"BIG WIN FOR US!" Gary O'Neil REACTS to Ipswich Town's 2-1 Victory over Fulham!
Gary O'Neil on Ipswich's 2-1 win over Fulham: a big win for us
talkSPORT speaks to Ipswich boss Gary O'Neil after his side's 2-1 Premier League win over Fulham. O'Neil says Ipswich deserved the win for their control, resilience and response to going behind, while Jamie O'Hara stresses that home points against relegation rivals are vital. The overall takeaway is that Ipswich's three wins from six is encouraging, but it is still early in the season.
- Ipswich deserved the win because they responded to going behind with fight, grit and composure, and found the right balance between control and getting numbers into the box. — He felt the long-range goal against them was a big blow because they had been in control, but they did not panic.
- Ipswich have to take home points against teams like Fulham if they are going to stay up. — He expects Fulham to be down near the bottom and fighting for a similar position and similar points total as Ipswich.
- Being able to control the game against an established Premier League side, rather than just defending and counter-attacking, gives him more belief in what this group can do. — Fulham have been in the Premier League for years, while Ipswich are newly promoted, so competing with them in that manner is a big positive.
- If Ipswich had played well and lost, with Man City away next, the season could quickly start to feel difficult, so this win was worth a lot. — He points to the psychological and table impact of dropping points before a tough away fixture.
- Three wins from six games is good momentum, but it is only six games into a 38-game season, so nobody should get too excited. — He wants the squad to stay level-headed, focused and ready for the next game.
- The squad have not been talking about staying up; the aim is simply to be as good as they can be and see where that takes them. — He says survival has not been mentioned in their team conversations and that the focus is on maximising performance.
- The club did an outstanding job this summer by changing the head coach, having a new training ground and overhauling the squad while keeping the core from Kieran McKenna's time; a slow start would have been excusable, but they have avoided one. — He highlights how much work was done in one pre-season and praises the ownership and staff for the turnaround.
- The most impressive thing about this squad is its culture; he almost never has to worry about attitude, togetherness or spirit. — He contrasts it with dressing rooms where managing those issues takes 90% of a manager's time and says this is one of the most ready groups he has worked with, whether after a defeat or when chasing a game.
Jamie O'Hara and Jason Cundy are joined by Gary O'Neil to react to Ipswich Town's 2-1 Premier League triumph over Fulham! Subscribe: https://youtube.com/c/talkSPORT?subconfirmation=1 🏆 Ready to win? Check out the latest prizes at talkSPORTwin.com Enjoyed this YouTube video? 😍 🖥️ talkSPORT's Website: https://talksport.com/ 📲 talkSPORT's X/Twitter: https://x.com/talkSPORT 📷 talkSPORT's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/talksport/?hl=en 👤 talkSPORT's Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/talkSPORT/ 📱 talkSPORT's Tik Tok: https://www.tiktok.com/@talksport ? 🔴 Download the talkSPORT app HERE! - https://talksport.com/apps/ 🔎 Want to see if you feature on our YouTube channel? Check out our Best talkSPORT callers playlist: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLFVMnSsi04LGLa9pS9xDvme-Gjmlu2 talkSPORT premierleague ipswichtown
Transcript
Ipsswitch manager Gary O'Neal joining us live on the show. Hi Gary. >> Hi Gaz. >> How you doing lads? You okay? >> I'm all right. I'm all right. Look Gaz, thanks for coming on. Um obviously huge huge result for you today. You know the two late goals is probably one of the best ways to win a game. >> Yeah. Yeah, it is. I think um we played really well. Obviously I don't know how much you guys would have seen in the game yet, but >> to be one to be one n down from like a long range strike felt tough. like it it it felt um like a big blow for us cuz we were in control really. I thought we played really really well. So um then to have to show fight and grit and composure cuz obviously you know it's like when you're one nil down at home fan that fans are desperate for balls in the box and urgency but we showed a real good sort of mix of control and um quality numbers in the box. So it's a it's a big win for us. One that we deserved and when when you play that way um you need to take points. It's no good. You know, it's easy to say we played well, but oh, we were unlucky. Lost one nil to a Wildy. Um, really important that we take points. So, big three points for us. Lads are excellent. They deserve an awful lot of credit. >> Gaz, you you know as well as anyone that home points in this league are absolutely crucial and this is a Fulham side that I think you may well be kind of, you know, down the bottom. I think that's where they're probably going to be and fighting around. So, you're in and around the area probably for for the season. That shows how big they're >> ninth. I I know but I'm just I'm being honest here about about LET'S JUST SAY BUT THESE ARE THESE ARE the sort of points if you're going to stay up you've got to beat the likes of Fulham that are probably going to be looking for a similar placement similar kind of position similar points to you guys. >> Yeah I think like obviously you're right Jay I'm going to be we're all going to be judged on how many points we put on the board. I think that the big thing for me today is how we played against a team that have been in the Premier League for many years now. um to be able to like not just hang on in there and defend and counterattack, to be able to to control the game against them sort of it it gives me real belief in in what the lads are capable of of course um which we already have but just keeps building that because >> Fulham are are established Premier League side whether they're down the bottom at the moment or not. they've been in there for a while. Um, we're newly promoted. So to be able to go into a game and be really competitive against them was a big positive. But then of course the the main thing as as you rightly say is the win. You know if you if you play like that and lose today it feels like oh we lost to Everton, we've lost at home to Fulham. We've got Man City away next. All of a sudden the season can start to feel tough. So um it's a big win for us. Three three wins in our first six games. I think it >> it took the club half a season I think to win three LA last year. So last time they were up. So big momentum with us, >> but only only six games into a 38 game season. So nothing to nothing to get too excited about. Heads on heads on task and and make sure we're ready for next weekend. >> Guys, look, you are ninth in the table and as you said, it is three wins from six. Now everyone, you know, would probably sit there and say, "Oh, it's going to be down there." But is there a belief in the squad? I I watched you today. I watched the game, had it on, and I thought second half was fantastic, especially last half hour. Is there a belief that you can actually go on and not be that team who are going to be fighting it out at the bottom of the table? >> Yeah, we've not mentioned in the in the chats that we have as a group staying up. It's not like we we're just trying to be as good as we can be. So, let's see what that is. I think the the club have done an unbelievable job, Jay, to be fair on the amount of things they've ticked off this summer. uh obviously a new head coach, new training ground, a complete overhaul of a squad, but still managing to keep like some of the core um that we had that was been successful here over the last 5 years under Kieran >> and now trying to blend that all together in in one preseason and as quickly as we have. So to see performances like today, like Crystal Palace, like Sunderland, even against some of the the bigger sides, Liverpool at home, um to have been able to get all that work done, you know, Mark Ashton and Luke and the owners and is is is an unbelievable turnaround this summer. So we would have been excused probably for a bit of a slow start with the amount of changes that have been made, but but thankfully that that hasn't been the case. >> Gaz, what's impressed you most about this squad that you've inherited? Because obviously we know what Kieran McKenna did. They they struggled in that, you know, they got promoted. Brilliant stuff. Couldn't quite hold on in the Premier League. Got back up again. What? But he's left he's left you actually some there's been a lot of good work gone in there. You've already highlighted it. What's the one thing that's impressed you most about this squad? >> Yeah, the culture of the group, Jay, is never I never have a concern around what they're going to look like attitude or togetherness or spirit-wise. Um, which isn't always the case. You know, you go into some dressing rooms that are tough and that you spend 90% of your time trying to manage that. here. It's it's a really low percentage of my time that is needed to make sure this group are ready to go. So, it's a good focus from me around the tactical staff and making sure we can help them that way. >> Um because they're a great group, but best I've worked with to be fair in terms of >> ready. Whether it's Monday morning and we've lost and we need to train, they're ready. And whether it's 20 minutes to go at home to Fulham and and you're losing 1 nil, they're still ready to go. Subs, starters, everybody. So, it's it's a good group. We just need to make sure we keep finding the big moments of quality that you need in the Premier League. >> Gad's really happy for you, mate. Thanks, lads. Gaz, listen. We listen. We got your back. You know, you're you're a former presenter from the sports bar, right? So, we've got your back. >> Yeah. I'm better at this, I think. Yeah. I think I'm better. >> NO, G. COME. LISTEN, I HOPE WE NEVER SEE YOU ON the sports bar again. That means you tell me you're doing all right. >> If I'm passing, I'll pop in, mate. I don't know if I will be at that time, but I will pop in if I'm passing. Top man.