Former Ipswich Town striker Darren Bent says 'something's got to change' at Portman Road - and claimed that some people at the club aren't happy with boss Paul Lambert.
Bent, who started his career at Ipswich, playing more than 140 games and scoring 55 goals, was talking on this morning's TalkSport Radio breakfast show after yesterday's protest at Town's Playford Road training ground.
Members of independent supporters' group Blue Action set off flares and chanted 'we want Lambert out' while the first team squad were training, prompting Town to cut the session short.
It's the latest in a series of protest from the group, as pressure continues to mount on Lambert with Town labouring down in 12th place in League One.
Bent said: "People are clearly not happy with the football that they're seeing. Last season completely fell off, they were in position to get promoted and it didn't happen.
"Ipswich Town is a club that is obviously close to my heart. I started there, I still look back at their results and still speak to a number of the people associated with the football club.
"They're clearly not happy, and we're talking about people at the football club that are some of the nicest people that you'll meet.
"They're not people who are argumentative, all they want to do is see what's best for Ipswich Town and hopefully Ipswich get promoted.
"They feel like the core of the club's been ripped out, whether that's the owner or the manager - to be fair they're not happy with both.
"The fact that we're seeing flares, having to suspend training, people protesting - this is not something that is usually associated with Ipswich Town Football Club.
"There's always been a nice relationship between the club and the supporters, and now it's gone completely sour.
"I think in order for this situation to be resolved, something's got to change, because this can't continue."
He added: "The number of Ipswich Town fans that I speak to, they're just basically saying that they feel that the soul has been ripped out of the football club, and I think when people start using those kind of words it's not very good at all.
"Somehow something needs to change because this isn't a club that should be sitting in League One, they've been down there for far too long.
"The fact that they've had a couple of cracks at getting promoted and it hasn't happened is sad. Obviously this is where people's frustrations are coming in.
"For a club like Ipswich Town, flares and protests is not something we're used to seeing."
Bent was then asked if owner Marcus Evans was going to sell the club.
He replied: "It doesn't seem like it, it doesn't seem like he's going anywhere. He seems to be quite friendly with Paul Lambert, and the general consensus among supporters and people associated with the club is that Lambert's got to go.
"They're not happy with him, and that's not just coming from supporters, that's people associated with the football club.
"And if you ever speak to these people, they've not got a bad word to say about anybody - and they're not happy.
"When you start getting to the core of a football club, and the people that have been there for so long, when these people are not happy, something's got to change because that can't continue - the worse it gets, the further and further Ipswich Town will keep going down, and that can't happen.
"For a club that size in League One, it's not good enough."
Town host Northampton Town at Portman Road tonight (7pm).
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