Ipswich Town manager Paul Lambert says he doesn’t feel any personal pressure on his shoulders heading into the new season.

The Blues were relegated from the Championship with a whimper under his watch and then, after a good start, saw the wheels fall off in League One last season, ultimately finishing 11th when a points per game model was used to determine the final standings after the Covid-19 pandemic had ended things prematurely in March.

Asked if he felt under pressure going into the new season, Lambert, who was in a bright and cheery mood throughout this morning’s Zoom media conference, replied: “Me?! I never feel pressure. Do I look as if I feel under pressure?

“I’ve had pressure all my life. I don’t worry, I love the club, I love being here and the people. You never know in football, but certainly I don’t worry about anything at all. I just do the job I best I can and do everything I can to make the guys and the club better.

“Do I feel under pressure? No. Not one iota.”

MORE: ‘I’ve picked a strong team from what’s available’ – Injury latest ahead of tomorrow’s Bristol Rovers clash

Asked what the mood in the camp was like ahead of the big kick-off, Town hosting Bristol Rovers in the EFL Cup tomorrow afternoon, Lambert – whose contract runs until 2025 – said: “Brilliant. The guys have been great. We have a laugh together. We have a good time, a good laugh and the guys are in good spirits. There’s no problems.”

Asked if automatic promotion was the target this season, the Blues boss replied: “Of course it is, yes, but everybody is going to tell you that. We have to perform better than we did at the tail end of last season, play better and improve on a lot of things. But there were a lot of good things to remember as well.

“We will do everything we can to get up. We will give it a right good hit at it.

“We know we failed last year. We were doing well right up until January time and then we never got going at all.

“We have to look at ourselves, we have to try and improve, we have to try and play better. If we do that, let’s see where how we go.”