Ipswich Town fan Martin Lambert says Paul Cook has to react quicker during games to avoid season petering out

Two steps forward, three steps back. Otherwise known as Ipswich Town F.C.

After a great result midweek against Doncaster which saw the team hit six goals, keep a clean sheet and perform across the board with positive and progressive play, it all went to pot on Saturday away at Accrington Stanley.

You know the story by now. Town take the lead, Town squander the lead, Town then lose the game.

Did we play well enough to win? No. Were we positive with our play? No. In fact, every pass was negative and once again, in-game changes by Cook either didn’t come, were ineffective or left far too late.

Regardless of your position on the manager, we do have a problem when it comes to in-game adjustments.

Again, on Saturday despite leading at half-time, It was the opposition that made the changes needed to grab all three points.

And just like Bolton, MK Dons or Cheltenham, when the time came, Cook and his bench were left wanting, left searching for answers and in the end the referee blew his whistle and counted us out.

Even when Cook does eventually make a change, it comes too late to make any real impact. This was perfectly highlighted by BBC Radio Suffolk summariser Alex Mathie when he cried out ‘it’s come 10 minutes too late!’ when James Norwood did eventually take the field. Louis Barry coming on at 88 minutes anybody?

Put bluntly, I don’t care how manager Paul Cook and coaches Francis Jeffers and Gary Roberts do it, but somehow, THEY SIMPLY MUST improve and speed up the process of making in-game adjustments and changes OR they face the risk of this season petering out and an ‘okay season’ in league One (something we know the club won’t accept) may well be the only thing we can look forward to.

The only positive to take into this weekend’s game against Shrewsbury is just how confident and free-scoring Macauley Bonne is.

However, Saturday sees us play without Celina (as he’s with Kosovo) but as detailed above, it’s not always about who starts but how we finish and the changes we make or don’t make in-game.

Can Cookie find the answers this week? He needs to.

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