Cook took the reins at Portman Road in March after Paul Lambert left Ipswich by mutual consent in the previous month. The former Portsmouth manager has won one, drawn two and lost three in his first six games as manager of Ipswich.
With Ipswich sitting in eleventh place in League One, three points behind sixth placed Gillingham in the playoff places, the Tractor Boys will still have hopes of promotion into the Championship this season.
Ahead of Bristol Rovers’ game against Ipswich this afternoon, Pirates manager Barton has expressed his belief that Cook is the perfect candidate to lead the Tractor Boys into the Championship and beyond.
Barton insisted Cook cannot take the blame for Ipswich’s lacklustre run of results in his first six games at their helm as the former Stoke City manager is managing players recruited by somebody else.
Barton is of the view that Cook’s Tractor Boys are still a formidable side despite not firing on all cylinders.
“Great guy, a good football guy and I’m pretty sure he will get Ipswich back to where they need to get to, which is certainly at least the Championship based on the size of the club, but again he’s coming in late to the party and trying to get the best out of players recruited by somebody else”, Barton told a press conference when asked about Cook.
“They haven’t had a fantastic start.
“They’ve won one of those opening six games.
“In the same period we’ve both been at the club, we’ve managed to pick up seven points and they’ve picked up five, so it’s maybe not an Ipswich Town side firing on all cylinders.
“But it’s still an Ipswich Town side and a side managed by Paul Cook and we’ll have to be at our best to get anything out of the game at Portman Road.”
With ten games remaining in League One, Cook will look to inspire Ipswich to victory over the Pirates this afternoon to keep the Tractor Boys’ promotion hopes alive.
