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Manager Cook Sacked
Saturday, 4th Dec 2021 19:22

Town have announced that manager Paul Cook has been relieved of his duties following this afternoon’s 0-0 FA Cup draw with Barrow at Portman Road.

Blues CEO Mark Ashton told the club site: "Firstly, we would like to thank Paul and his team for their efforts in what has been a difficult transition period for everyone.

“I know how much Paul wanted to succeed at this club. However, following discussions with the board, we have decided a change is needed for our long-term interests.

“At this moment, there is no one lined up to replace Paul. There will be an extensive search to find the best replacement for the club. I will communicate more to the media and our supporters on Monday.”

It seems likely that former Colchester manager John McGreal, who joined the Blues as an U23s coach on Thursday, an appointment we understand wasn't made by Cook, will be put in caretaker charge.

Cook, 54, joined the club in March having been appointed by former owner Marcus Evans following Paul Lambert's sacking with the Blues dropping out of the play-off zone during his couple of months in charge.

The summer saw a major overhaul of the playing staff with 19 senior additions coming in along with new backroom staff - first team coach Franny Jeffers, goalkeeper-coach John Keeley and coach Ian Craney joining another first-team coach Gary Roberts - and around 30 players departing.

Despite the Blues having one of the largest budgets in League One, they made a slow start to the season and they have remained inconsistent and currently sit in 11th in the division.

Cook's record in his 44 games with Town reads a disappointing won 13, drawn 17 and lost 14.

The Blues new ownership backed Cook's appointment by Evans but, as reported by TWTD at the time, the man they eyed for the job was Lincoln City boss Michael Appleton, who worked for Ashton and chairman Mike O'Leary at Oxford having previously had links with the pair at West Brom.

Town are likely to look for a head coach rather than an old-style manager and other candidates we understand will come into the reckoning are MK Dons boss Liam Manning - who started his coaching career with the Blues having been an academy player - and Plymouth's Ryan Lowe.


Photo: TWTD



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cromwellblue added 22:29 - Dec 4
You only have to read this comments section to see the divided nature of our support.

Reasoned debate appears to have little place, just abuse someone who has a different opinion.

Let's look at a few FACTS.

This club has been in decline for 14 years, that doesn't get fixed in 9 months.

On his appointment this site had a pole which was over 95% supportive. Wonder how many of those are now claiming it was a bad appointment?

Sadly in the modern world this was likely to happen, personally not convinced that this should all be laid at Cooks door.

The outers are applauding Ashton and Co for this decision, no doubt they'll be next for a lynching if we don't win 50 games in a row……..
3

istanblue added 22:29 - Dec 4
Can't have any complaints. Was backed by the owners and fans heavily. No animus towards him as he seemed like a genuine guy but it just wasn't working out. This does illustrate that the ownership, O'Leary and Ashton and prepared to act swiftly and decisively if needs be, which is certainly a step change from the inertia of the Evans regime. #WarnockIN
-1

groundhog added 22:41 - Dec 4
If Mcgreal gets a good reaction from the team in the Sunderland game, I would like to see him given the rest of this season. He had colchester over performing when he was there (when you look at what happened after he left).
5

atty added 22:43 - Dec 4
This Club is now in a better position than it has been for over a decade. Good owners, a good senior management team. Good back room staff and improving facilities. A good academy and women's team. Good players in the first team squad. So we've lost an underperforming management, sad but that's the way it is. Get over it and move on. We can and will succeed.
11

Bluroo added 22:43 - Dec 4
Cromwell Blue - and you can't fix a club with a rubbish, tactically one-dimensional manager. Sorry but you're over-thinking things.

Lambert got more out of an ensemble of pensioners and want-aways under the funk of the Evans era than Cook got out of a clean sheet of paper a black cheque book and the fair wind of the new ownership.

That needs improving. Now. End of.
10

SpiritOfJohn added 22:50 - Dec 4
While it is never nice to see a fellow human being lose their job, it is difficult to feel too much sympathy for a man who called himself The Terminator when he dispatched last season's squad.
9

dirtydingusmagee added 22:53 - Dec 4
Cromwellblue , we all have our opinions and obviously they differ, if yours is that you were happy with things so be it ,along with many others i wasnt, and although PC branded the fans who were not happy as ''Drama Queens'' it would appear that the owners are of the same opinion ,dont kid yourself that the fans got Cook the sack. Ashton and co could see what was and wasnt happening ,and have decided before today that Cook was not going to achieve what was required. So as much as you are disappointed you cant blame fans and members of this site for what has happened .Move on like we all must and hope for better times ahead .
12

Bert added 23:03 - Dec 4
I can see our American owners being attracted to Lampard. I express no opinion as to whether that would be good for us or for him. Whatever the shortcomings of Cook, our club has great potential and it is not beyond the realms of possibility that our investors will want a name.
0

Lukeybluey added 23:15 - Dec 4
Well, thought he'd be given more time...although must admit, myself being quite patient, I saw no improvement over the last couple of months, gone backwards in fact.
I feel sorry for cookie, I really wanted him to succeed, seems like a decent bloke...such a shame. I wish him well for the future!
6

Reusers_Tash added 23:28 - Dec 4
Plain n simple - excited. Let's move on with a manager who knows more than one system, i.e. an actual manager. It's like putting down a dying animal, the kindest thing has been done early enough for the club.
6

braveblue added 23:49 - Dec 4
Really bad decision. Managers now have a 20 game window to succeed. Not the Ipswich way. Sad Tim's.
-7

braveblue added 23:50 - Dec 4
Good luck Paul. Move on and succeed with your excellent track record. We will watch from below as usual.
-4

AlanG296 added 23:58 - Dec 4
Only way Cook could be successful is if he had Richardson as number 2 again.
2

leagueonescum added 00:00 - Dec 5
No more Paul's!
0

ronnyd added 00:16 - Dec 5
Wow, just read this. Bit shocked but not surprised.
0

runningout added 00:18 - Dec 5
Shame as wanted it to work. But wasn't meant to be. Hope PC finds success in the near future
1

BlueandTruesince82 added 00:32 - Dec 5
Shocked. Think any manager deserves more time unless it's an unmitigated disaster. Not saying things were going well.

Wonder what wouldn't drop down to this league for any other manager Morsy and Chaplain make of that
3

Jon added 01:12 - Dec 5
Don't write Cooky off. He could well blossom else where with less pressure and a really strong coach. Robson/Ferguson was like nice cop, tough cop pairing.
Similar would be good for us. Ferguson was also tactically very astute and ahead of his time in that respect. Robson was so enthusiastic and likeable, knew a good player when he saw one. And nearly always turned them into better players.
1

December1963 added 06:24 - Dec 5
Micheal Carrick ?
-7

TB42 added 06:35 - Dec 5
Cornwellblue, with regards to “facts” I and I'm sure many others anticipated the full COOK “success package” namely him and his assistant, Liam RICHARDSON when his appointment was announced. Meanwhile, COOK has had far greater scope than any recent manager and ruthlessly dispatched many of the old team and brought in all players of his own choice. However, clearly, the absence of RICHARDSON has been a major determining factor , whilst COOK has produced mediocre results RICHARDSON so far, has otherwise excelled which suggests to me that he was a huge part of the previous achievements and sadly, COOK on his own, is not the man to lead us to anywhere near where we want to be. The other simple reality is that we now have owners who are prepared to invest but clearly, expect a return on the money that they are putting in.
7

johnwarksshorts added 06:40 - Dec 5
Thought he would have been given a little longer, but I'm not too surprised. I think the whole coaching set up was floored.
6

paulcooperisgod added 07:10 - Dec 5
Nuno for me
2

therein61 added 07:16 - Dec 5
I don't think for one minute this was a knee jerk reaction something in the building has been wrong for a while, Bonne can't score to save his life at the minute and central midfield are afraid to express themselves also i cannot believe that Ashton with his wealth oc contacts has not been sounding people out!,
All the best Mr Cook but i'm afraid you were not up to it! more to the point neither were the team of so called coaches who appeared not to command the respect of the players or give a toss.
8

Wooly74 added 07:23 - Dec 5
For me it is quite simple, there's only two managers in this league that are worth a go, one is sad to off the league and with his Norwich connections is unlikely to want it, the other and natural choice would be Karl Robinson at Oxford. He is the only manager who on a tiny budget knows how to consistently perform in this awful league. I also think he will be able to perform in the championship and for now that's all we need to consider.

3

Town4me added 07:24 - Dec 5
Alan curbishley is available.
-7


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