Ipswich Town boss Paul Lambert saw plenty of positives following the Blues’ return to action at Colchester.
In their first games in more than five months, after last season was ended early due to the coronavirus pandemic, the Blues hit five without reply as they beat their Essex neighbours 4-0 and 1-0 in a pair of 75-minute matches.
“I thought some of the football was excellent from both of our teams,” Lambert told the club website.
“I thought we played really good football, I thought we dominated the games, which was great. We got a few goals.
“Five months is a really, really long time to not play football and all credit to the guys, to go and do what they’ve done was exceptional.
MORE: Player reports: How all 26 Ipswich Town players performed at Colchester United“I think our last game was Coventry (on March 7) and that seems a light year away and it’s been really difficult for everybody on and off the pitch, the uncertainty, not knowing what was happening, everything really which has affected the game.
“But to come back and train the way they have in a really strange situation has been pleasing. And playing games again without contact is really strange, then you have to go into contact, there’s getting used to that again.
“As I say, big credit to the team, they’ve done great and I think that’s evident from what they’ve shown tonight.”
Lambert continued: “After five months off we don’t know what shape the guys are going to come in in.
“They’ve worked hard over the last few weeks but the shape and the condition of the players has been good.
“We’ve tweaked one or two things from last year, we have to go again, we’ll try our best to have success and we’ll try everything we can to make the club get promoted. We’ll try again and we’re a really good side when we play like that.”
Lambert used 26 players over the two games at the Community Stadium but there were some notable absentees. New signings Oli Hawkins and David Cornell are not yet ready to play, having only signed for the club on Monday, while James Norwood, Jon Nolan and James Wilson were also absent.
MORE: Matchday Recap - Blues score five without reply as Lambert’s men win twice at Colchester“James (Norwood) is on his rehab from the injury he had last season, he’s doing well,” Lambert confirmed.
“And Jon Nolan has picked up a calf injury, which he did last year, which has been frustrating. The lads are getting there, that’s the most important thing.”
Next up for the Blues is Saturday’s trip to Premier League side Tottenham.
“We’ve another proper tough game on Saturday but it’ll be great for us, a great experience going to Tottenham and we’re really looking forward to it. It’s a great game,” Lambert said.
“If you don’t enjoy that and you don’t enjoy going and playing against that level, then you’ve got a problem. The stadium alone, I think the lads will be taken aback by it.
“But if you want to get to the highest level in football, you have to aspire to play that and, first and foremost you have to be good enough to play it, so let’s see if they realise what it’s takes to get to the top level.”
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