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Tabb: Top Six Could Pull Away
Friday, 7th Feb 2014 06:00

Jay Tabb has warned that the Championship clubs currently occupying the automatic promotion and play-off places could soon pull clear of the rest.

The midfielder has stressed the need to stay on the tail of former club Reading, who occupy sixth spot, one place and four points better off than Town.

Tabb said: “The top six are in danger of pulling away. We are four points short of Reading in sixth so we’ve got to make sure we hang on to them.

"I think Leicester are pretty much certainties to go on and win the league, or at least finish in the top two, but our aim was always to improve on last year.

“Since the manager came in last November he has turned the club around hugely. If you’d said to any Ipswich fan that come February or March time we’d be on the verge of the play-offs I think they’d have taken that.

"Now we’ve got to make sure that in our remaining games we really put it in and work hard. I believe that at the end of the season you finish where you deserve to.”

Town have taken seven points from their last three league games and will aim to make it 10 from a possible 12 when they travel to take on struggling Barnsley at Oakwell tomorrow.

Tabb added: “Fans probably look at this game and think we should be beating Barnsley but players and management look at it differently. When we played them at Portman Road they played really well in the second half. We were 1-0 up and then they came back into it to draw.

“They were a good side on the night but obviously they are down at the wrong end of the table and they need the points just as much as we do. It will be a tough game.

"If we go up there thinking that just because we have had a few good results recently we are owed something we will be wrong. We have to make sure we work harder than they do and the result will come.”


Photo: Action Images



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Len_Brennan added 06:36 - Feb 7
A fair assessment from Tabby, even if we may not want to hear it. Leicester, QPR & Burnley and possibly Forest if they keep up their current run, will fight out the automatic spots & will almost certainly finish above us. Derby seem to be stuttering a bit, but still have 9 points on us, so passing them looks a big ask, unless they collapse. Realistically we are chasing one spot (possibly 2 at a push) now to make the playoffs. It won't be easy as Reading have a decent squad & have gotten their act together in recent months. We also have to recognise the threat from below us, especially Wigan IMO, who have a good manager, strong squad & no European distractions anymore. Big squads make Blackburn & an improving Middlesboro particularly dangerous also.
This is a crucial period for us & we have to keep the pressure on if we are to stay in the playoff picture, a couple of quick slip ups & Reading could be 10 points clear & we'd be swallowed up by the pack. Tabby is absolutely right, lets keep that pressure on with 3 points at Barnsley & show ourselves to be real contenders for that playoff spot.
14

Ipswich_Loyal added 07:02 - Feb 7
Couldn't of summarised it better myself Len!

Keep digging away and you never know, I think most Town fans are realistic and to be fair, a top 10 finish would be massive progress which I think we will certainly achieve.

Play off dream is still alive though.

You blues.
4

MacMan added 07:31 - Feb 7
It's refreshing to read some realistic posts. To go from worrying about whether we would be playing in div. 1 to thinking we have a decent shout at a play-off place is a huge credit to the manager and his staff and, of course, the squad of players. And all in a little over a year. Having just finished reading Alex Ferguson's autobiography, I am more convinced than ever that Mick is doing a fine job.
Ferguson would be the first to admit that transition takes time, even at a club like Man Utd with all their resources, so to achieve what Mick has on such a limited budget is brilliant.
Oh and I always considered Robbie Savage to be er...less than a genius but he is tipping Norwich to go down this season on the BBC sports website. What a perceptive, intelligent pundit he now is.
5

muccletonjoe added 10:09 - Feb 7
Think if you take a peep at the table jt - you will see they already have
0

yun added 01:27 - Feb 8
Possibly not realistic, but if we can put together a second half of the season similar to last year, we can grind away at the gap and perhaps nab fifth or sixth. I would not be totally unhappy with a top ten finish and an established squad ready for a proper tilt in 2014/15.
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