Ipswich Town manager Paul Lambert says his future is uncertain following Boxing Day’s goalless draw with Gillingham.
It came during what is being called a bizarre post-match press conference where he started talking about his job at the Tractor Boys who sit 2nd in the League One table.
Only 1 win in the last 12 for Paul Lambert’s Ipswich Town side.
However he’s still got a bit to go to beat his previous record of 1 win in 18 (December 2018-March 2019)#ITFC pic.twitter.com/r4PCxk0CPi
— Renegade Statman Ⓜ️ (@chompx3) December 26, 2019
He talked about how frustrating the afternoon was for them in terms of difficult conditions along with the edginess of the crowd and the game.
But despite that, he was proud of them because they kept on taking the ball as it shows bravery.
On the slow start to the season, he said: “It can happen. We don’t have a divine right. Look at the table, we’re second! It’s incredible. The support is fabulous. Twenty-two thousand is absolutely unbelievable. When I first came in it was 12/13 thousand, so that’s nearly seven thousand more. Season tickets are flying through the roof and a lot of good things are happening. Everybody wants to win, but there are a hell of a lot of good things happening here that’s for sure. If it was that easy then Sunderland would have got out of it, Sheffield United wouldn’t have been in it for five years. It’s a difficult league but we’re sitting second. We just need to finish it off.”
Form was then brought up by the interviewer, stating that getting 10 points from 10 league is not going to get Ipswich where they want to be this season.
And that was what got Lambert suddenly talking about his future as manager.
He said: “Listen, if they want to go and employ another manager – nae problem – I’ll go. It’s not a problem for me to go. I’ll leave tomorrow, I’ll leave the next day. It’s not a problem.
“Ipswich Town is the most important thing. Not me. Ipswich Town is the most important thing. I’ll go.
“Whatever happens, the club is in a really good place. It’s sitting second in the table and we’re not even halfway through.
“What the lads did at the start of the season was incredible after relegation.
“The football club was an absolute morgue, 12 thousand people here, so to get to this place now…
“As I say, if I left tomorrow, and I don’t know when I leave, Ipswich Town is the most important thing.
“If they bring in somebody else, it’s not a problem.”
Lambert was asked: “You saying that will now raise a lot of questions…”
He answered: “No it doesn’t, no it doesn’t. It doesn’t raise questions because I’m a realist. I’m not going to tell you lies. I’m a realist, I’m not a fantasist.
The full transcript can listen to in the video below or read below the clip.
The transcript, as written by East Anglian Daily Times, continued:
Q: “But you’re surely not saying that you think you’re in danger of getting the sack?”
A: “Maybe… You don’t know. It’s not something I lose sleep over, put it that way.”
Q: “Why do you not lose sleep over it? Your pride would take a hell of a dent wouldn’t it?”
A: “That stopped long ago for me. Football management you get on with. I don’t lose any sleep whatsoever. If it happens, it happens. If it doesn’t, it doesn’t.”
Q: “Has Marcus Evans given you any indication it could happen then?”
A: “No, Marcus has been brilliant. Marcus is a brilliant owner. But I know how football works. I’m not silly.”
Q: “So you’re speaking about the wider context of football – that, as a manager, you’re only so many games away from the sack?”
A: “Aye. It’s not a problem (if I’m sacked). I could get my jacket now and leave. Who’s going to stop me?”
Q: “What would that achieve?”
A: “Ipswich trying to win the league.”
Q: “Are you saying you’re getting a bit exasperated with the atmosphere?”
A: “No. The club has come a long way in the year we’ve been here. There was so much wrong with it and you only see the surface of it. I could go tomorrow. It’s not a problem. If Marcus or Lee (O’Neill) says go then I’ll go.”
Q: Why are you even talking about that?”
A: Because it might happen. Nobody knows. Do they?”
Q: But you’re not anticipating that?”
A: I always think you’re one game away from the sack.”
Q: That’s just your fatalistic view of things?”
A: Yeah, because I started football at 15 and now I’m 50.”
Q: But, to be clear, you have been given no indication that your job is under pressure?”
A: No. Those two guys have been really good. They’ve been really, really good.”
Q: And you’re not thinking of quitting?”
A: I don’t know, I don’t know.”
Q: You don’t know?”
A: I’ll wait and see.”
Q: So you’re considering your position?”
A: No. No.”
Q: You did this at Blackburn. You surprised a lot of people and said you’d had enough. Are you feeling that way now?”
A: No. I feel good.”
Q: Are you sure?”
A: Yeah. I feel good.”
Q: These just feel like odd comments.”
A: Nobody knows. I’m not important to the club. A manager only helps to a certain point, they drive it.”
It’s not a big issue. It’s not an issue.”
Q: I think it will be an issue when the fans see these comments in black and white. When they read ‘Paul Lambert doesn’t know if he’ll walk away from Ipswich Town’, or words to that affect, that will be an issue.”
A: Listen, the support is brilliant, absolutely brilliant, They’ve been brilliant with me, so I don’t have any qualms on that.”
I ain’t the most important factor. If I’m not the guy to take Ipswich up and somebody else comes in… absolutely brilliant.”
Q: Are you the guy to take Ipswich up? You must believe you are.”
A: I’ve got my own thoughts on things. I’ve got my own ideas on things. Some things I agree with, some things I don’t.”
Q: Do you mean you don’t agree with things Marcus says and does?”
A: I’ve got no problem with Marcus. He’s been great. We have a good laugh, contrary to what everybody thinks, but we also have serious moments.”
He’s been really fair with me, really good with me, on a lot of things.”
Q: And he hasn’t even mentioned that you might be under pressure. He’s not said you need to win X number of the next games?”
A: I think he gave me one-and-a-half games! No, he’s not said anything like that. He’s been as good as gold.”
Q: I get that all managers are only ever a certain bad run away from the sack, but Marcus has a reputation for sticking by managers.”
A: He didn’t sick by Paul Hurst did he?!”
Q: But he did with others…”
A: Big Mick did a fabulous job here.”
Q: Ipswich feels like a club where managers are…”
A: Don’t say ‘secure’ because there’s no such thing!”
Q: Won’t these comments be unsettling for the players and fans?”
A: The fans and the players always go on. The most important thing is the football club, it’s not me. It’s the players and the supporters. I always say that and I always will say it.”
He then ended revealing he would love to see the club go up as high as the Premier League, whether he was with the club or not.
Fans took to Twitter to give their surprised reaction on his comments which has caused plenty of speculation on whether he’d stay or leave Ipswich – see what they wrote by clicking on the next page.
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