Town may be unbeaten in their last eight Championship games but Christophe Berra admits they are keen to improve on their performance in last week’s 1-1 draw at Barnsley when they travel to Cardiff this weekend.

Berra said: “The performance at Barnsley wasn’t up to the standard we expect of ourselves but it was a point gained. It’s a tough place to go — Barnsley have done really well this season — and as you know there are no easy games in the Championship, especially away from home.

“You have to give them credit for how well they have done this season and on the first day, when we beat them 4-2 at Portman Road, it was a similar type of game and we just managed to create more chances because we were at home.”

Town’s eight-game unbeaten run includes seven draws, while they have only won two of their 17 games in all competitions this year. They are currently seven points above the relegation zone with nine games left to play and Berra was asked if it means they are in a relegation battle.

He replied: “It looks that way from the table. Seven points, it’s not that big a gap, and there are a lot of teams involved. Then again, we’re only two points off Brentford and QPR, and three off Cardiff.

“Two or three more wins will ease it a little bit, but it’s the Championship and it’s getting tougher every year. All we can do is worry about ourselves and take care of our own performances. It’s football, you get on with it, it’s the job we’re in and we’ve just got to deal with it.”

Looking at the season in general, Berra added: “It has obviously been inconsistent and we haven’t met the standards we have set in previous years. But let’s be honest — we haven’t made the most investment so these things kind of happen.

“Teams in and around us have maybe done a little bit more and kicked on a little bit, plus the league’s got tougher.

“Then again, in the last two or three seasons we have probably punched above our weight and set expectations very high. At the moment, obviously, the press and media are saying we’ve not done as well as we have in the last few seasons, which is natural.

“That’s part of sport and it doesn’t matter if you’re playing football or another sport. If you don’t perform as you have in the past people will view it as a bad season or not as good a season.”

Berra was asked if he regarded the season as a missed opportunity when considering the standard in the division, with the top two of Newcastle and Brighton seemingly well ahead of the rest.

He said: “I think that’s disrespectful to the other teams, to be honest. Do you think other teams will be thinking ‘They’ve got great, great players?’ I don’t think so. In this league it’s fine margins and if you look at a lot of the squads on paper I don’t think you can necessarily say who’s got the strongest squad.

“A lot of the teams, like QPR and Cardiff, have spent a lot of money and they’re down there as well. Blackburn and Bristol City have spent lots of money and they have good squads. It’s just the competitive nature of the league, every game is tough and it’s fine margins really.”

Photo: TWTD

Mark added 18:10 - Mar 15 Money, money, money... Are you listening Marcus Evans? The players as well as manager and fans are unhappy with the lack of investment. When you first came here we were told it is a matter of when not if we get promoted. Now we are fighting relegation. Why?
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NBVJohn added 19:56 - Mar 15 More blindingly obvious guff - when will the talking stop and the action start?
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surgery added 20:44 - Mar 15 Yes I'm afraid it was just that
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wayway added 21:10 - Mar 15 Barnsley performance was not up to standard? You could count on one hand which performances WERE up to standard this season
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Scuzzer added 21:45 - Mar 15 Unfortunately it was up to the standard we have experienced this season. Poor.
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RegencyBlue added 22:16 - Mar 15 Don't think Berra will be here next season. Hasn't been at his best for a while now to be honest!
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ipswich1992 added 23:49 - Mar 15 Are we supposed to forget that we were awful against Norwich, Brentford, wolves too or is it just the Barnsley performance we acknowledge as a poor performance. Things were going well with only one defensive midfielder and performances were better. Needless to say genius Mick decides to revert to type and play two defensive midfielders the performance level drops as we are too defensive and have no creativity or attack minded players in the team. Mick must chose not to see this as it's been the same all season he's either too stubborn to change itour is just useless.

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ipswich1992 added 23:55 - Mar 15 Are we supposed to forget that we were awful against Norwich, Brentford, wolves too or is it just the Barnsley performance we acknowledge as a poor performance. Things were going well with only one defensive midfielder and performances were better. Needless to say genius Mick decides to revert to type and play two defensive midfielders the performance level drops as we are too defensive and have no creativity or attack minded players in the team. Mick must chose not to see this as it's been the same all season he's either too stubborn to change itour is just useless.

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ipswich1992 added 23:56 - Mar 15 Sorry forgot to say... DINO OUT
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Superblue95 added 01:46 - Mar 16 You can tell Berra has been playing under McCarthy for almost a decade as they talk the same crap about how great everyone else is while making pathetic excuses
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trncbluearmy added 06:13 - Mar 16 the whole frigging season is not up to standard
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backwiththeboysagain added 07:33 - Mar 16 But it was up to our standard for this season, a 1-1 draw again. Just another player being wheeled out to spout BS to the media and fans. The players we have can play, it's just the dinosaur teaching it out of them.
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woohoo added 08:29 - Mar 16 “Two or three more wins will ease it a little bit.." So, there's your answer Mick. Try winning... ..it usually works.
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poldark added 09:26 - Mar 16 Just had an email from itfc after I told them I would not renew while McCarthy was in charge they have told me how to cancel my season ticket no one trying to convince me to stay unbelievable
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Carberry added 12:09 - Mar 16 The media have been having a go, saying exactly the same thing you have just said. Damn the media, stating the obvious.
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Bluetone added 12:55 - Mar 16 Berra said: “The performance at Barnsley wasn't up to the standard" Its was the standard we have come to expect. Nevertheless I'm surprised you noticed any difference.
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Seasider added 17:55 - Mar 16 Poldark,agree,club is just going through the motions,and McCarthy's and Evans indifference has I fear started to rub off on some of the staff,as I have also experienced;although most are still doing their best. I can recall when the Cobbold Brothers were helping out in the ticket office,during a good time,of which there were many,could have been the FA Cup or when we were in Europe. Talking of the ticket office,where I encountered the indifference; I once phoned in the days before season tickets were available in Churchmans(and computers).Imagine my surprise when the phone was answered by none other than the then Manager Bobby Robson.Now they wont issue tickets over the phone. Now the club have sunk so low in esteem, that McCarthy seems to say that most teams are better than us,and we are punching above our weight in this division.Repeated by Berra above. In 55 years I have never encountered such a lack of ambition at ITFC. A lot of the blame rests with having an arms length owner who spends a lot of his time abroad,and rarely has face to face talks with his Manager excluding video conferencing.He did look at taking over the Saints before Ipswich I recall.They had a lucky escape. He is I fear either indifferent,or unaware of the turmoil amongst the supporters of this once great club.We regularly hear of supporters who wont renew,and only yesterday there was yet another letter in the EADT from a supporter of 50 years;but as Poldark found nobodys bothered anymore. A sad state of affairs that Evans has inflicted on our once great club.

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armchaircritic59 added 20:37 - Mar 16 It's been some time since i've been to Portman Road, though i was a regular for decades. I'm afraid supporters are taken advantage of, with having to stump up for a ticket covering over twenty games a season, and not knowing what sort of fare is going to be served up over that time. Wonder how people people would react if their favourite restuarant suddenly demanded payment for twenty or so meals in advance, then the food got increasingly poor as well! Love to see how some clubs would get on if there was only pay as you attend! I'm afraid the only answer these people will take notice of, especially as it affects the "bottom Line", is simply to cease attending!

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Aussieblue added 21:28 - Mar 16 NO SH1T SHERLOCK...........
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BullardsMagicMullet added 09:19 - Mar 17 Different players taking turns each week to say it wasn't good enough, MM isn't fooling anybody. What a surprise he reverted back to type after a promising February, couldn't wait to get his favourite Skuse (aka the ghost) back in the team. Breaking up our play let alone the oppositions wit h his pointless 3 yard passes back to the person who just passed him the ball. Thanks for all you done in the first couple of years, now get out.

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