Ipswich Town midfielder Lee Martin
Lee Martin has been sent to Coventry – and he couldn’t be happier!
By Stuart Watson
Saturday, February 4, 2012
7:00 AM
LEE Martin has been sent to Coventry – and he couldn’t be happier!
Ipswich Town take on the Championship’s rock-bottom club today in a match which could have a big say in both team’s relegation battles. Martin says he and the Blues’ ‘hungry’ new-look side go into the game with no trepidation following Tuesday night’s thumping 5-1 win over table-toppers West Ham though.
In fact, the 24-year-old is just delighted to be back in the first team fold having been completely out in the cold for the reverse fixture little over four months ago – a game Town won comfortably 3-0.
“I was at home watching it on TV that day,” recalls Martin, who was serving the last game of a three-match suspension following his red-card in the 7-1 horror show at Peterborough.
“I’d been made to train with the youth team as punishment, the boys had just put in a superb performance and I was sat there thinking it was a long way back for me to hold down a regular first team spot.”
Martin got his head down though, trained hard and impressed manager Paul Jewell with his reaction. Even a freak eye injury suffered while playing golf did not hold him back for long and today he’ll line up as the focal attacking point of the Blues’ midfield for the fifth game in succession.
Indeed, Town’s side will be barely recognisable from the one which beat Coventry last time out, with a host of youngsters and fringe players having replaced Jewell’s under-performing star names.
“Football can change quickly,” said Martin. “I’d been out the team previously with Roy (Keane). Had it been my first time it would have perhaps been more difficult, but this time I managed to keep my head when maybe before I would have lost it.
“I just tried to create a positive out of a negative. I worked really hard and the result is that I have now got to the best condition I think I’ve been in my career.”
Speaking of Town’s new-look side, he added: “We’re hungry. We’ve got players in there that haven’t played a lot of football, they’ve come into the team and have a point to prove. None more so than me. I know I haven’t played a lot of football for my age – I’ve made something like 80 starts and I’m 25 next week.
“I’m trying to catch up. I’m keen to learn, desperate to improve and just really enjoying myself.”
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7 comments
Strange a player needs to learn when 24 years old, what has he been doing the other years of his career? Classic comment from another of jewells no-hopers. Town at home to Coventry today should win in a canter by at least 3-4 goals, anything less is a flop against very poor opponents.
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ged scott
Saturday, February 4, 2012
Lee Martin has been great this season. I thought he was good even in pre-season games and was stunned when Jewell treated him so badly after Peterborough (it was barely a foul let alone a sending off anyway).
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I am Spartacus
Saturday, February 4, 2012
Without doubt one of the star performers even when Town were losing. The biggest fear is that all these players that routed West Ham think that Coventry are beaten before the kick off. How many times have we seen teams win 4 nil one week and lose by the same score the next game. So concentration and the same desire is required. It is probably much easier to pump yourselves up against the league leaders than the team at the bottom. Coventry will play a different game, after all they are fighting for survival. So come on Town lets have the same type of performance as we had against the Hammers.
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whymarkmariner
Saturday, February 4, 2012
"Hungry" and "point to prove" are all words which up until Tuesday, have not been translated into action on the pitch. Great to see. Good luck boys, and safe journey.
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susan dyer
Saturday, February 4, 2012
Town have a side now who are at least competing and showing a will to fight for points, i suppose if we are really cynical we can argue about how much of this is down to jewell or injuries and loan deals expiring , as long as he sticks with the likes of hyam and martin and gives carson another run out i am prepared to give him the benefit of the doubt , it is also encouraging to know young ronan murray will be returning in the summer and has not been given away to swindon.
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KEVIN FRANCIS
Saturday, February 4, 2012
Fair enough Martin is beginning to look quite adequate... but he surely the most expensive fairly adequate player in the entire division - and as such a peculiarly daft signing.
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Rob Steroo
Saturday, February 4, 2012
Hope you catch up as in your own word's By nocking in a goal or two. Now is the time to shine.
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david bradley
Saturday, February 4, 2012