‘It’s not a problem for me to go’ – Lambert raises doubts over Ipswich future

Posted Friday, December 27, 2019 by PA

Ipswich boss Paul Lambert insists he would not lose any sleep if he were to be sacked by the club.

The Tractor Boys have now gone six league games without a win and did well to escape with a point at home to Gillingham, but it was enough to take them back into the top two thanks to several fine saves from on-loan Wolves goalkeeper Will Norris.

Ipswich have averaged a point per game over the last 10 – hardly promotion form.

They failed to land a single effort on target but it still came as a huge shock when Lambert placed a question mark against his future at the club.

Lambert said: “If they want to go and employ another manager, no problem. I’ll go, it’s not a problem for me to go.

“I’ll leave tomorrow or I’ll leave the next day, it’s not a problem.

“Ipswich Town is the most important thing, not me. So if I go tomorrow or next week or whatever happens, the club is in a really good place.

“It’s sitting second in the table and we’re not even halfway through the season yet.

“Last season when I came here this place was like an absolute morgue with 12,000 people in it and today we had 22,000 people here.”

Lambert denied that his comments raised a lot of questions and added: “I’m a realist in football. I’m not going to sit and tell you lies, I’m not going to sit and tell you anything else.

“I’m a realist, I’m not a fantasist. I’m a realist because I’ve won things. But I’ve been in this game a long time and I know that managers are always only one game from the sack. If it happens to me I won’t lose any sleep over it.”

Turning his attention back to his team’s latest setback, he continued: “I’m really proud of the players because they kept on playing the ball, which was brave of them.

“The conditions were difficult and the crowd were edgy. It’s not easy at a big club like this where you’re expected to win every game.”

Gillingham manager Steve Evans, whose team have been beaten just once in their last 10 games in all competitions, said: “We should have been 3-0 up in the first 20 minutes.

“I’d rather we had won the game and on another day it could have been 4-0 to us. Ipswich have some players of outstanding quality who cost them a lot of money.

“We had good chances and didn’t take them but Ipswich didn’t hurt us and we defended magnificently.”

The visitors were close to taking a third minute lead but Norris made a fabulous flying save from Brandon Hanlan.

Mikael Mandron’s long-distance drive whistled inches wide and, after initially allowing Hanlan to elude him, Toto Nsiala recovered well to make a saving tackle.

Ipswich took until the 32nd minute to threaten but Kayden Jackson fired high into the side netting.

When he had another opportunity just before the break Jackson decided against shooting and instead rolled the ball across the face of goal but there were no takers.

Ipswich dominated possession in the second half but the visitors stood firm and even carved out the best chance to break the deadlock.

Gills’ midfielder Olly Lee let fly with a thunderous volley but Norris made a stunning save and, when the ball ran loose, skipper Max Ehmer’s follow-up effort was cleared off the line by Luke Garbutt.