Ipswich Town manager Paul Lambert spoke to the media this morning and was asked about the public backing he has received from owner Marcus Evans.
It’s your 100th game in charge of Ipswich Town this weekend, Paul (P99 W31 D25 L43). What have you learnt so far in the previous 99?
PL: I’ve loved every day of working at a great club which has probably lost its way in a lot of ways.
I’m pretty sure people will hold their hands up to their mistakes but it’s a brilliant club.
Of course I want it to be better and I want it to be successful but I’ve loved every minute of being here. It’s certainly been different that’s for sure.
Has it been your toughest job to date, trying to turn things around?
PL: Oh no. Not the toughest.
This hasn’t been the toughest by any stretch.
What annoys me is the way it’s gone over the years because it’s a really good club. The past and the history of the club is great but you have to let that go at times and move on with it into the future.
MORE: ‘I will not be swayed into making the same mistakes’ – Evans gives vote of confidence to Lambert
It’s not got the money other teams have got and the young ones need time to come through but it still needs to get going. It needs a hell of a lot of TLC.
Was it nice to get some public backing from Marcus?
PL: I don’t worry about things like that. Marcus and I get on really well and whether I left tomorrow or the next day I would still get on well with him and there is no problem there.
He understands what’s happened here. He’s not a silly guy and he probably knows where he’s gone wrong with a lot of stuff. He understands how difficult the role we’re being asked to do is and how tough a gig this is.
Presumably Marcus and Lee made you aware they were going to back you publicly before doing so?
PL: Yeah. I speak to Marcus every week and Lee most days.
I can’t control anything on the outside and I live in my own little bubble. I don’t get involved in anything at all. I don’t do social media or anything like that whatsoever. I was like that when I played too and didn’t get involved in anything at all.
They obviously haven’t said anything publicly that they haven’t already said privately to you?
PL: You have to take the glasses off and look at the bigger picture. See what’s actually happened with investment, recruitment or anything else like selling guys.
Everything needs to be revalued because this isn’t right due to the size of the club.
What we’re doing now is – like a lot of people want – giving the kids chances to go and play. Those kids need time.
Marcus has also said he believes the club is on the right track. Would you agree with that?
PL: The way it is? Yeah.
The reason I say that is because, even if someone else was in my job and I wasn’t here, there is no money at Ipswich and the club is going to have to do it with the kids.
The way the club is, it’s definitely in a much better place for the future side of things.
Marcus has also said he’s not going to be swayed by public opinion regarding your job and will judge things with his own eye. Is that right? That must be good for you to hear.
PL: He knows how hard it is in the parameters he’s asked us to work in.
Would I like it to be like this? Definitely not. We’d like him to give us money to go and get players to get us out the division.
But I understand with the way the world is the money’s not going to be forthcoming. The club’s afloat, which is one good point.
I understand where he’s coming from.
He’s said he can see ‘green shoots’ regarding the playing style. Is that a fair assessment of where you’re at?
PL: I think we’re playing some really good stuff. That will progress and get better. Hopefully we invest in the players who are going to come and help as well. That’s what we needed, allied to the guys who are already here.
We need help on that side of it.
We’re playing better than we did last year.
What can you do to bring more of a goal threat to your team?
PL: We have to take more risks and not worry about mistakes.
We’re getting into good areas but we need an end product to it. Once that clicks and once we have all the guys back we’re going to be a totally different animal.
At the top end of the pitch we need to take more risks.
From his statement it’s clear Marcus is a fan of this kind of football. Does he have any involvement in that?
PL: He plays centre-back in some training sessions!
He tries to understand it but doesn’t claim to know everything about the game or anything like that.
He doesn’t tell me what to do and listens to my views on everything. That’s fine because he’s the owner. We have good dialogue with that.
Shouldn’t it maybe be further along than ‘green shoots’ by December?
PL: We did this in the Championship too and played some good football in there.
But some of the loan players went back and we had to reboot again. We started well last year and then didn’t kick on.
The guys now know the patterns of play but the injuries have hit us. Look at us at the start of the season – we looked really good.
Once the injured guys come back, allied with maybe some new ones, then we’ll be in a better place.
So you think some new players in January is what you need?
PL: Without a doubt. We need help. Hopefully that can happen.
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