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Lambert: Very Professional, Very Thorough, Could Have Scored More
Saturday, 24th Aug 2019 18:21

Town boss Paul Lambert praised his team for a “very professional, very thorough” performance as they defeated Bolton’s youngsters 5-0 at the University of Bolton Stadium, a margin of victory which he felt could have been even bigger.

James Norwood and Kayden Jackson both scored twice, while Gwion Edwards netted once for the Blues, who now top League One on goal difference from four teams also on 11 points.

“As I said yesterday, this was a dangerous game because we were going into the unknown of facing the kids that are playing here,” Lambert said.

“Those kids did themselves proud, they stood up to it. The atmosphere in the stadium was a lot more relaxed than when we’ve been here before and that’s due to the kids playing.

“We had to do the job. I thought we were very professional, very thorough and it could have been more.

“We train with the younger ones back home and they make it difficult for you. We knew it was going to be difficult. They made it hard for us.

“All credit to my own team. We started right, we did everything right and second half was really, really good.

“We gave them a bit of a hard time in the first half. Even thought we had a lot of the ball and a lot of chances, it just wasn’t the standard we expect.

“But in the second half we were very, very good, that was the way to play the game.

“I know it’s difficult because the grass is long, the weather’s warm, the atmosphere in the stadium was potentially difficult] with the way the Bolton team is. Credit to the team, I thought they were very, very good.”

He was pleased his side showed no sympathy and equally that there was no showboating with the team concentrating on getting the job done.

“You can’t, if the boot was on the other foot, somebody can do that to you. You can’t feel sorry for them,” he added.

“The kids from Bolton will learn, but it’s a great learning curve for them. As I said yesterday, what they’re going through now, I had to go through last year with our kids. The difference being we’ve got a huge football club.”

Strike pair Norwood and Jackson have now scored seven goals between them with the season still less than a month old.

“Really good, really pleased with everybody,” he enthused. “Whether we make changes or not, we look a really strong side.”


At the back James Wilson has kept his place in the team having impressed since he joined on a free transfer after leaving Lincoln earlier in the summer.

“Yes, and Woolfy was excellent the other day,” Lambert said. “I’ve only got three centre-halves so I’ll make changes again. I need everybody up to speed.

“It’s different if Toto’s back, which will hopefully will be another couple of weeks.

“And Jon Nolan did great, he played [in the U23s] the other day, did really well, Will Keane’s doing really well. It’s hotting up.”

As much as he was happy with the goals, Lambert was similarly chuffed with the clean sheet, Town’s second of the season.

“It’s never easy playing in that environment and kids because you don’t know what you get with kids,” he added.

“You get a loose group of kids who don’t really know what they’re involved in yet. Their time is coming, the Bolton kids’ time is coming.”

The Town boss had praise for debutant right-back Kane Vincent-Young: “I thought he was excellent, I really did. It was his first game after missing a few weeks’ playing time.

“I’m really happy with him, you can see his attributes, he’s going to be a big plus for us.”

Town now have a rare free midweek before facing Shrewsbury at home next Saturday.

“It’s been constant and I changed the team, bringing in lads that needed game time,” he reflected on a busy opening to the campaign. “Judgey got another 90 minutes under his belt, which is good, Gwion another 70.

“I’m really happy with the way everything’s going at the minute, the atmosphere of the club is going really good, the town is going with the club. We’re all going the one way.”

Emyr Huws also played most of the last half hour, which Lambert says was something which was planned prior to kick-off.

“I spoke to him yesterday, the idea was to get that scenario in the game then that was what we’d look at,” he continued. “The big plus for me is that he’s back playing and training regularly.”

He says striker Norwood took being subbed while on a hat-trick reasonably well.

“I pick the team and pick the subs, so he has to go with it!” Lambert joked. “He made a comment just going by me saying he was just getting his eye in.

“The team is more important than any individual. He did his job, he got his goals and we’ve got another hard game next week.”

Although the Blues were very much expected to thrash the young Trotters, Lambert still feels netting five goals will help boost confidence.

“It’s great. We’ve started the season really well, we’re playing with a lot of confidence, the fans and the town are right with us, you just have to look at the atmosphere at home it’s absolutely brilliant,” he added.

“Next Saturday will be jumping with the supporters. We’re playing really well at this moment.”

Having scored late goals to claim a draw and then a win against Peterborough and AFC Wimbledon respectively and now having won 5-0 at Bolton, does Lambert hope the season will snowball from here?

“Hopefully, but we’ll have sticky patches, that’s normal but at this moment it’s really, really good, everyone’s playing really well,” he said.

“The lads are playing really confident football, the fans are right behind us. There’s a long, long way to go but the start’s been very, very good.”

Even though his side is now top, Lambert says he doesn’t take too much notice of league tables and certainly not at this early stage.

“I don’t really look at it full stop,” he insisted. “I know where we are, I don’t need to look at a computer or a newspaper to see where we are. I know where we are every week.

“I’ve always been like that, I’ve never been one to look. I know exactly where we are, I know how well the team’s playing, I know what’s going on and I’m really happy with everybody.”

He felt it was important to boost Town’s goal difference with that potentially having an impact come May with the division likely to be tight as the top of the table currently illustrates.

“Coventry came here and it was 0-0,” he said. “It’s a dangerous game, the grass was long, the weather was absolutely roasting, the atmosphere in the stadium was really good, I knew it would be because the fans are supporting kids and they’re not going to criticise kids.

“I’ve come up here when it’s been booing and protests so we had to overcome a few obstacles but thankfully we played a professional game and we played really well.”

Meanwhile, Lambert dismissed last night’s report of interest in Aberdeen forward Scott Wright.

“No, I don’t know these things come from. I don’t know where people get them from,” he said.

He says strikers are no longer his priority with Will Keane having signed earlier in the week.

“No, Will obviously came in the other day,” he continued. “The squad’s getting stronger. Toto will hopefully be back soon, Will another few weeks, Nolo’s doing really well. We’re getting a lot stronger.”


Photo: TWTD



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carlo88 added 18:29 - Aug 24
I'm happy. Marcus Evans or Steve Dale? You choose.
18

martin587 added 18:34 - Aug 24
Very good summary of the match Paul.Things are looking very good with the injuries improving and soon it will give you a difficult job to pick your starting eleven which is a very healthy situation for the club to be in.
Keep the good work up and roll on next Saturday.Its just great to get the winning feeling back and actually looking forward to every game.
17

Mark added 19:03 - Aug 24
Superb to see ITFC top of the league, and I think we can push on from here with the injured players returning meaning there are two players competing for every one space in the team. Let's have another bumper crowd at Portman Road next Saturday to cheer on the lads!
11

itfchorry added 19:21 - Aug 24
Happy Days
3

TimmyH added 19:43 - Aug 24
Professional job today - lets not go cock-a-hoop over this though as Rochdale and Tranmere (recently of non-league) have knocked in 5 against them as well!...but lets go cock-a-hoop about being top of the league, something to shout about, and lets hope we stay there.
6

MVBlue added 20:03 - Aug 24
Blimey have you seen the attendance figures. That club is really bugßlger&d. Att: 5,454 (Town: 760)
3

BurleysGloryDays added 20:36 - Aug 24
Exciting having a manager where you feel he's building something that could go anywhere, he believes in this club deeply

Step one bring the fans on board. Done. We're back.

Step two get the mentality right. Happening bit by bit.

Step three form an upbeat, hungry squad fighting and competing for their right to be part of something special. Well underway. .

Brilliant to watch. COYB!
13

Monkey_Blue added 20:49 - Aug 24
Given Bolton stayed in the Premiership longer than us and it was sheepy who loves the club that took us into administration:... the complaints about Evans only having sunk over £100m in to Jeep is going as pathetic
6

OwainG1992 added 21:03 - Aug 24
I do find it very sad what's happening to the likes of Bolton and bury. Seems crazy that bolton finished above us last season.
6

Fat_Boy_Tim added 00:28 - Aug 25
Stop the bleeding hearts for Bolton. They'll be sold on just like Bury have been today. Feel sorry for the people who'll get shafted by the administration process.

When we went into administration we paid 4p in the pound on invoices to local businesses who'd supported the club for years. I felt ashamed back then.

That process is now going on at Bolton, debts are being written off by administrators to all of the supporting local businesses so that the banks can recoup the maximum possible on their loans. At that stage the club (With its new, euphemistically 'restructured debts') will be cheap enough for someone to buy.

The club will sail happily on into the sunset and some poor sod who maybe spent 200 hours making sure the floodlights work, or supplies bog roll and hand wash or the employment agency who've paid 200 staff to work in the stadium will be too close to the line and lose their business because of it permanently.

And if that's not enough to stop all the nonsense then Dean Chuffing Holdsworth. They had it coming just for that!

And frankly, if it was MK Dons, no one would be batting an eyelid!
5

ronnyd added 15:06 - Aug 25
Good words Fat Boy Tim. The big boys make sure they get their money, It,s the small businesses who get shafted, every time.
0

ITFCsince73 added 17:11 - Aug 25
There won't be any businesses go under because of this.
They do 30 day invoices, so know the risks.
If they set credit limits to high, that's there fault.. and I'm sure made plenty out the club through the years.
It's the workers at the club, directly employed, I feel for.
0

Fat_Boy_Tim added 19:27 - Aug 25
Don't be naive 73. Those 30 day invoices are for little things and won't get paid beyond the basic 4% or whatever the lowest ranking figure is. That can still run to several thousand pounds which I don't see as a good thing but you are right probably not fatal to them.

However, if for example, the laundry bill for the whole club (including events and hospitality etc) is £40k a year, it is likely that the club, being a big customer, will have negotiated a quarterly or even annual invoice. In administration, they could pay out £1200 (4% of the full £40k) and declared that debt paid. The laundry has a £38,800 hole in its budget and has to make the choice of keeping or ditching its big customer afterwards. If they don't keep that customer, they also have additional staff that they no longer need and all of the costs associated with paying them or making them redundant.

-1

Blue041273 added 21:15 - Aug 25
Interesting argument!
Bottom line is that football clubs must be sustainable! If things go pearshaped they need to go through the normal corporate processes associated with failed companies.
Numerous companies fail everyday but do not have the emotional impact of a failed football club!
It's a horrible thing to contemplate! If a supermarket goes under or even a beloved shop like Woolworths fails, everyone swallows it. But supporters of football clubs in trouble can't just swallow it. The jagged thing in your throat keeps sticking around and won't be shifted.
We can only sympathise with the supporters of Bury and Bolton and pray that we will not be in their position any time soon! But it's not a given.
However whatever happens Bolton and Bury can't be saved by city chancers. If they are to survive at all they need community support. Both clubs operate in the Greater Manchester area and in straitened times in League 1 such support is unlikely. Sad but true! Sustainability looks beyond both clubs at the moment and sadly a happy ending is unlikely!
Selfishly I worry that if Bolton fold we will lose 3 points and 5 goals when their results are expunged!
But for the supporters of Bolton & Bury and football in general I hope resolutions can be achieved.
1

ronnyd added 15:04 - Aug 26
Get real 73. I know guys who run small businesses who have 30 day invoice agreements and they have to chase for months to get their payment from some clients. Also, the larger the company, the longer the payment schedules are.
0

Barty added 13:06 - Aug 27
I hope Bolton avoid administration so we don't have our 5-0 win taken away.
0


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