Championship strugglers Ipswich have appointed Paul Lambert as their new manager.
Lambert succeeds Paul Hurst, who was sacked on Thursday, and has signed a contract until the summer of 2021.
Ipswich are bottom of the Sky Bet Championship with only one win in 14 games and Lambert's appointment is an intriguing one.
The 49-year-old Scot was in charge of Ipswich's great rivals Norwich between 2009 and 2012 and he becomes the first man to manage both clubs.
'I can't wait to get going and I'll be using all my experience - and give everything I've got for Ipswich Town,' Lambert told the official club website.
'I know about the history of the club, what a fantastic football club it is and I'm proud to be the manager here.
'Obviously it's been a difficult start to the season but to get through this period we need to be pulling together as one - players, staff and supporters.
'I want us to play with tempo, with enthusiasm, with drive. I want the players to enjoy their football and I'm relishing the challenge of helping to take this club forward.'
Former Scotland midfielder Lambert managed Livingston, Wycombe and Colchester before guiding Norwich in to the Premier League with two successive promotions.
He has also had spells at Aston Villa, Blackburn and Wolves and spent the second half of last season at Stoke.
Lambert won only two of his 15 games in charge at Stoke and left the Potters following their relegation from the Premier League.
'I am delighted that Paul has agreed to become manager of Ipswich Town,' owner Marcus Evans told www.itfc.co.uk.
'He made it clear from our first conversation that he would relish the opportunity to come here.
'He is a very knowledgeable manager who has vast experience of the Championship as well as working for a number of years in the Premier League.
'In his time at Aston Villa he showed he could work and develop young players and his teams have always looked to play exciting football and those attributes fit our ethos here.
'He obviously enjoyed a lot of success at our local rivals and the aim for Paul and everyone at the club is to see that repeated here - and bettered!
'The first priority, though, is to start climbing the table and I urge the supporters to get right behind our new manager and the players to strengthen our ability to do that.'
Lambert will watch Ipswich from the stands at Millwall on Saturday as Bryan Klug takes caretaker charge.
Hurst lasted less than five months at Portman Road having been brought in from Shrewsbury to replace Mick McCarthy last summer.
JSK-70
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When i toured europe as a 14 yo footballer n played in the then famous Ipswich cup i just fell in love with Ipswich Town n have supported and followed the team ever since and a wonderful gent Peter Reeve n i become pen pals n would luv to know if he is ok these days, so if anyone knows the name please let me know, he was from Cambridge. Anyway it is devastating to see the club struggling n hope this new Gaffer can turn the club around n keep them in the championship.
goodnessj
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I bet that'll be a popular appointment! He'll really need to hit the ground running
uptownl
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Treated mick mcarthy like dirt and paying for it now , going down
KAUST
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I wonder what % of managers see out their contract, they all should be on 6 month rolling contracts
Alaweas
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Just off the management merry- go - round , they can't fail can they ?
oldjustjuo
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Lambert is never the answer
kazoo
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His appointment doesn't quite fill me with optimism when you look at his C.V. & the number of clubs he has been through but I guess the positive thing is that he has got far more experience at a higher level of the game than Hurst.
Lexfreson
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another imaginative appointment
fangchang
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Damn is this some sort of Joke : he's been sacked from every single job and must be a millionaire: what an absolute joke.
Pharaohes
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It's a failure meet go round
lightfor
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Lambert. A man with surely one of the greatest job interview techniques ever. If he could bottle it then he'd be a multi-millionaire. Let's give him 12/18 months before he's beefing up his CV yet again.
LoveBVB
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Lambert is awful. He's a Martin O'Neill clone without any of the talent.
Disneyy
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Brilliant! When in the relegation zone, what do you do? Ah yes, appoint a relegation specialist! This bloke makes Mourinho's and Pulis's football look like the Brazil of the 1970s !!
cape
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He must have some seriously good PowerPoint skills
Lenlife
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League 1 for sure now. Looking forward to seeing Southend at Portman Road next season.
Labarber
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How does he still get work?
Moore89
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Is there ANY club this guy hasn't failed at? How do these people keep getting jobs?
Sharing
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As a villa fan I can promise complete boredom and mediocre football. Awful manager.
Superless
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I take it big Sam and Pardew are waiting for the real Madrid job to be open...
Kennello
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Mick McCarthy would have been a perfect fit. OOPS!
Banylon
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The failed manager rotation system that is football!!!
wishing
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That's Ipswich done for then. Lambert is a completely busted flush and I feel sorry for the players and fans.
Jacky2
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British manager's are guaranteed a football job for life! It's great if you can get it!
MVP30
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Recycling failed managers no vision.
Yahoobaby
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Get rid of Mick Mccarthy for playing dull football and replace him 5 months later with a man who plays even duller football...
Dennismelton
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They have that many square pegs in round holes at Ipswich, Lambert should feel quite at home. Seriously, Hurst was sold down by the river by Evans. Lose Waghorn, Garner, McGoldrick, Celina and the others and you knew he was going to struggle. Then to be replaced by lower division players and loan signings like Jordan Graham who hadn't kicked a ball in anger for 2 years due to injury. It was always going to end badly. Sad to say, but Ipswich will be playing First Division football next season and Lambert will have another relegation on his CV.
Carybary
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Lambert... why do clubs still employ him
perhaps
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Agent Lambert, professional relegation expert.
idiot12
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Madness. He took Stoke down last season perhaps he can take Ipswich down this season.