Loanee winger Ainsley Maitland-Niles says sticking together and working hard will be the key to ending the Blues’ winless run.

Saturday’s 0-0 draw with Cardiff at Portman Road - Town’s second successive home stalemate - was the Blues’ seventh Championship game without a win, while they’ve failed to win any of their last five home games, drawing the last four. They have scored just once in their last five games.

"It is getting frustrating for all the players and the gaffer but we will keep plugging away and we will get our three points eventually,” Maitland-Niles said.

"It is about working hard for the whole 90 minutes. There were plenty of chances to win this game, we could have won 3-0, or it could have been 2-2.

"I don't know what the answer is. It is just a case of everyone keep trying and something will come off.

"It is a case of sticking together, working hard and when that one chance comes along we have to take it.”

He added: ”The fans should keep backing us and keep believing and we will get those three points."

Maitland-Niles, who is on loan with the Blues from Arsenal for the season and has so far made 11 starts and three sub appearances, says he’s getting used to life in the Championship.

"I found it tough at first, still do really," he admitted. "But it is a case of working and developing and helping the team.

"I have learned a lot here. I feel I have fitted in and have been made welcome.”

The England U19 international believes he has become a better player since joining Town: "The area I have improved most is probably my heading. It was not my strongest point.

"I have been told to get the ball down, play with freedom and try and score goals for the team.

"Things like tracking back are really important, the one moment you switch off then you're in trouble.

"I speak with people from Arsenal all the time. They come to the games and I have been told to keep on playing, stay in the squad and work hard and the manager will know about what I'm doing.”

The 18-year-old has been keeping a close eye on his parent club’s progress this season. The Gunners, who are currently second in the Premier League behind Manchester City on goal difference, made it five league wins on the trot by winning 3-0 away at Swansea on Saturday.

"We could take notes out of their book, they are doing really well,” he said.

"But this is Ipswich and we have to play the way Ipswich do. I'm enjoying playing here and will play whatever style I have to as long as I'm on the pitch. I'm enjoying watching how Arsenal are doing.”

Photo: Action Images

sidtheswan added 06:09 - Nov 2 The last 2 paragraphs say it all .
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jas0999 added 06:40 - Nov 2 I'm sure he is enjoying watching Arsenal, a team who play football. Another week and yet another player stating more of the same. I'm sure we will win a game soon. Law of averages . But when we do win one, can we put a good run together? There are certainly some winnable games.
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hoppy added 06:51 - Nov 2 I hope he meant to make that word 'win' a plural, and we've not just got one more to look forward to...
4

Penguinblue added 07:57 - Nov 2 Stick together has become a meaningless expression usually in the face of facts. 1. Bart is a better keeper than Gerkin 2. Chambers is not a right back and is a liability 3. There is only ever room for Skuse or Douglas 4. Sears is wasted out wide. 5. McCarthy is one dimensional, tactically inept and will not take ITFC forward. No other harf decent manager would repeat over again his selections, mistakes and tedium

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BrightBlue added 08:20 - Nov 2 "The area I have improved most is probably my heading"......... Says it all!
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hogster1970 added 08:47 - Nov 2 That mad me laugh brightblue yep spot on. Also penguin blue. If we don't get 2 wins in these 2 winnable games and convincing win. I feel our season will be over unless we get teddy and fraser back quick smart. Our forwards are just starved of any decent service and quality ball
3

DurhamTownFan added 08:54 - Nov 2 Heading is his most improved area. That's bloody embarrassing. I'm sure that's what Wenger wanted when he sent the lad out! Don't get me wrong: it is an important skill, but is that really what we brought him in for..?
2

cats_whiskers added 08:55 - Nov 2 Heading? At the moment we are “Heading” in the wrong direction  Dos Santos was probably the most decent of our loan signings At least he could excite the crowd and also score a goal
4

BeattiesBeerGut added 09:01 - Nov 2 AMN probably didn't need to do much heading at Arsenal. Now he has to see the doctor every week for neck ache as the only way our back 4 deliver the ball is 30 feet in the air !
6

muccletonjoe added 09:09 - Nov 2 The win will come eventually, let's hope it's before we drop too much lower. If we don't get 3 points tomorrow, I for one will be calling this a relegation battle
3

ipswichdj added 09:39 - Nov 2 Been a long time since the fans have been like this. Ainsley is a good young player and on paper we have a decent team. Something just isn't clicking on the pitch. Had Mick took us as far as he can? Maybe. But is bringing a new manager in going to help? Whoever wet bring in will still have a shoestring budget. Saying that money doesn't guarantee success, just ask Chelsea fans and Jose about that! In short give Mick till end of December to turn it around is my opinion. The football may not be attractive but let's all back the team instead of turning on them

3

tractorboybig added 09:48 - Nov 2 MM teams have always worked hard. Its everything else thats concern. The fowards get no service there is no man to man passing, and players played out of position. Nothing is going to change with this management, the only way we will win is through a fluke, or a bum ref decision.
1

BergholtBru added 09:57 - Nov 2 Well for one so young he speaks more sense than most of the tosh on here!
1

brittaniaman added 10:00 - Nov 2 I am sure if we got a penalty we would miss it ?????
0

StavangerBlue added 10:03 - Nov 2 There must be a reason why MM is being so belligerent in regards to the team selection etc. He cannot be so inflexible by choice surely? I traveled (from Norway) to see the game at B'burn and I haven't seen Ipswich play so badly for some time. We lack pace, creativity and have a midfield that cannot defend so the defence is always under pressure so they result to "huff-it" tactics just to get rid of the ball. This means we fail to keep possession and guess what, give away corners, free kicks, etc in injury time from which the opposition nearly always score because we cannot pass a ball on the deck. From the latest results I rank us at about mid-table almost flirting with relegation.

4

Kesgraveblue57 added 10:22 - Nov 2 If McCarthy had cash spend I just can't see him spending The reason I say this is that certain players would never be dropped or replaced i've always felt there is a bit of a hidden and agenda here there has been little progress on having a Quality side that would get promotion name any of the current side that could play comfortably in the Premier League
2

grumpyoldman added 10:25 - Nov 2 Ipswichdj most on here are not turning on the team, only the manager who keeps doing the same thing picking the same defence even though in most matches they are poor, the midfield is bypassed so has no chance to influence the match, supply to attackers is poor. If you keep doing the same things with the same result and do not learn from this you are either just stubborn or stupid. I will let others choose

2

runningout added 10:34 - Nov 2 Bobby Robson would be restless at the state of us....
1

bohslegend added 11:06 - Nov 2 A young professional asks fans to "stick with us" and in turn the noisy minority (all based here) turn it around to suit their argument. Even though he's still young, how does anyone on here claim to know more than AMN in relation to the team and its capability to turn things around?? Of course. You've all been there during the glory years and have a sense of entitlement to success and a certain way of playing. Either that or you're the younger generation - the FIFA16 experts who claim to have all the answers. Fickle.

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BrettenhamBlue added 11:06 - Nov 2 As Sid the Swan has said, read the last 2 paragraphs. It speaks volumes about the way we play. It's clear that Hoofball is getting to the players too. We have some real heroes at our club, but getting it to Berra or Chambers so they can hoof it forward is not the way.
3

gazmangaz added 11:35 - Nov 2 "Could have won 3-0" yeah right,loke we would score three in a game . On the rare occasions we score one we sit back and try (usually in vain) to hold out for a 1-0 win !
2

therein61 added 11:48 - Nov 2 Just waiting for Mick to tell us how good Bolton are and then select the usual point keeping rubbish that we have had to get used to.
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StowTractorBoy added 11:52 - Nov 2 StevangerBlue you really did pick the wrong game as Blackburn away has been our worst performance of the season and we made the Blackburn midfield look like world beaters. The last two games have been disappointing but there has been slight improvements. Nowhere near good enough I know and we must win tomorrow or the alarm bells will really be ringing.
3

essexbluey added 12:01 - Nov 2 Maybe will we win the fa cup with our style of play because wimbledon did.
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pumpee added 12:41 - Nov 2 Sticking the ball in the net and not conceding will be the key to ending our winless run!
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