Paul Cook named new Ipswich manager and will take over on Wednesday; Paul Lambert left Ipswich on Monday after more than two years in charge; Cook has previously managed Wigan Athletic and Portsmouth
Tuesday 2 March 2021 13:24, UK
Paul Cook has been confirmed as Ipswich Town's new manager and will take charge of their League One game against Gillingham on Saturday.
Cook replaces Paul Lambert, who left Portman Road on Monday after "differences of opinion" with owner Marcus Evans, and has signed a two-year contract at the club.
The former Wigan Athletic and Portsmouth manager will be in attendance for Ipswich's game against Accrington on Tuesday night but will not take over first-team selection duties until the weekend match against the Gills.
"First I want to wish Paul [Lambert] and Stuart [Taylor] all the best for the future. I know them both and it's a hard business, football," Cook said.
"It's been a quick turnaround with Zoom meetings with the owner but Marcus has given me the opportunity to manage what is a great football club and that is a massive honour for me and my family.
"I'm proud to be in this position and I'll be doing everything possible to repay the faith Marcus has shown in me.
"Winning promotion this season is the immediate target. It will be a big challenge but it's a challenge that everyone at the Club has a part to play in."
Joining Cook as first-team coach is former Ipswich midfielder Gary Roberts. The 36-year-old made 59 appearances for Town after joining the Club from Accrington, initially on loan in October 2006.
He spent two years with the Club before joining Huddersfield and later went on to play under Cook's management at Chesterfield, Portsmouth and Wigan, winning promotion at all three of those clubs.
Ipswich announced they had parted company with Lambert by mutual consent on Sunday despite a 2-1 victory over Doncaster in Sky Bet League One in what was to be his final game in charge.
Lambert, who took charge of Ipswich in October 2018, left the club in eighth place in the League One table, two points off the play-off positions.
The 51-year-old could not stop Ipswich falling out of the Championship in April 2019 and the Suffolk side, despite making a strong start to life in the third tier, finished 11th last season when placings were determined on a points-per-game basis due to the coronavirus pandemic.
