Daryl Murphy is convinced Town can recover from their recent form lapse and still secure a play-off place

They may have won just twice in their last 10 league games, taking 14 points from a possible 30, but the Republic of Ireland international remains confident they can close the five-point gap on sixth-placed Reading.

Murphy, 30, said: “I think we can finish in the top six because results went for us last week with Reading losing. But it’s going to be hard.

“It’s only sixth place that is up for grabs, if I’m being honest. The top five have pulled away so much that they will be hard to catch but there are four or five teams that can get in there and we are one of them.

“It’s not lost yet, with so many games left to play, but we need to start winning games, especially at home and starting against Birmingham on Saturday.”

Last time out Town went down 3-0 at league leaders Leicester but Murphy echoed the sentiments of manager Mick McCarthy when he added: “We gave them two goals to start with.

“We knew it was going to be a tough game but we were disappointed with the way we started, although I think the quality in their side was probably a bit too much for us. They’re a class side and they’ve got players in every position who are top-notch.”

Town will be looking to improve on their last home display when lowly Blackpool secured a goalless draw at Portman Road and might even have bagged all three points but for a man-of-the-match display from stand-in keeper Scott Loach.

But Murphy is not expecting it to be easy to overcome a stubborn Birmingham side fresh from a 2-1 success at Blackpool.

He said: “It will be a tough game. We drew 1-1 at their place earlier in the season and it was hard. It will be no different this time. Everyone wants to win every game and it’s no different with them. We’re at home and we have to be confident, so hopefully we will get a win.”

Murphy scored in the corresponding fixture last season, a game that ensured Town’s survival in the Championship and one he recalled with fond memories.

He added: “I remember it, second last game of the season wasn’t it? We beat them 3-1, it was a good game and I thought overall we did pretty well.

“We dominated the game but it’s going to be a different story this time round. Obviously they want to finish as high as they can in the league and we want to get into the play-offs so it’s a big game for both teams.”

Photo: Action Images

northernblues added 13:56 - Feb 28 bohslegend, I beleive we have made progress this eason but what you say cannot be done, has been done by Sean Dyche!
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bohslegend added 14:02 - Feb 28 How long is he there? Has he still got Prem parachute money still? MM needs time to do-a-dyche if you'll pardon the pun.
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BlueandTruesince82 added 14:06 - Feb 28 Dyche was appointed in Oct 2013, around the same time as MM, he was appointed to a Bunley team that has been a prem club more recently than we have and on Dyche benifited from the fine work done by Eddie Howe previously. IE he inherrited a team that was least half way there and confident as opposed to MM who inherited a team bottom of the division, devoid of any confidene or belief (Cheers Roy) and suffering a serious identity crisis. We looked like relegation fodder. To compare the two is apples and orranges.

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northernblues added 14:15 - Feb 28 I hate to use Burnley as example, but they have spent little, they had their dark lord by way of Brian Laws! but generally for some reason pick some good managers, Coyle took them up playing great football, Howe another good appt, brought in Ings and Vokes for very little, and now sean dyche. I will reiterate though we have made progress points and position and the fact our season is still going!

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BlueandTruesince82 added 14:23 - Feb 28 Dont get me wrong, I would love to see us go up, i think we would be fodder for the prem but parachute payments if we came straight back down would be huge benifit. MM deserves at leat next season for me though, sometimes managers make an immidate impact, look at Keane when he went to Sunderland, he took them from bottom of the Champ to promiton in 6 months. I think thats why he got the Town job in the fist place (and despite disagreeing with it from the start I always understood it), then what happened? The relaity is though most managers need time to bring abouit real footballing and cultural change to a club. Consisnatcy still (on the whole) brings success, particulalry if you cant just sign world beaters.

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northernblues added 15:03 - Feb 28 after 35 games 13/14 10th 45pts 12/13 18th 42pts 11/12 16th 45pts 10/11 16th 45pts 09/10 17th 41pts 08/09 10th 50pts 07/08 6th 52 pts
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bluey123 added 15:03 - Feb 28 How much does Evans pay players for coming out with such rubbish . The McCarthy style of football is so awful no wonder the fans stay away perhaps some of you want to watch football with 10k fans I certainly do not McCarthy OUT
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DerryfromBury added 15:09 - Feb 28 Nothing wrong with a bit of ambition or optimism!! Now lets see it matched with real passion and commitment by all 11 on the pitch tomorrow afternoon. COYB
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WickedBlue added 15:13 - Feb 28 All I will say is a strikers main job and priority is to score goals. Everything else is secondary and that is what they will be judged on in the end.
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NoelTheDub added 15:27 - Feb 28 Lads i agree that stage 1 avoid relegation stage 2 hard to beat but surly its time for Mick to entertain or get some bums back on seats he wont with no pace in the side or the lack of goal threat every week.If as soon as the threat of relegation passed we could enjoy the last of the season not playing like Barca as many say or been gunho or with all out attack but a little bit of both and we have lads that can do this but we dont get to see this.Everyones fear was getting hammered every week Mick sorted that out but he is still clogging the middle when we can now play with a bit of freedom and have a go.

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Beattiesballbag added 15:51 - Feb 28 The point some supporters are trying to make is that since MM came here, till the end of last season we were averaging enough points to make the play offs, the ship had been steadied, but in the close season Mick didn't sort out the positions that needed attention & now the form is not as good as it was in his first season......we have not moved forward & that is due to the choices he has made not because of the lack of funds, that is facing up to reality. Being disheartened because we are being out played by lesser teams with less at their disposal is hard to swallow by true fans of the CLUB. Listening to people who blindly say everything is moving in the right direction is what causes people to voice what some people call negative views.

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Surco72 added 16:45 - Feb 28 bohslegend .. why does team selection Anderson/Taylor/Edwards above Nouble ? An attacking central midfielder Wordsworth above Tabb/Hyam ? A natural right back above an out of position centre back ? A team that's first option is to look for a pass rather than hoof the ball forward ? Why do any of these need a magic wand ? What i am trying to say is that I think MM has done an ok job at the club but feel with the players at his disposal we could be even higher if we hadn't been so negative in a large number of games against very poor opposition , which is only down to one thing the managers team selection and tactics whether you want to face that or not . Teams have been promoted on very small budgets a number of times over recent years Blackpool , Palace ,Saints , Norwich , Swansea ,Burnley the first time and now all by playing football the right way .If you cannot see that and like what MM is serving up at Portman Road then fine that is your view . And as the stats above show we have progressed no further than when Jewell or Keane were in charge it is just a weaker league this year with 5 or so really strong teams and some very poor sides at the bottom so the points difference in the middle have wider gaps to top and bottom

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BlueandTruesince82 added 17:59 - Feb 28 Noel I take your point but 1, Its not going to happen this season (stage 2), the squad is the squad. 2, Hopefully it will be the case next year after more good transfer window buisness Surco- What it shows is actually how competative the Champ is. If Wigan, QPR Leicester, Brum, Boro, Reading, Bolton, Forrest, Blackburn and Leeds is weak I disagree. I really dont think our current squad warrents a play off place. I think we need a marauding right back to compliment Cressie (who we need to hang onto or replace extremely prudently) and a really creative midfielder. If we could add those and then tie SEB down (and keep him fit) and Hunt (same) thats a team that Im looking at the play offs with.

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blueboy1981 added 21:31 - Feb 28 ................. dream on Murph' ...........
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muccletonjoe added 22:22 - Feb 28 I have no doubt in my mind that tomorrow we will see yet another boring , turgid display of negative football , regardless of the result , there is no way on earth we will make the top 6. Mainly because we don't deserve to.
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Warkys_Tash added 00:56 - Mar 1 @surco72, apologies that was meant to be a plus - iPad error! Decent points made
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Warkys_Tash added 01:03 - Mar 1 I think MM needs to stay to keep some consistency/ stability at the club. However, he should start to be less negative with his tactics. Let's see some entertainment, the goals have dried up!
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