say as a manager.”

Cook said it was particularly disappointing given Tuesday’s performance as they beat Doncaster 6-0, the third game in a three-match unbeaten run which appeared to see the Blues build up some momentum.

“We thought we did, three games unbeaten, hadn’t conceded goals,” he reflected. “And to be fair to both teams today, there were no chances in the game. It wasn’t a great spectacle, it wasn’t a great game of football but Accrington deserved to win, make no bones about it.”

A wake-up call for one or two? “It has to be. It’s hard for me because I’ll never make excuses for players because I’m not like that. We’re screaming for consistency from our players so we know what we get.

“Today we lost battles with players that I wouldn’t expect players to lose, which is what really disappoints you.”

Does he feel for fans, who travelled to the North-West? “The supporters are great, they’re amazing. The turn up, they travel, they’ve had false dawns, they’ve had disappointments, again it’s part of your journey.

“Today we were really, really disappointing and that’s poor from myself, the staff, the players, especially when we’ve offered so much, we’re going to open teams up and we’ve got good players.

“I didn’t feel we worked hard enough in the game today and our players will be under no illusions that it won’t be accepted.”

Asked whether he felt the display has to be a one-off, Cook responded: “Well, we’ll see, won’t we? We’ll just wait and see.”

Cook says he’s not going to have the squad in for extra training on Sunday: “I’m not like that, I won’t be threatening them like that. Football’s about habits and repetition and when they go on the pitch.

“We never took control of the game today, at no point did we take control where you felt ‘Now’s our chance, we’re in the ascendency’. We huffed and we puffed and we faded away.”

The result and performance clearly hurt the Town boss: “It kills, but listen, it’s footie. I’m more experienced now, it takes you up and down.

“Today, they scored just after half-time when you know quite well if we can see out 10 or 15 minutes, you think our subs bench can come on and influence the game.

“We end up then making subs that we weren’t planning on making because the game’s just going away from us, and it shouldn’t have done that.

“On the flip side of that, you must credit Accrington, they were very, very good today, they showed to everyone how hard a place it is to come and they’re a great credit to John Coleman and his staff.”

He added: “Today’s disappointing because we just wanted to keep our momentum going, just keep moving forward and we’ve taken a step back now where realistically where we expected to hopefully take a step forward.

“But you’ve got to let your disappointment sink in, I’m disappointed, I’m sick because I never saw it coming. I really expected us to play well today. I’m not saying I’d thought we’d win, but I thought people would enjoy watching us playing. I didn’t enjoy watching us playing.”

The display was a reminder that Town have to earn the right to play their football against less fancied League One sides.

“You guys know, we knew what we were going to walk into today, our lads were under no illusions,” he said.

“We never won a second ball, we never won a battle, we were playing in the wrong areas of the pitch, every bad decision you make, we made, and unfortunately that’s what you get.”

He continued: “Just keep going, it’s hard because you’re on a little three-game run where we’ve looked defensively strong, and I don’t think we’ve looked defensively weak today, if I’m being truthful, we just never looked good in the game, and that’s the thing that hurts the most.”

Accrington boss John Coleman was unsurprisingly delighted with the victory following Tuesday's 5-1 defeat at Oxford.

“I was delighted with the way they played,” Coleman told the Lancashire Telegraph.

“[Ipswich] had one chance in the first half and scored and we thought it was a foul in the build-up to their goal.

“We said to the lads at half-time they had to be more of a threat going forward and we scored a good goal to get back level while our keeper didn’t really have a save to make.

“Then Harry [Pell] was in the right place at the right time for the winner. We changed the formation and came up with the right formula. You don’t always get it right but today we did.

“We have conceded stupid goals recently but we were tight at the back with Seamus Conneely and David Morgan outstanding, and giving us a solid base in midfield. I also have to mention Ethan Hamilton who was superb.

“This win is a small step for us but we have been good at home this season.”

Photo: TWTD

bluelodgeblue added 21:18 - Oct 2 I have to say I like Paul cook but I have to say my initial concern in the beginning was he wasn't able to bring his no 2 Richardson to Portman Road, he's always going on about building partnerships on the pitch but it probably works off the pitch as well and that's where we are falling short?? Would Morecambe had succeeded without Wise??? Just saying? #coybs
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Dissboyitfc added 21:27 - Oct 2 The Doncaster manager came out and said he and the players would be reimbursing the travelling fans, is Paul cool and the players going to do the same?
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bobble added 21:40 - Oct 2 we could see this coming
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algarvefan added 22:01 - Oct 2 Paul Cook had the right to believe that the side that won 6-0 Tuesday would serve him well today, if he had changed the side he would have been slaughtered on here. It was clear to see that Accrington had done their homework, looking at the way we played, they nullified our midfield and chased down everything and to be honest we were quite lucky to be a goal up at half time, they had bullied us out of the game. Where was our flexibility to adapt and change to the game?? I like others on here like Paul Cook, but where is our tactical planning to change things. maybe to change formation or style of play. I honestly believe we have the players, they just weren't made good use of today. Hopefully we will kick on again, time is running out for Cook for me.

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ButchersBrokenNose added 22:27 - Oct 2 Taxi for Mr. Cook...
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ricardo55555 added 22:44 - Oct 2 After three hours travel my son and I were milling outside the away end, in the drizzling gloom, sadly reflecting that me, the Dad had forgotten the tickets. I checked all my pockets for the last time. As I looked up, there was the face of Paul Cook…I did a double take, iIt was only 30 minutes to kick off. He looked in a hurry. “Who needs a couple of tickets?”. Yes, I said. They were in my hands that second- and then he was gone. He didn't want them to go to waste. Thank you. He is a good man.

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ipswichone added 22:47 - Oct 2 Cook spent last season criticising players.now he is doing it to the team he brought in this season.stop making excuses.your clearly clueless cook.how long are we going to hang on to him?time to go,taxi for one
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shakytown added 22:47 - Oct 2 Their manager said it all. We changed formation and it worked. Cook is either too stupid or to arrogant to do the same during a game and this is why we constantly get torn apart in the second half of games. Cook out !!!!!!!!!
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Granthamblue62 added 23:10 - Oct 2 I like Cook as a person, its hard not to like him, even though his press conferences are littered with banal, football cliches. His win ratio at Town is simply appalling and I wonder if the key element in past successes was Leam Richardson. He seems to be doing well on his own with Wigan. Cook doesnt appear to have any tactical nous. 10 games in, promotion looks a very distant pipe dream. I wonder how long our American owners will let this uninspiring trend continue? I wonder if we will get a mention in future dictionaries - under the term 'long-suffering' there will be a photo of a Town fan, trudging away from yet another false dawn!

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blueboy1981 added 23:23 - Oct 2 There's something seriously wrong here - whatever Manager we have had over the past few seasons, whatever we've spent, whoever we've signed - we just cannot win enough games of Football, and this Club has become a grave yard for Managers. I don't normally believe in such, but it makes you wonder if some kind of curse has been placed on the Club. There is no logical reason how Ipswich Town Football Club should be out played by Accrington Stanley, least of all lose the game. A point today had to be the very least expected from that team - personally, I think after last week against Doncaster there were too many players who thought they had won by just turning up. Today so many of them wouldn't have been missed had they not turned up. I still think Cook is missing Richardson - results prove, and make points - just look at the gap between the two respective teams Wigan and us - it cannot be just down to ‘gelling' as a team with our lot, although albeit it can take time. It has to change - and it will change, the owners will only tolerate so much before some form of action is considered - maybe already behind the scenes. Din't be surprised at anything. What I do know is - these players owe an apology to every single fan than travelled in very difficult times today to see nothing but a disgraceful performsnce.

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blueboy1981 added 23:23 - Oct 2 There's something seriously wrong here - whatever Manager we have had over the past few seasons, whatever we've spent, whoever we've signed - we just cannot win enough games of Football, and this Club has become a grave yard for Managers. I don't normally believe in such, but it makes you wonder if some kind of curse has been placed on the Club. There is no logical reason how Ipswich Town Football Club should be out played by Accrington Stanley, least of all lose the game. A point today had to be the very least expected from that team - personally, I think after last week against Doncaster there were too many players who thought they had won by just turning up. Today so many of them wouldn't have been missed had they not turned up. I still think Cook is missing Richardson - results prove, and make points - just look at the gap between the two respective teams Wigan and us - it cannot be just down to ‘gelling' as a team with our lot, although albeit it can take time. It has to change - and it will change, the owners will only tolerate so much before some form of action is considered - maybe already behind the scenes. Din't be surprised at anything. What I do know is - these players owe an apology to every single fan than travelled in very difficult times today to see nothing but a disgraceful performsnce.

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chepstowblue added 23:35 - Oct 2 I'm finding it difficult to think of a more abject performance in very nearly a thousand games that ive attended. To think that 4 days previously we'd hit Donny for six, and played with absolutely zero confidence, and had only three attempts against a team who'd conceded 12 in their last three games. A bewildering performance and a horrible journey home. As yet, as much as I want to trust this manager and his squad, I simply cant.

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FrankMarshall added 23:45 - Oct 2 Terrible result. Not only that but many of our rivals also picked up good results and the table doesn't look good at all. Only three points now from bottom spot. It's a must win game against Shrewsbury. They look woeful and are lacking in confidence so I think we can take them. My prediction 2-0 (with one of those goals coming from Bonne). Will feel a little safer with those three points in the bag. The only (small) hope I have is when I look at the table last year. After 11 games Wigan were bottom of the league with 7 points. They obviously didn't have a great season but look at them now!

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DifferentGravy added 00:59 - Oct 3 Listened to the radio. The commentary team were baffled as to why we kept pumping it up the pitch only for it to come straight back...... and that it was just a matter of time before we conceded. So why cant the manager see what Mathie is seeing and do something about it!? Ac Stanley are not a good team, they didnt have a shot on target the first half......but we have played into their hands. Absolutely no chance we are getting promotion this season. Despite my dislike for one up front....I had hoped that after Tuesday we were turning a corner. But there is a real lack of consistency and I just cant see us picking up points on a regular basis. Is that what Cook was brought in for......to avoid relegation!? Sigh...............

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2_Goal added 02:41 - Oct 3 Eddie Howe please come and help us.
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Help added 07:37 - Oct 3 That shocking performance will be the panic hoof ball from the back, making a midfield pointless and ineffectual. PC can your players not understand that against Doncaster they played FOOTball. As fans we are tired of hoof ball, we have seen this with previous managers who lost their way. If you have players who insist on laying this way move them on. Or change the formation 5/5 would work well. Clearly the mindset of the players still is not right, nor are the substitutions or timing. Another poor performance.

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ChrisFelix added 07:39 - Oct 3 Fact, we have only played 4 away games but lost 3 of these. All 2 one & two after leading. Its clear to all that something isn't working yet Paul Cook ( who I was a supporter of ) or his staff don't appear to change it arround. To me we have a team who could survive in the championship yet are unable to get out of league 1
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itfc58 added 08:38 - Oct 3 Please just go now! You are ruining the best opportunity this club has ever had and will probably never get again! Most of this squad will be gone at the end of the season if we fail to win promotion. You've had a fair chance and all you've done is taken us even further backwards. I get that you're probably a nice guy but you're not for us. Please please do the decent thing and go while we've still got a glimmer of a chance.

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dirtydingusmagee added 09:05 - Oct 3 YES PAULINE , It was a shocking performance, and the team were no better !
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FrankMarshall added 09:54 - Oct 3 At least we can't use Blackpools revival as an example anymore. They were up to 12th at this point last season.
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Irishblueboy99 added 10:32 - Oct 3 Incapable of motivating or getting the best from his players, tactically not a clue. GOODBYE MR COOK, LOOK AT YOUR RECORD AND DO THE DECENT THING, RESIGN
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Michael101 added 10:38 - Oct 3 L sorry to say but this has been the Ipswich way for far to long now 1 steeps forward 2steeps backwards.
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Monkey_Blue added 12:46 - Oct 3 We have an away game bias to the rest of the season. We've had a relatively easy fixture list including the two cup games being at home to teams we should beat. Imagine if our first 12 games included the likes of Sunderland, Pompey, Wigan, Rotherham, Wycombe( it did but for the postponement). We'd be fighting Donnie for bottom of the table. Whatever Cooks qualities….they don't fit with this project and even with the likes of Wenger…. The same old process and tactics stubbornly stuck to eventually become faded. I honestly think we've got Cook on whatever career timeline he has, on the down curve. We need someone progressive and open to new ideas and adaptation. Let's be honest, if he's being out thought by managers with lesser squads in league one, imagine him in the championship where they have better squads and smarter managers. He's not going to get us promoted unless we outspend the other clubs so much his failings are covered up.

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istanblue added 12:50 - Oct 3 And what are you going to do about it exactly, Paul?
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yorkieblue62 added 16:01 - Oct 3 Like many managers, but not the best ones, Cook doesn't seem to have a clue about tactical subs, waits too long to change things & then swaps the wrong players. I was in favour of giving him plenty of time but am running out of patience. My guess is we will creep up to the top half of the table by Christmas, the owners will not change the manager & another season will be wasted

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