Ipswich Town striker Brett Pitman admits he still has some work to do controlling his emotions after a poor result, but is not ready to curb his vocal presence in the dressing room.
The ex-Bournemouth man reacted angrily to Jonas Knudsen at the end of the Blues’ 1-1 draw at Sheffield Wednesday almost a fortnight ago – the Danish full-back electing to shoot from range rather than try and pick out an unmarked Pitman with the last move of the game.
That stalemate all but ended Town’s play-off hopes – they were quashed completely after last week’s draw at Middlesbrough – leaving the Blues to contemplate a 15th successive Championship season.
Pitman resisted the temptation to stay with Bournemouth last summer and potentially play in the Premier League for the first time in his career, and showed the type of reaction at Hillsborough expected of a player desperate to be dining at the top table.
“I want to win, I think everyone’s the same and people show it differently,” said the 28-year-old. “Maybe I could have dealt with it a little better but it was only because I want to win. The manager understands that and it’s left there, I don’t hold grudges and Jonas doesn’t hold grudges. It’s football. It’s a man’s game. I hate losing and like winning, everyone should be like that because if you don’t mind losing then you’re probably in the wrong job.
“That’s the type of character I am and I think I’ve got better dealing with it, although I have a bit of work left to do. I think it’s healthy to show emotion and you don’t want a team full of mutes.”
Pitman has scored 10 goals in his debut season for Town – a campaign which has ultimately ended in failure – and the striker accepts Ipswich’s players must take the rough with the smooth.
“If I do something wrong I don’t need someone to tell me but if they do, you take it, because if you tell someone they’ve done something then you expect them to take it. It’s a man’s game and that’s how it is,” explained Pitman, who will be in the squad for the Blues’ final home game of the season tomorrow, against MK Dons.
“We are playing at a high level so we should be able to give and accept criticism. When we go back into the changing room we’re all friends again.”
He added: “You want to win and Sheffield Wednesday was pure frustration that we didn’t win, as it was probably our play-off chances gone.”
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