Ex-Newcastle United ace - and now Ipswich Town coach - labels his old team 'boring' after they fail to challenge Sunderland for League One play-off place

The former Newcastle United midfielder has spoken openly about his current side after they failed to challenge Sunderland & Co for a League One play-off place.

Cook saw the Tractor Boys fail to score for the seventh time in eight games in the penultimate match of the season at Shrewsbury.

But Dyer, who has been working as a coach under Cook for the last eight weeks, insists the club is going in the right direction and the former Wigan boss is the man for the job.

Dyer said: “In the last six or seven weeks that I’ve been involved with the first team I’ve been bored in a lot of games, because we haven’t created anything.

“But the last two games we’ve had chances, however the worrying thing is that we haven’t hit the target tonight and we must improve on that.

“The manager has been vocal about the fact a lot of players will be leaving and a lot coming in, and that will be at the top end of the pitch.

“The manager changed his style to suit the players in a bid to get into the play-offs, and that hasn’t worked, and as we know he’s had some strong words which some people may see as harsh.

“I’ve been around a lot of managers in my time and forget all the one-liners, this guy knows his stuff.

“The club is now getting the infrastructure that it’s been praying for, it has one of the best managers around and if the recruitment is right, this club will be flying next season.”

Sunderland secured their play-off place last weekend with the 3-1 win at strugglers Plymouth Argyle ahead of the final game of the season, at home to Northampton Town on Sunday lunchtime.

Lee Johnson’s side had gone seven games without a win and found themselves bottom of the League One form table prior to the Plymouth defeat but the head coach will hope confidence has been restored ahead of the upcoming play-off campaign.

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