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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.


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Europablue added 11:09 - Dec 5
It isn't that Richardson was the brains behind Cook's previous success, it was just that Richardson is clearly a good assistant and now manager in the right circumstances. The main problem at Town is too much change in a short period of time. It's not appropriate to have a whole new coaching team when the whole playing squad is also new.
4

dirtydingusmagee added 11:21 - Dec 5
Reid is a dinosaur Exeterblue , i guess you ARE jesting .lol
5

Texastom added 11:23 - Dec 5
Right decision. Old School and hope all the back room staff go to and Peter Reid. Deffo no to Lampard, will be Keane all over again. Happy with McGreal as Caretaker. Totally confident Board will make right decisions.
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IpswichT62OldBoy added 11:27 - Dec 5
He did get us playing football worth watching but never consistently, 45 mins here a game there and then looking hopeless again.
When M Mc took over from PJ he called Town "milky", and that has continued throughout, fragile even when 2 up or utterly unable to score, players appearing not to be giving 100%.
Whoever our new manager is going to be, those are the issues on the pitch that need addressing.
5

Europablue added 11:31 - Dec 5
Tufty
It was Demolition Man got demolished
-1

Ipswichbusiness added 11:40 - Dec 5
I am surprised by this; Ithought that Mr Cook would be given until the end of the season at least.

I am not and never have been a professional footballer, but I understand that pre-season training is absolutely crucial and Mr Cook did not have that with many of the players who were signed too late (that is not a criticism of Mr Ashton, just the way it was). In that sense it was rather like MrHurst who also did not have a pre-season with many of the players.

As for the future, I would love Mr Allardyce to be appointed; it wouldn't be pretty, but it would work. I doubt if he'll come. Likewise, I suspect that Mr Lampard has higher things in mind.

How about Glen Hoddle? Very experienced and his teams always played an attractive brand of football. Yes, I know that he made some stupid remarks about disabled people, but that was a long time ago and he has paid a heavy price.
-9

itfcasual added 11:44 - Dec 5
No to Sam Allardyce. I can't stand him.
14

fifeblue added 11:45 - Dec 5
Frank Yallop ?
4

Orraman added 11:53 - Dec 5
Just because we were badly bitten by the dark lord does not necessarily mean that other potential high profile appointments would turn out as bad as that. Lampard, in his first managerial role at Derby didn't do too bad but made the move to Chelsea too soon. Gerrard stepped up to successful management at Rangers and to be fair Rooney hasn't done too bad at Derby under very difficult circumstances. There are no doubt a few others who have taken their chance.
The sudden departure of Carrick from Man U was completely unexpected, he certainly did well in his 3 caretaker games so he could come into the frame with the experience of McGreal to help him along. Similarly John Terry has served a long apprenticeship as Asst. Mgr at Villa and look at the work he did transforming Mingus from a dependable defender to team captaincy and an England regular so a Terry/McGreal partnership could also prove successful.
The problem is, that just like players, some managers are a perfect fit at some clubs but just do not perform at others. Who knows why? However I trust that the experience of our senior managers will play a big part in determining the next appointment if not having already done so.
2

itfcasual added 11:58 - Dec 5
Cook's win ratio is utterly abysmal, all the same I am surprised that he has got the boot.

I am yet to be convinced by many of Cook's signings. We are in the unfortunate position of our two best players this season, Bonne and Celina, being loanees. This recovery is going to be a very long haul, get used to it.
4

bluelodgeblue added 12:09 - Dec 5
For me it has to be Neil Warnock until the end of the season?
-7

Marv added 12:14 - Dec 5
Liam Manning or Johnny Jackson (nab from Charlton with the promise of a permanent job)? Both know the area, are doing good things at the moment and have great potential (...just like Burley at Colchester)
1

stiffy501 added 12:14 - Dec 5
I liked Paul Cook and his enthusiasm and am sorry to see him go, he always gave an honest opinion in after match interviews unlike the dross delivered by others. Think his downfall was a lack of quality coaches appointed within his backroom staff, looks like not getting Richardson to come on board was his downfall perhaps.
As for the future, can't say any of the names being banded about inspire a lot of excitement, it will be interesting as to Ashton and O'leary's choice.
So good luck for the future Paul and thank's for giving it a go, sorry it didn't happen
in the time allowed !!!
8

hyperbrit added 12:54 - Dec 5
...as I have said before ,like them or not, Americans are only interested in results,especially when they are managing pension funds.There was no way that they were going to tolerate his shortcomings for much longer. Evans never had a clue as to how to hire someone to manage a football team and Cook was the last in a series of disasters.Whoever said no more old school managers is spot on. The game is NOTHING like it was back in the day whether we like it or not.!!
3

Kingfisher49 added 13:29 - Dec 5
Well the axe has fallen, some might say unfairly and others will be cheering. But in life you sometime have to help yourself and Paul Cook's failure to appoint an assistant was I feel his real undoing. He had coaches capable without being really good and he seemed to have no one with proven knowledge to bounce ideas off on the touchline. The complaints concerning no plan B is because of that, an assistant would have given a second opinion. But perhaps his stubbornness was not helping him either. I wish him good luck for the future and now ITFC can hopefully look forward to getting back on track in the next month with a cup win and a good amount of league points to get into the play off places. We must all have faith and back the next man and Mr Ashton will need to get it right because it will be his appointment to make for the first time at this club. And certainly the players will need to prove to the new manager otherwise they will be on their way and new recruits brought in.
2

BeattiesBackPocket added 13:52 - Dec 5
At least Ashton can get in someone who they want as opposed to who was hired by Evans. Personally I'd have Burley in as interim manager until we find someone else the guy bleeds blue and white which is maybe what we need. Anyone suggesting mcgreal or lampard wobble your head the former has been sacked twice within a year at league two level and lampard hasn't done anything as yet either.
Having watched my dons this year they are the best footballing side I've seen so wouldn't mind him or the guy at Plymouth. My first option wouldn't be a popular one but it would be mark robbins if he'd leave Coventry that is two promotions from league two and on the cusp of the playoffs in the championship with hardly any money spent
-3

marinermyhero added 14:09 - Dec 5
I think the new manager should be blues1 as he shouts alot and know sod all he make a perfect candidate
3

graham2408 added 14:19 - Dec 5
Not really surprising. He replaced most of our first team squad and a few promising youngsters who, with good coaching, could have been asset's.
If it up to you Mr. Ashton, look at a foreign manager. Very few failures come to England. Just a thought.
1

Roo added 15:14 - Dec 5
I am sorry Cook has gone - it was never, despite the money, going to be easy to turn the ship around. I would have written off the season and given him till early next season but the owners clearly want results now which is their perogative. I just hope we don't turn into another Watford and start hiring and firing and not giving managers time. Am confused as to who we should now hire - I think the Plymouth guy make be just going through a good spell but is it starting to go wrong ? Appleton - dunno he does not inspire me. Lampard - expensive and yet to prove himself as a manager. Rooney - errr no!! Carrick - possibly but would he want it? Nuno - would he drop to L1 and want to start another project like he did at Wolves, McGreal, Butcher, Burley, Steve Bruce, .... who else - someone suggested the Leipzig guy? Its going to be really interesting to see who they choose and whether they tend to play two up front and have plan B's, assistants, defensive coaches bla bla ! I guess time will tell ! COYB !!
2

6May1978 added 15:19 - Dec 5
Doesn't look a popular suggestion from previous posts, but Farke is the outstanding candidate. Are we sure he wouldn't like to get one over the team who sacked him after the first win of the season? We had no qualms on taking on Lambert, and Bruce and Robins are both also tainted by the green and yellow brush.
-1

norfolkbluey added 15:30 - Dec 5
Whoever is appointed will need all our support. Our history over the last 12 years has been disappointment after disappointment. Evans was a disaster after he came in and bailed us out. We all long for our great club to be successful again and it seems like our new owners want that too. Evans's last suggested appointment was Cook and he couldn't get that right either! Ashton seems to be on 'it' and not afraid to make difficult decisions. Cook was given too much and should never have been allowed to get rid of some of our promising young players but that is in the past. As a club we have to move on fast and getting the right person in is vital. 'The king is dead, long live the king whoever he is'. Good luck management and please give us a permanent manager who gets us out of this division and preferably this year!!
0

Linkboy13 added 15:36 - Dec 5
Farke for me although the junior blues on this site won't be in favour. He attracted some very good players to Norwich and for me this is the crucial factor. His record in the championship is excellent and he would get the team set up and organised. Just hope we don't get that big time Charlie Lampard who's already turned the club down once because he thought he was too big for us.
0

blue86 added 15:38 - Dec 5
I have been critical of Cook recently, but was surprised he was sacked. I have been thinking of who would be a decent appointment who we could realistically attract but it's a tough one. I defo dont want a high profile manager like a Lampard or Terry, Rooney etc. Maybe a foreign manager is worth a go? Slaven Bilic? I remember a guy who used to get mentioned was a dutchman called Maurice Stejn. I admit I was fairly pleased we got Cook to start with, but didnt like the demolition man saga, very disrespectful imo, plus his rigid 1 formation only was annoying and lack of plan b. I wish him well for the future though. Now I'm more nervous than excited who we get next, please get it right town 🤞🙏
2

blue86 added 15:48 - Dec 5
Oh and not an ex Norwich manager. Lambert was a hard one to take, but people now saying Farke?........ Norwich would be p!ssing themselves at us!! Having their cast offs, no thanks!! Please let's just get it right this time.
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BlueRuin69 added 16:09 - Dec 5
The Disaster that is itfc continues................next manager doesnt hit the ground running will face the same toxic abuse as the last seven. A manager needs time. If they didnt want Cook why allow him to assemble an entire squad, if they did want him why sacked after 20 games into new season. Poor, poor decision, but heyho hear we go again back at ground zero. Our supporters are becoming a grumpy, impatient, unlikeable lot. RIP ITFC
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