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Cook: An Absolutely Shocking Performance
Saturday, 2nd Oct 2021 17:53

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



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N2_Blue added 17:59 - Oct 2
Time to go Paul, it's not working and we aren't improving.

You don't seem to have any ideas whatever set of players you are presented with.

Perhaps the reason you don't want to bring the players in on Sunday because you and your inexperienced coaches don't actually know what you want or need to coach them!?
2

martin587 added 18:00 - Oct 2
Spot on mate so what are you going to do about it.I'm on my way back by car to Southend after watching a dire performance which was a total waste of petrol.I hope your happy.Whatever you say now I'm afraid I take with a pinch of salt.Such a shame.
18

trncbluearmy added 18:01 - Oct 2
and so it goes on, it never ever stops, hope always turns to despair,
that was an utter shamble today,
but not the first time under cook who `s win record is appalling.

Think the yanks said we would show this league no mercy, more the other way around unfortunately
23

OwainG1992 added 18:01 - Oct 2
Perhaps a needed reality check after the Donny game.
Some players may well have felt they just needed to turn up now.
As Cook says Bonne and Janoi might be the only two to take genuine credit today.
Onto the next one ladies and gents!
8

martin587 added 18:02 - Oct 2
I forgot to add your coaching staff are totally clueless.Get rid.
14

Leeco84 added 18:03 - Oct 2
Maybe stay up there Paul? Same dribble not blaming the players but blaming the players. Teams know your system because it never changes. There is never a surprise element in your tactics or set up.. BORING
20

JewellintheTown added 18:06 - Oct 2
Anyone got any gel? I think we just ran out again.
13

carlo88 added 18:08 - Oct 2
There's a key line he said very early there:

"I thought our quality would shine through".

Quality is just one part of a team. What about application and desire?
15

surgery added 18:11 - Oct 2
Well why don't you admit that you and your drinking mates haven't got a clue what you're doing? The squad you inherited were apparently no good and now the squad you've assembled are not performing

And the common denominator is YOU
20

Pezzer added 18:11 - Oct 2
I thought the new players were all going to have the right character and attributes that the old players were lacking, but reading the reviews and player ratings here aand on EADT this sounded like a powder puff performance but a mentally weak group of players. You can't really teach desire and determination unfortunately.
15

jas0999 added 18:15 - Oct 2
The trouble s Cook and the club latched on to one good performance (Tuesday). We had players saying the league would take note. Reality is it was one good result. Lincoln aside, the rest have been very very poor. Sadly, this is more like the Cook performances we have been used to. Simply not good enough.
17

JimInGreensboro added 18:16 - Oct 2
What happened to, 'I'll never blame my players"?
12

WirralBlue added 18:21 - Oct 2
I was there and it was appalling. Accrington outbattled, out thought and outfought us. Donacien played well. Goalie at fault for the second.

Bonne desperately needs support up top. Out of all of the players we have signed from Accrington why oh why haven't we signed Colby Bishop? Every time I see him play he is excellent and he never stops working
8

Tufty added 18:26 - Oct 2
Could've. Would've. Should've

Didn't
8

DavoIPB added 18:27 - Oct 2
If somebody can explain that performance and result please do.

Accrington on a terrible run of form, a terrible team who did not play well today. First half they did nothing and we should have been 3-0 up if we had bothered to actually play football. Why did Paul Cook just say Accrington were good. No they weren't. They are a terrible team.

Why do we just hoof the ball up to Bonne. We are supposed to have an attacking creative midfield. Why is Aluko not playing more of a role. He is a quality player.
10

fifeblue added 18:27 - Oct 2
The manner of the team's performance and the comments by Paul Cook after the game are both shocking. You cannot take credit for the same team only a few days before and then openly criticise them in public today. This performance and result are entirely the fault of the manager. If he cannot instill the desire to win into his players by now then it is clear that he does not have it in him to mount a serious and consistent challenge to get the club promoted. The ten games are up now and it is simply not good enough. The club has a genuine opportunity with the new owners for a successful future but it is clearly not possible with the current manager.
16

Robcol added 18:28 - Oct 2
If you can't blame your players who do you blame.
2

Gforce added 18:32 - Oct 2
An awful lot of these players joined the club to play for Cook,just why they are not always giving their all is beyond me.
I'm desperate for Cook to get results as he is obviously a very passionate guy,who loves his football and cares about the club.However something is just not right and various things are not working, a few players did not even seem up for it today.
If we are still in the bottom 8 by mid November, then I'm afraid it's probably time for change. It would be Chris Wilder for me,before the scum get him,after Farke is sacked.
7

RobITFC added 18:33 - Oct 2
The players let the club and Cook down today, they really need to start performing consistantly every game, today was embarrassing and the players should be embarrassed too.
6

Dear_oh_Dear added 18:33 - Oct 2
Tick tock...
3

pennblue added 18:39 - Oct 2
Whilst I agree with "if you don't win individual battles, you won't win a game", at the same time PC got it wrong actically today. They had a big physical team where their game plan was to rough up our central pairing, and they had the right personnel to do that. They closed down our wing play, and lumping it up to Bonne, when they have a solid central defence is not going to work either. So who is the tactician? because I am not sure what our tactics were today?

When we go to places like Accrington, the Accrington players are thinking "If I play well, I will have that Ipswich shirt next season and the $$$ contract you have to go with it too".

Norwood looked up for it when he came on, but then he always does. Sometimes it only takes 2 or 3 in a team with that work rate and desire to win to spark the whole team into life. Maybe he should play more.
5

fizzyblue added 18:43 - Oct 2
They packed out the midfield and ground us down into a scrappy, awful game of football. Our players were kicked pulled and knocked about and we didn't like it nor could we compete. Tactics needed to be changed in the first 10 minutes as it was obvious we weren't getting anything out of the game. Someone to drop deeper and receive the ball off the midfield and defense would have been nice, as our negative sideways and backwards passing was the result of being pinned back. We were crying out for someone to come on, pick up the ball from the mid and drive at the opposition and create (aluko could have done a job there). Our goal was some what lucky as was against the run of play and other than some breaks from Wes burns (great player I'm his day and one of our best signing in my opinion) we posed little threat. I called it a while back that cook needs a number 2 such as Mcgreal, to spot things early and encourage a change. Problem is that should that happen results improve then the number 2 gets the plaudits thus taking the limelight away from cook. Not gunna happen!!! One could argue that the players let the manager down today. But on the other hand the manager still has a job to lift the players, spot anomalies in our play and instigate change EARLY as to get the best outcome.
10

ringwoodblue added 18:44 - Oct 2
Under Cook, we are so one-dimensional. Plan A worked on Tue but it didn't today and Cook doesn't have a Plan B or C, he doesn't adapt to the opposition or cannot respond in-game if we are behind.

Most opposing managers must love playing us, they just have to out-muscle us all over the pitch and they will win. Rotherham, Portsmouth, Sunderland, Accrington have done it repeatedly in recent seasons and others are catching on.

Why can't we bring in an assistant and some more qualified coaching staff to help Cook? He obviously can't do it on his own.
10

tractorboybig added 18:55 - Oct 2
a shocking performance by a shockingly poor manager
9

JimmyP45 added 18:55 - Oct 2
Other than the Doncaster game, don't think we have turned up in a single second half this season. What on earth gets said at half time???
8


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