Lambert to replace Hurst at Ipswich
Lambert was in charge at Norwich for three years
Written by Simon Austin — October 25, 2018
PAUL LAMBERT will be appointed manager of Ipswich Town after Paul Hurst was sacked less than five months into the job.
Staff at Ipswich have already been told that Lambert is to take over, TGG understands. The Scot has been out of work since leaving Stoke City at the end of last season following their relegation from the Premier League.
He was in charge of fierce rivals Norwich for almost three years, leading them to successive promotions in 2010 and 2011.
Lambert will bring fitness coach Jim Henry with him to Carrow Road, which has led to Nathan Winder being sacked, along with assistant Chris Doig.
There was also some farce today, when the name of Head Physio Chris Skitt appeared on the statement Ipswich released about staff who had been sacked. His name subsequently disappeared from the statement on Ipswich's website.
Winder’s sacking is a shock, because he came to the club independent of Hurst, while owner Marcus Evans had emphasised that he saw sport science as being independent of the the manager.
“The new manager, rather than being expected to bring in their own teams or use their experience in these areas, is going to be able to rely on working with the club’s existing support teams,” Evans said in April, "so the manager is left free to work on playing style, the coaching required to support that style, tactics, as well as man-management.”
Winder has had some misfortune, as this is the second successive job in which he has been sacked after less than six months, having lasted only four months at Leeds United with Paul Heckingbottom. The Yorkshireman is highly rated in the game.
There's a confusing structure at the club currently, with Academy Manager Lee O'Neill also in charge of sports science - a dual role TGG has never heard of before.
In the Ipswich statement, Evans said he had decided to act with the Tractor Boys bottom of the Championship and with win one win in 15.
“I have decided that it is in the best interests of the Football Club that we appoint a new manager to take us forward,” he said.
“I would like to thank Paul and Chris for their efforts and we wish them well for the future but after 14 matches we find ourselves bottom of the Championship and with only one win this season.
“Paul’s arrival here in the summer was welcomed by us all and we worked tirelessly to support him fully with his plans for player recruitment, training methodology and backroom staff. But unfortunately those plans haven’t turned into positive results, which is why I have had to take this decision today.
"The core of our club remains strong and it is that which has helped us create a highly competitive team in the Championship over the last five or six years.
“This group of experienced players along with the additions we made to the squad this summer of younger developing talent, plus the ongoing progression of players from our Academy means the new manager will have a solid group to work with and build for the future.
“I am determined that we develop a team to play attractive and exciting football. We have a stable and talented coaching team in place at Ipswich and Bryan Klug will step up and take temporary charge of the first-team for Saturday’s trip to Millwall.
“I am actively looking to appoint a new manager as soon as possible with experience, who will embrace the long-term vision we all have for the club and who can deliver the success that every Ipswich Town supporter craves.”
That manager will be Lambert.
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