Because we are Ipswich, and we don't general perform well against sides when we are on TV, and because we generally loose to teams far lower than us in the league, i'm going to go out on a limb and say I actually think that despite everything, the recent results, the lack of immediate quality brought in etc, I think maybe we will get a result sat. Dunno why really, risking my limited reputation i guess, but i feel we will step up. How long it will last for remains to be seen though. COYB!!!

10 games left after Brentford.............9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 o dear we have run out of games now never mind we have forty odd next season .

yes Chappers, everything's coming up roses

As others have said our midfield is so weak,I'm afraid it will ultimately cost us a top six
place.Not one of our midfield who started at Leeds would get into any other top six side,neither would any of our injured one's either,(possibly except BIshop on his day)
Our goals for ratio from midfield must be the worst in the entire country,including Hartlepool !
Unless we strengthen this area with at least one quality signing,then it will be championship football yet again next season.

Interesting, but somewhat spurious, comparison with Southampton!
Surely no-one would disagree that they had significantly more ability in the squad than we do. Consequently the players were more likely to be able to step up to Premier League football, as indeed they have done. I imagine they also had far more confidence in their ability to outplay tems in this division, which, in spite of interviews like this, must be falling off in our squad.

No doubt - top 6 is still very much possible. It's in our hands and only we can lose it.
Let's start with Saturday - the reason we're losing games at the moment is so blatantly obvious.

I know they are being asked to give interviews, but I'm getting a bit tired of loan signings coming in and saying we are still in with a chance (was of automatic promotion, now I only hear about the playoffs) and how great the team spirit is.
Do your talking on the pitch on Saturday too please!

"We want to cement our place in the top six..."

Hmm, a few issues with this:

1. To cement a place in the top six, you need to have a place in the top six to cement. He needs to acquaint himself with the league table.
2. Any 'cementing' has been going so badly of late that the walls that seemed to be going up nicely have now all fallen down and we're left looking at the tumbled bricks, wondering why they spell out '7th place'.
3. I'd have preferred the cementing to have started a while back, like, when we were in the top six, for instance, when we had a place to cement there.
4. Even better, it would have been good to have cemented our place in the top two when we were up thereo, starting with the 11th Jan home game against Derby. If we had have done that, we would also, by default, have cemented our place in the top six...by cementing our place in the top two.
5. Why have we left the cementing so late?
6. 'Cement/cementing' starts to sound weird when you keep using it over and over again.
7. We should change builders.

rinkydinkpather it's really difficult to get brickies to come out to Ipswich, just ask Paul and Roy!

Chaplow: Promotion Challenge Still On. No.

That dream died at Leeds on Wednesday.

Its not over yet but after tomorrow it may be out of our own hands. Yes there are 10 matches left after tomorrow and somehow we need to get around 18 points such is the high standard set at the top of the division. We have to go to Middlesbrough, Watford (graveyard for us) Huddersfield (one of the best away performances by them at Portman
Road) Wolves who will be desperate to dent MM's chances and will probably be going for play offs and then another horrible fixture at Blackburn. Yes we know all away games are not easy but that 6 is more than tough which is why we must win our home games starting tomorrow. Lose against Brentford and we have a mountain to climb.

I have been supporting the town for over 30 years, both as season ticket holder and arm chair fan. I was lucky enough to be at Wembley on the 29th May 2000 for the Play off final and it was arguably my most memorable day. For the last few years I have resisted the urge to get too emotionally involved knowing that inevitably it will lead to disappointment, but this year it felt different. MM and TC have worked miracles to get us to where we are today, and in the run up to the new year, I had dared to believe that we can again support a team that will grace the top flight

But since Christmas, I am beginning to get that feeling again. Our run of form in Jan and Feb has been incredibly inconsistent. Everyone on this forum has a view on what needs to be done to get us winning games again, but for me Leeds was a turning point. I was gobsmacked when I discovered that our best two strikers and midfielder were on the bench! The mentality of 'a point away from home' is so negative that it is only going to end in disappointment. Players out of position, favourites being preferred even when out of form, a total lack of communication between goalkeeper and defence resulting in multiple mistakes....

All credit to MM upto 2015, but having got there, he is a victim of his own success and expectations have moved on. Yes he is very down to earth, 'a breath of fresh air', he works hard, he works his players hard, but he is arrogant, fixed in his ways and his tactics are dull and predictable. He knows what it takes to get promoted, but he doesn't get the opportunity to manage at the top level when he has resources at his disposal... I can see why. We have 11 games left. I want to see him put a fire up his players, home and away, challenge them to take 3 points from every game, not 3 at home, one away and succumb to 1 at home and none away. Look to destroy relegation-threatened teams rather than pay them lots of respect, and put a fear in those above us. We have come so far this season and are serious risk of achieving nothing. It will be a travesty if, by May our season is over.

Yes, yes, playoff final is also in May.... should have said by the '3rd of May'.... before anyone points that out!!

MM has done a FANTASTIC job without any backing from the owner who to me seems uninterested in the club.Had he invested in January it would have given us a better chance and then should we get promoted he would have recouped a fair amount of money back,and as he has not done this we are in this position with the smallest squad in this division and now the injuries are coming back to kick us in the teeth.MM can only do the best with what he has ,and what he has done is a miracle considering the players he has bought in were NOT wanted by other clubs.Tomorrows game is a MUST win game and has now turned out to be the most important game so far this season.There is still so much to play for so we MUST get behind the team and the Knockers as well.Get behind Mick also,he does not want to fail either.COYB

RobbieBobson I don't think anyone could put it any better than you just did.
I was also at the playoff final and I also remember going one down really early, I held out some hope there, mostly because I was a lot younger and naive. But thinking about it there were was a manager and loads of players who had that creative spark.

MM has done the same as our previous three managers, and that is mid table.