Town coach Tony Mowbray has refuted claims that Town are 'too nice'. The Blues are once again near the top of the Fair Play League but Mogga says this is not a problem. He also feels the Blues can still save their Premiership status. Town are five points behind Sunderland, but with a better goal difference.

Mowbray says that Town's lack of yellow cards is down to the style of football they play, similar to that of Manchester United, the side currently top of the Fair Play League: "Football clubs are built on a philosophy and the philosophy of Ipswich Town is to be a competitive, passing team, who work for each other as a unit and be compact.

"And sometimes to be compact as a team and to work together to get the ball back does not necessarily mean you have to make tackles all the time because you can intercept to get the ball back.

"If you look at that system you will see that it is what Manchester United do and they are top of the Fair Play League and are probably the best team in the country."

As for Town's survival he says a win against his old club Middlesbrough on Wednesday is the first step and he hopes to see a weakend Manchester United line-up at Portman Road on Saturday: "I really believe we can beat Middlesbrough at home which would put us two points behind Sunderland.

"Manchester United play us between their two Champions' League semi- final ties and if the first game is tight I can see Alex Ferguson picking a team that he otherwise wouldn't pick against us.

"We have to then make sure we compete and we are at our maximum, and if they are under-strength for whatever reason then we have to capitalise and take points from that match."

Even if Town win those two games they still have to hope that Sunderland take little from their matches with Charlton and Derby.

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