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Cook: I Don’t Fear Making Decisions
Friday, 22nd Oct 2021 11:48

Town boss Paul Cook says he doesn’t fear making selection decisions with plenty of players pushing for places in his side at the present time.

Recent matches have seen the likes of Conor Chaplin, Sone Aluko and Toto Nsiala come into the side and take their chance, while players such as Bersant Celina and Wes Burns, who had made an impression earlier in the campaign, have latterly been on the bench.

Asked whether it’s nice to have those sorts of decisions to make, Cook said: “I think before the international break, Bersant was playing as a 10 and Fraser was playing more off the left as an 11.

“Obviously, since Bersant has come out of the team, Scott Fraser has picked up a little injury that’s hampered him [and put him] out of the squad.

“Chaplin went in for Bersant when Bersant was away and Chaplin has been outstanding for a couple of games.

“It was a good opportunity to give Kyle [Edwards a game from the start at Portsmouth], so at the minute, the lads are making the decisions easy for me if you like, if that makes sense.

“I don’t fear making decisions and I think I’m privileged to have the opportunity and the ability to do it.

“All we want to do is win as a group of people, I think the most important thing for us is winning. If you can win as a team over the next 40-odd games or whatever we might play over the rest of the campaign, we’re going to need every single player at the club.

“Certain lads might take the plaudits at the minute, but the most important ones are the ones who aren’t in the team who I have to keep happy and make sure they’re training hard so that when they come into the team, the reality is that they can perform.”

Cook says the players who are out of the team are dealing with that the right way: “I think so, and I genuinely think that, I believe that. I think if you could be in and around here, you would see them growing. You would see the relationships and friendships growing, and it’s great for me to see.

“I always enjoy watching teams celebrate when they score, not particularly the opposition that I’ve had to watch too much this year, by the way, but our lads.

“And you can see what it means to them and I love us scoring in front of our fans. I don’t think there’s any better feeling.

“We don’t expect lads to be happy being out of the team, what we do expect is them to work hard to get back in the team.

“Modern-day football has created a culture where lads show unhappiness by sulking and not training hard. That’s not the way forward here.”

The Blues boss believes on-field partnerships are something which take time to evolve but with patience in football all too often lacking.

“Partnerships can only come with time and unfortunately for people in football now, people just don’t want to give anyone time,” he continued. “I just find some of the stuff where managers are sacked now literally ludicrous, that’s just my opinion.

“I’m a football fan. I’d never dream of asking managers to be sacked after games, but that’s the world we live in now.

“It’s great to see partnerships on a football pitch. You guys will know after historically watching Ipswich, [Frans] Thijssen and [Arnold] Muhren, you can go through all of the partnerships, Russell Osman and Terry Butcher, the partnerships are there and they develop and they grow, and somehow when you have a good team you seem to have a lot of them, and it’s something that we’re trying to harness.”


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ArnieM added 12:00 - Oct 22
It's always been a matter of “time” …. And patience from all concerned to allow players understanding to develop . We are now starting to see this happen and all of s as sudden this squads true quality ( and PC's ability) is there for all to see.
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legoman added 12:01 - Oct 22
You were born to manage this club Cooky! Onwards and upwards.
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DifferentGravy added 12:34 - Oct 22
Appreciate that through either a lack of pre season/drop in form/trying to find the winning formula.....Cook has rotated his players. Do think we are reaping the benefits of having a core unit of players though. In particular Edmunson, Morsey, Bonne, Donacien and Burns. The familiarity of playing regularly with each other and knowing strengths and weaknesses can only help.
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bluewarrior added 12:56 - Oct 22
Great to see the tide turning in terms of fans' attitude to Cook. We all know that it's far too early to get completely carried away and that inevitably there will be more bumps and scrapes on the journey but too many fans lost sight of the facts and got far too emotional in their criticism. 1. Cook was handpicked for the role based on an outstanding track record in this division - he was always going to be given time. 2. The owners/investors did exactly what they promised to do in terms of recruitment within the predetermined financial limits. 3. The recruitment was excellent - the calibre of players that came in is way above the dross that left - in fact I don't think there's been one weak signing - albeit some have obviously stood out as inspired. 4. The entertainment value has improved out of all recognition. 5. Cook is passionate and proud about the club, the players and the fans.
We, the fans, have always had a huge part to play in what happens this season. We as fans have it in our power to make PR so intimidating that instead of away teams enjoying the experience and the thought of quietening the crowd and getting the home fans on the players backs (as some have), they will dread it, fear it even. At times the backing this season has been deafening (home and away) and what a difference that makes but in truth it's not been consistent. I'll never forget the roar at Lincoln as we helped the team through the last few nervy minutes to get that vital first win and then Ashton came running round and thanked us all with a passion that I don't think I've ever seen from a club CEO. I think Cook grew an extra inch or two too taller such was his pride …. And relief probably. But we can all do more to help. Think about it, every time Bonne takes the field, he must be expecting to score such is the support for one of our own and the confidence that breeds, who would have ever believed that Janoi would have his own chant?, the guy is on fire - he looks unbeatable - even Aluko, he hadn't scored in an age and now three in two league games. Always an intelligent and skilful player but right now his confidence must also be through the roof - all inspired in no small amount by the fans. Obviously It's not all down to our attitude as fans of course, the players clearly love the manager and want to play/win for him (reminiscent of Sir Bobby's days) but blimey positive support from the fans makes a big contribution - and is far more enjoyable than arguing between ourselves. Personally I've not been as excited as a town fan for many a year - I literally cannot wait for the next game and it's been like that all season (even if it is an utterly sh1t division to be in). I'm personally delighted that Cook is getting recognised for the ballsy decisions he's made and the way he goes about the job of managing our club and I sincerely hope that when the time comes (if it hasn't already) the doubters will be big enough to admit that they misjudged the situation and were far too quick to criticise. In other words they were plain wrong!
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pennblue added 13:26 - Oct 22
I have never felt so confident, in the players we have, the management, the owners, and the management hierarchy that is now running this football club.

Does it mean we are going walk the league now? No, probably not. But what I do expect to happen, is us to progressively get better and better over time.

There is no reason we cannot be in Brighton / Leicester City's position in 2/3 years time.
9

Jaime_Clapham added 14:10 - Oct 22
bluewarrior you are absolutely spot on with all of that! The sheer scale of the task that Cook has taken on is monumental and I'm 100% behind him.

Trust the journey and it will come good - even if it is hard to believe after so many false dawns under ME.
7

1RWR added 14:28 - Oct 22
Blue warrior: a very good, concise & accurate reflection on what's happening at ITFC. Nice read.
I was at Lincoln when Ashton ran out towards us, thought a Lincoln director had set fire to his ass the speed he shot out, did bring a tear to ones eye, that's commitment!
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bluewarrior added 15:23 - Oct 22
IRWR - 50 odd years old and 40 odd of those a town fan and I don't mind admitting that I also had tears rolling down my cheeks at that moment. To finally have someone running the club we all love so much with so much pride and passion is extraordinary. The owners and management appear to have their hearts and minds in exactly the right place. For all that Gamechanger is an investment vehicle and that these guys are employees rather than dedicated lifelong fans, at the end of the day, they all demonstrate genuine care and commitment and for that we should all be so thankful - especially after the pain of ME. Like many others, I'm absolutely loving every second of being a town fan at the moment - we all have a huge part to play in this too but that means really getting behind the club and dropping the negative stuff. Nothing is ever going to be perfect and run exactly to plan but everything points towards a really exciting future after so many dire years
4

terryf added 15:54 - Oct 22
Now 60 years on from watching my first game against the mighty Tottenham (which included my favourite player, John White) I can safely say that after many memorable seasons of supporting Town and the complete disillusionment of the Keane, Jewell, Hurst and particularly McCarthy eras under Evans, this season has been a breath of fresh air, even though it's been a roller coaster ride. OK there's a lot of ground to make up but at last I'm feeling optimistic!!
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JewellintheTown added 15:57 - Oct 22
This isn't going to be popular but a little part of me is very grateful to Marcus Evans for being mature and holding out for the right manager, owners and time to sell up. I don't ever think he intended to run us into the ground, but credit to him, he bowed out the best way he knew for us fans and put us in good hands.
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cat added 16:45 - Oct 22
That's a top post blue warrior and echos my thoughts to a tee. Like you I'm buzzing about going tomorrow, there will of course be bumps in the road but the way we are playing, entertaining and scoring is like nothing I can remember for years.
1

TeHuia added 11:00 - Oct 23
@JewellintheTown, I suspect that history will be kinder to ME than we, as long-suffering supporters, have been.

You're right in that he did not sell the club to the first shyster who came along with a wad of cash. Perhaps we also forget that without him having stepped in in the first place we might have had a very different recent history.

He may well have believed that with early promotion to the Premiership he could turn a sizeable profit, but the game changed and it's likely it soon became apparent to him, and somewhat later to the rest of us I suspect, that he had got himself involved in a card game for which he didn't have have the ante.

He still retains 1/20th of the club. Yes, we declined as a club and a team under his tenure but respect is still due where it is due.
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