Town boss Mick McCarthy says neither he nor owner Marcus Evans ever panicked during the Blues’ poor run of form during September and October.

A run of just one win in 10 league games led to frustration on the terraces and even calls for a change of manager from some quarters.

But Town returned to winning ways at the start of November and are now unbeaten in their last six matches, having won their last two away games by three-goal margins.

Saturday’s 3-0 win at Charlton saw the Blues climb to seventh in the Championship on 28 points, behind Birmingham in the final play-off place on goal difference alone.

“It’s just as well I don’t get too high or too low and my owner Marcus Evans doesn’t get too high or too low and we’re consistent in what we’re doing,” McCarthy said.

“I certainly had belief in the squad and what we’re doing and he does too. So, for all the background noise that goes on, and I understand it if we don’t win when we’re expected to, we’ve just kept plodding along.”

November has proved to be a profitable month for the Blues in the last couple of years.

Last season they took 13 points out of 15 and this year 10 from a possible 12. At this stage in 2014/15 Town were three points better off than they are now in fourth.

The win at Charlton - Town’s fourth on the trot at The Valley - saw the Blues end their run of 11 live Sky games without a victory.

They take on Middlesbrough at Portman Road on Friday in the second of three successive matches in front of the cameras with the visit to the MK Dons the following weekend also being screened live.

This afternoon’s scheduled U21s game at home to Colchester United has switched to Monday 18th January.

Photo: Action Images

BlueBadger added 06:52 - Nov 30 If Mick thinks there wasn't any panic during September and October he clearly never reads this place..
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boroughblue added 07:21 - Nov 30 i am more than happy to admit that i was panicing. but after a return to form I am more confident again. The team seems to have geld now and mick seems to of found the strongest (fit) starting 11
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dude added 07:32 - Nov 30 yes i too was a blubbering wreck exercising my right to freedom of (emotionally unstable, rude and aggressive) speech, but it's okay because mick has sorted it out, finally, so i'm better now. expect more banal and witless 2 sentences until i feel the need to rant again. then i'll really let u no how i feel.
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Kikapu added 07:39 - Nov 30 As long as the panic doesn't spread from the followers to the leaders. I think that's the point MM is making.
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Pip50 added 07:49 - Nov 30 In this spell we have beaten three of the bottom four, threw points away against Wolves Forest and Cardiff, two games that were at home. We will see Friday how far we are back on the expectation track. Not time to be smug quite yet I would suggest.
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Stato added 08:05 - Nov 30 Spot on Pip50 and most of the football on display during that period has been as dire as ever.
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Penguinblue added 08:05 - Nov 30 Yes, it's great to see wins but all three teams beaten were very poor and no yardstick. All MM's nonsense remains - Gerkin perhaps aside, he made some great saves but does not command and Bart better keeper. 1. We effectively play with no/poor full backs. Chambers is not a right back or a captain and does not warrant selection. 2. Knudsen is increasingly a liability with his defending. Can anyone remember a single long throw that has not led to loss of possession? 3. No room for both Skuse and Douglas unless it is an admission that Smith and Berra need covering/babysitting each game. Douglas has improved and as he is getting forward better it has become Skuse who is the luxury. 4. Sears one of our best players - doing great even though he is partly wasted out wide. 5. Hoofball remains unattractive. We could be a good footballing team under better management with our sqad. 6. So bored of MM's smugness when things go well and his stubbornness in tedious tactics, team selection of favorites and players out of position. 7. Does anyone else think it would have been good to see Hyam come on for us rather than Rotherham instead of Coke?

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Keaneish added 08:24 - Nov 30 Pip50 - agree but winning / being unbeaten breeds confidence which transforms sides so lets hope it pays dividends on Friday. Bossman - are you joking? We've played some good football in the last 6 games. If you're wishing for a lot more coming out of a difficult period then you're expectations are out of touch with reality. Penguinblue - agree with you on the Hyam point as well as others. Will Hyam get many starts if Rotherham string a few wins together? Disagree on Sears though. I think he's playing well as a winger in a 4 or one of 3 spear heading the attack. Perfect for him with his energy. Disagree on the hoofball but Skuse should be getting on the ball a hell of a lot more than he is.

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LondonBlue99 added 08:36 - Nov 30 @Penguinblue, I understand all of your points and their reasoning but 1. I have noticed that yes Bart was good but gerken is very much in good form and commands his players more often than Bart did 2.Completely agree about Knudsen, but who would be a replacement with the current squad? 3.Unfortunately berra being the better CB still isnt enough so yes I believe we need both, skuse more a likely CDM 4. Agreed with sears, but where does he go, if we put pitman on the wing he won't be his strongest. 5. Hoofball tatic is s*** and its how we lose the ball agreed, I reckon MM won't be around much longer, especially with the fact that he nearly went to the Ireland job as soon as he got here... Talk about loyalty 6.His stubbornness is what you get from a classic english football manger 7. Agreed that coke is more or less crap, and I don't think we should of shipped him off to Rotherham but he needs playing time and he had been out a long while, it doesn't just come back to you in training.

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vanmunt added 09:16 - Nov 30 It wasn't a case of panic but speaking for the collective here, we tolerated hoof ball football, players out of position and blatant blind favoritism from MM when we are winning but start to lose and all of it is unbearable. I just crave a bit of flair from somebody, Teddy springs to mind and more football like the third goal on Saturday where we passed the ball for a fantastic move. I just am so fed up with hoofball and I am pulling my hair out.

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MattinLondon added 09:26 - Nov 30 Charlton were poor and so we can't really tell how good we are but you can only beat who happens to be in front of you. If we had conceded early then who knows what would have happened. They had three very good players - luckily for us they had no real threat upfront or through the middle. On Saturday I thought we played some very good football albeit in the final third. The other two-thirds it was textbook hoofball. I thought that Chambers played well on the right and he is a leader and is probably the most natural captain we have in the first eleven. Knudsen - I think the jry is still out but he is young and needs games to improve. In terms of Coke I do agree what is the point in having him. Would be better to have McDonnell or some other youngster coming on for the final few minutes. Having gone to 'The Valley' I do hope that they pull clear of the relegation zone. Friendly stewards as well as a lovely stadium. - poor bar staffing.

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GoldieBlue added 09:26 - Nov 30 Let's not get carried away. We have beaten some really poor sides. We definitely have played some better football of late but I will be very surprised if we can do that Friday night. However win that with a good performance and I will happily get carried away again.
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bluearmy84 added 09:26 - Nov 30 the comments on this website are absolutely hillarious!!! get a el3 nil win away from home, playing good football and WHAT a SUPRISE hardly no comments!! fans on this site love when we lose so they can print off all their doom and gloom and moaning comments on here!! get behind the team and the manager!! remember its a marathon and not a sprint mcarthy record in the championship and at ipswich speaks for itself and the club is in good hands

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senduntd added 09:30 - Nov 30 Having read some of this nonsense I am very pleased that Mick doesn't read this. Thank goodness we are lucky enough to have Marcus and Mick looking after this club. Just look around the championship to see what is going on in other clubs. Stability is prime in this division.
1

bluearmy84 added 09:30 - Nov 30 penguin blue. whats the point hyam coming on for ten min here and there. if he goes rotherham he most likely gonna start more games for them and therefore come back fitter and better!! hes not gonna be infront of douglas and skuse who by the way look like they putting a good partnership together now skusey holding douglas gettin into box when he can. douglas will get us 8 goals this season from midfield which is what we been crying out for!!

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muccletonjoe added 09:30 - Nov 30 I think let's see what happens Friday is all that's needed to prove or disprove the comments here
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Wallingford_Boy added 10:01 - Nov 30 3 wins against 3 of the weakest sides in the league is a start, but lets see how we fair against decent opposition.... starting with Boro as personally, I am far from convinced by our current squad.
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BlueNomad added 10:45 - Nov 30 Bru, Bishop, Fraser, Oar and McG all out but let's still moan at being level with sixth when all that creativity is missing. I can't believe some of the posts that appear on here although I should be used to it by now.
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runningout added 10:51 - Nov 30 seasons no where near over... There will be moaning when moaning due,,
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gorfuc added 11:34 - Nov 30 The people who are life's moaners will always be just that, this will never change. Anyway great result Saturday, people should stop saying we only beat so and so, they are crap etc etc, all you should be concerned about is where we sit in the table and right now we are in a good position, if we finish top 6 will you look back at who we did and didn't beat?
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Carberry added 11:36 - Nov 30 Couldn't have picked a better week to play Boro on a Friday night after their tough midweek League Cup tie against Everton on Tuesday.
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Moisha added 11:54 - Nov 30 I'm reading a lot of let's see where we are after Friday... We have no right to beat Boro who have spent big and are on a good run. We shouldn't think we're going up if we win, as much as we shouldn't think we're staying down if we don't. Remember Charlton won they're last two games, Rotherham won at Leeds and on Saturday, and as much as it was gutting to concede in the last minute at Forest they have had some good results lately. Sometimes a little credit and perspective is required.

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GiveusaWave added 12:29 - Nov 30 I have no doubt that we have a very good manager at the helm. Friday is a huge game and MM and the team have made that happen. I didn't think we would be fighting for 6th again this season. Penguin blue and Keaneish make good points though. I have stuck by Coke but he's been really poor so far and I can't see how a semi-fit Hyam wouldn't be straight in the team ahead of him. Matt in London has made a good point too. If no Hyam why not McDonnell on the bench? Are we allowed to send Coke out on loan in January? maybe a struggling league 2 side would take him? Apart from that though it's all positive at ITFC. Onwards and upwards!

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Guthrum added 13:13 - Nov 30 Some stats: Brighton have registered 70% of their wins against teams currently in the bottom half Middlesbrough 82% Derby 60% Hull 50% Burnley 78% Birmingham 75% Ipswich 71% Apart from Hull, all the top teams have taken lots of points from the poorer teams, fewer from those doing well. Burnley have actually taken more than half their wins over teams in the bottom six! We're no more flat track bullies than they are. For that matter, Ipswich have played more of the top six (4) than Brighton, Boro or Burnley and scored a higher proportion of our points (14.3%) against them than Birmingham, Burnley or Boro.

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Bluebell added 13:14 - Nov 30 Mick must be in line for Championship Manager of the Month this month. Murph should be shoe-in as striker of the month.
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