There is no better person to rebuild Ipswich Town if the club are relegated to League One than manager Paul Lambert, according to former Blues youth product Matt Bloomfield.
Bloomfield, a former Ipswich youth product who came through the system alongside Darrn Bent and Darren Ambrose, was part of Lambert’s Wycombe Wanderers squad between 2006 and 2008.
Under Lambert the Chairboys punched above their weight to reach the League Two play-offs and, most notably, became the first fourth-tier side to reach a League Cup semi-final in more than 30 years, before their eventual loss to Jose Mourinho’s Chelsea.
And it’s that experience which has convinced Bloomfield, who made his 500th professional appearance at the weekend, Lambert is the man for the job if and when the Blues’ relegation to League One is confirmed.
“I can genuinely say that I’ve never been so gutted when a manager’s left as I have when Paul Lambert left,” said Bloomfield, who made his one and only Ipswich appearance in September 2003.
“He was brilliant with me. I loved the two years I played under him and I loved the way he made you feel when you went out onto the pitch to play and the way he wanted you to win for him and the club.
“Those two years were brilliant and I’m just gutted we didn’t achieve promotion under him and didn’t manage to get into League One.
“I was delighted when he got appointed at Ipswich and I didn’t think there was anybody else like him who could galvanise the club and bring it together.
“Results maybe haven’t come as he would have hoped but he’s done a great job of galvanising the club.
“As a supporter I’m pleased he is in charge and if the worst happens and they do go down then he will be able to rebuild it.
“They have some really good young players there and, while you can’t play them all straight away, it’s an exciting future in many ways.
“Whatever happens from here the rest of the season has to be positive and the club has to move on and rebuild.
“There’s not better person to be in charge than Paul Lambert.”
Bloomfield recently moved back to Felixstowe and combines playing for Wycombe with a part-time coaching role at the Blues’ academy.
“I asked if I could come and do some hours and they’ve been really good for me,” he said.
“I still know Bryan Klug and I know Gerard Nash and Chris Hogg (Town’s Under 23 coaches) because they came through the system when I was there and know a lot of the guys up there.
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“I enjoy the coaching element and I also did a sports journalism degree eight years ago. I find writing very therapeutic and I wouldn’t close the door on that but, at the same time, I’m really enjoying the coaching.
“I don’t know where the future lies but it’s good to have as many opportunities there for yourself.
“I don’t want to finish football and have nothing to do and I want to make sure I can achieve something when I’ve finished playing.”
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