‘I get the frustrations... but the guys need some help on the pitch’ - Lambert urges fans to get behind his players

Luke Chambers has his head in his hands as Town manager Paul Lambert puts an arm around his skipper, as they walk off the pitch at the end of the 1-0 defeat by Fleetwood. Picture Steve Waller www.stephenwaller.com (Image: Stephen Waller)

The Blues will be looking to end a run of three-successive defeats when they face the Sky Blues, with the latest, Tuesday's 1-0 loss to Fleetwood, coming on a night when supporters made their frustrations with Lambert, his players and owner Marcus Evans clear.

Lambert understands supporters' frustrations but insisted his players would have a better chance of producing their best if they have the backing of the club's supporters.

"The guys are young, so some will hear the things, and some will react in different ways, but we have to stick together with that," he said.

"You need the support, and you need that support to be right behind it.

Town manager Paul Lambert and his assistant Stuart Taylor discuss options during the defeat by Fleetwood. Picture Steve Waller www.stephenwaller.com (Image: Stephen Waller)

MORE: Lambert on job security, his inner-fighter, Warnock rumours and his five year deal being 'not worth the paper it's written on'"I get the frustrations of people saying to me this is the accumulation of six or seven years and it's come to a head and those sort of things.

"I get all that, but the guys need the help on the pitch when it's like that. All we can do it try and keep them feeling free that they can go and play with the pressure that the club has on them because of the size of the badge, it's handling the expectancy level of the club.

"But you want your support to come in and get behind everybody, but I understand the frustrations, I totally get it, they've been brilliant since we've come in and maybe it was an accumulation of six or seven years."

Lambert continued: "I can't play the game for them. They have to go and play. One thing I will do is back them to the hilt, I'll never chastise them, they give me everything they've got in their bodies to try and be brave on the ball, they train well and do everything I ask them in here, they behave properly in here, they do the right things, you've just got to stick together.

"But you're hoping that's not going to be the case, and you're hoping it's going to be a different scenario. And that's all we can do is go out there and try our best and try and get on the front foot.

"Joey Barton said it after the game that the Ipswich fans helped them win the game because they turned the crowd. We would have been the exactly same if we went somewhere else, it can be a tactic for a team, to turn the crowd against us which happened the other night."

MORE: Business as usual, atmosphere on a knife-edge, a daunting task and a small ray of hope - talking points as Coventry visitThis will be the fourth meeting between Ipswich and Coventry this season, with the two games at St Andrew's ending 1-1 and the FA Cup replay at Portman Road seeing the Sky Blues win 2-1.

"We played really up there," Lambert said.

"But to be fair to Mark (Robins, Coventry manager) he's done a great job, they're sitting at the top of the league for a reason.

"They've been the most consistent team of the season so far, but we're more than capable of winning, that's the thing, we're more than capable of winning.

"We're going to have to play really, really well, we're going to have to fight with everything we've got, we're going to need everybody behind us to go and try and make that happen."