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Northampton away!!

Discussion in 'Ipswich Town' started by Spanish, Apr 20, 2021.

  1. YorkieLancsHampyLondoner

    YorkieLancsHampyLondoner Well-Known Member

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    The damage was done on the pitch before he blasted them.
     
    #61
  2. itfcptc

    itfcptc Well-Known Member

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    I thought his post match comments were very good. He basically said that PC has experience and very good credentials for this division but being a former pro didn't agree with him saying he'd lost trust in his players.

    He also said the problems go back years with Paul Hurst bringing in too many lower league players at once and supplementing them with youngsters. He said there are certainly good players in there but you can't expect to do well bringing that many inexperienced players into a team all at the same time. I thought he summed it up pretty well.
     
    #62
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  3. YorkieLancsHampyLondoner

    YorkieLancsHampyLondoner Well-Known Member

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    I was listening and thinking Paul Anderson was never all that himself.
     
    #63
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  4. itfcptc

    itfcptc Well-Known Member

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    The difference is Hurst had a whole summer to work with the team and made 12 signings of his own
     
    #64
  5. itfcptc

    itfcptc Well-Known Member

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    Think Nsiala has been injured.
     
    #65
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  6. Redruth

    Redruth Well-Known Member

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    We are now averaging less than 1 goal a game so that might be a tad optimistic. Perhaps, asking them to go out and express themselves through the medium of modern dance could provide some entertainment?
     
    #66
  7. itfcptc

    itfcptc Well-Known Member

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    Anyone see Paul Cook at the end of the match? Shaking everyone of the Northampton players and refusing to do his own. That's bad, his management has certainly taken us to new lows
     
    #67
  8. YorkieLancsHampyLondoner

    YorkieLancsHampyLondoner Well-Known Member

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    All this gloom and still I’d rather have him in the dugout than Mick McCarthy and without any hesitation the weasel Paul Lambert.
     
    #68
  9. itfcptc

    itfcptc Well-Known Member

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    I agree, do you think he's made any mistakes since coming in?

    I haven't seen any area of on the pitch improvement since he's come in. Infact we've got worse
     
    #69
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  10. Nuggets

    Nuggets Well-Known Member

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    The season is a write-off, it's been a write-off for weeks. I haven't watched the last couple of games, because what's the point? Cook has effectively thrown in the towel not long after he was appointed (not that I blame him). The players have not responded at all positively to Cook's public pronouncements and criticism (again - why would they, given they've been hung out to dry). The current combination of manager and squad is a painful marriage of convenience until the summer. If Evans was still the majority owner, I'd imagine Cook would have walked by now. The players clearly have no desire to get to the play-offs, but did they ever? Former Town players have often spoken about a culture of complacency and comfort at Town, which would explain why we have declined so drastically over the past several years. Half of the squad are out of contract in the summer and won't be expecting new deals. They aren't playing for their Ipswich futures right now. They are going through the motions and hoping to avoid injuries before the summer, where a lot will be looking for a new club - and they know it.

    Admittedly, results and performance-wise, I was expecting a lot better when Cook came in. With this squad, he's not managed to implement any improvements in any aspect of the squad. In fact, as some have mentioned above, we've regressed in pretty much every aspect of our on-pitch game. I know we were technically in and around the play offs on the back of those consecutive wins just before Cook was appointed, but that always looked built on sand. Over the last few years, we've been a mid-table third division side that is happy to tread water. Is Cook a bad manager? Evidently not, due to his prior record. But some of the comments he was making were clearly designed to get Ipswich supporters on-board at the expense of squad harmony and getting the players to buy into his way of working.

    If it wasn't for the new owners and the promise of investment, I'd be so detached and apathetic about the new season. I find myself saying this a lot over the last few years, but this is an absolutely crucial summer for the club. Cook doesn't have much credit in the bank, but he deserves at least one transfer window - where he'll hopefully bring in players that aren't necessarily talented footballers (I think we have quite a few technically proficient players at the club), but what we're crying out for are gnarled veterans, vocal leaders, players that are passionate and buy into the club, and characters that don't go into their shell at the first sign of adversity. We're sorely lacking any of that with this current lot. Cook has his playing identity and style. Remove those that don't fit it (and there are a lot of them here, trading on past 'glories' and form from years ago) and replace them by using our new-found wealth and ambition from the top.
     
    #70

  11. YorkieLancsHampyLondoner

    YorkieLancsHampyLondoner Well-Known Member

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    Great question. I don’t think he has.

    Paul Anderson on the punditry and a few callers to Radio Suffolk after the game were putting forward the idea that we should have started throwing men into the box and sending up long balls. But the game was long gone with half an hour left and the play offs were probably gone after the Wimbledon result and definitely gone after the Charlton one.

    So the objective over the next four matches shouldn’t be to win those games, although of course it would be nice. What Paul Cook should be doing over time is deciding who he wants to keep, how he wants to play and working in training and in matches on drilling the style and the system and set plays into them. There is also right now an element of damage limitation and managing players’ mentalities because some of them are lost, are anxious, are humiliated, which means it’s going to be much harder for them to take instruction and have discipline. We saw Holy absolutely all over the shop last night and I think he can be a decent ‘keeper for this level.
     
    #71
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  12. Southcoastoldgaffer

    Southcoastoldgaffer Well-Known Member

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    We were all expecting so much with his appointment. And as others have said, the players have underperformed and lost any chance we had of promotion. No spark, no bounce, no consistent energy, leaky defense, no goals, no excitement, no cheer - utterly spineless in every corner of a once highly regarded club.

    I agree with much of the wait and see about how Cook does during the summer, trouble is, it doesnt leave many weeks to bed the new players in, to coach them the way he wants to play and to encourage that Club identity, gnarly old characters and leaders on the pitch that Nuggets refers to. Effectively he has 8 weeks to buy and train up a fresh new team, with perhaps 6 new signings.
    We know that most of the players on the pitch last few games could play better, and a few are technically more gifted, and that some have failed miserably, but IMO much is down to the Top down total lack of confidence and general malaise and rot that our club has seen over 10-15 years. Many mistakes and basic errors seem to be from the increasing pressure, and self-evidently, the managers lack of trust and belief in his team. He sets the tone, and instills the right attitude or not - interesting to see new skipper Wardy giving them all a chivvy up at the KO. And they did look sharp and keen for a while.

    I never like to see or hear a manager at any sport publicly berate his players - old hat sports psychology and it doesn work. And he doesn't want to create a poisonous atmosphere around those who might form the nucleus of his next team: Downs, Wolfy,Dobra, Bishop, KVY.

    Moreover, I want to support PC, but I am not convinced he will be the right character for the Premiership, let alone the Championship. I imagine the Notebooks of the watching new owners have much scribbling!
     
    #72
  13. YorkieLancsHampyLondoner

    YorkieLancsHampyLondoner Well-Known Member

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    On the subject of how Cook has spoken about the players, I think it's a good thing four our current situation because players can only react in two different ways:

    1) Take it personally, sulk, lower their shoulders. They can do that for a week or so but ultimately if that's the position they maintain then they will move on from the club and we don't really want them.

    2) Be invigorated by having a manager who cares, who has high expectations. Answer the call to work hard and give their all.

    There is no player who can say the criticism hasn't been justified. They are only in two camps - those who have underperformed and want to put it right and those who have underperformed and don't.

    I also don't think it's harmful because he said it at a time when things were about as bad as they could possibly get for this season.
     
    #73
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  14. San Diego

    San Diego Sir Mediator
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    That's the same way I feel, Hampy.

    Cook was diplomatic about the players to begin with, gave veiled hints at needing to be better and have people step up to the plate and he was let down to the point that he had a rant in a post match interview. It reminds me of Hurst's time. He wanted the players to train harder and gave them some criticism and the squad just didn't want to do it and seemed to rebel.

    I've already said it but it does amaze me that even if these players want away from Ipswich, they aren't exactly putting themselves in the shop window with their performances.
     
    #74
  15. Nuggets

    Nuggets Well-Known Member

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    I'd argue there's a more cynical way of thinking that they have possibly contemplated. Firstly, do the bare minimum for the rest of the season, to avoid the possibility of injury. Then, when they're shopping around for clubs in the summer, they can plausibly portray Ipswich as a poorly-run football club with inherent issues and that they were playing in a bad team, with bad players, and with no guarantee of a long-term future.
     
    #75
  16. itfcptc

    itfcptc Well-Known Member

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    Yes I agree with this, but then you say the opposite in your next point
     
    #76
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  17. itfcptc

    itfcptc Well-Known Member

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    I don't blame the players in this, if there were half the team who had performed consistently and half who didn't then yes, but noone has been a stand out player or anywhere near consistent for the past 3 plus seasons. If we're at that point where noone is performing the blame should be blamed at the club as a whole, the club are the ones who brought these players in or developed them, the club are the ones who haven't provided an environment for the players to flourish. We've had some good players and good managers over the ME era but all of them have under performed, that's not a coincidence. All the managers have cracked eventually it seems Cook has done alot earlier than most.

    Saying he has made mistakes so far though I'd say he needs to he given at least 3 transfer windows to prove himself. This is a tough job to pull a squad together that's ready to compete come the new season is a big ask even with financial backing and a large number of the squad who has been hung out to dry will still be there next season.

    I'm fully behind Cook but in the short term he has probably got off to the worst start I've known under a manager.
     
    #77
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  18. Buckyohare

    Buckyohare Well-Known Member

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    I don’t geddit. I’m all for putting a rocket under people’s arses but you do it behind closed doors. Doing it publicly is sinking low. It might make some fans feel better because ‘PC came out and said what I’ve been sayin all along’ but if he was a great coach he’d have found a clever way to get this lot playing with passion, cohesion, maybe some effectiveness, maybe some style even. We’re in ****ing free fall!

    we’ve had a total implosion.

    So far he’s the worst manager we’ve ever had on results. He’s alienated the entire playing staff and humiliated them. It’s not professional. It’s not what I want my club to represent.

    he better have some Special Secret Plan up his sleeve because if I’m EdSchwarz I’m seriously wondering if I can trust this guy with a ton of cash in the summer.
     
    #78
  19. itfcptc

    itfcptc Well-Known Member

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    His trusty assistant won't be coming either.
     
    #79
  20. YorkieLancsHampyLondoner

    YorkieLancsHampyLondoner Well-Known Member

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    No, it’s not saying the opposite. It’s entirely possible to be sensitive to how people are feeling without treading on eggshells. What he’s not done at any point is slated individuals. He slated the entire squad. The truth needed to be told. Although I would have no problem with one or two getting a public shaming.

    The thing that will be different this time around compared to the Hurst situation (I hope) is that the management will have the full backing from the ownership and not the players. It wasn’t dealt with then so we now find ourselves in exactly the same situation.
     
    #80
    Last edited: Apr 22, 2021

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