Boss Paul Jewell says his Town side need to start winning games before looking to play football in the traditional 'Ipswich way'. The Blues have won only one of their last 10 league games.
Jewell, making reference to Cesc Fabregas’s rugby comments after Wednesday’s Carling Cup win against Arsenal, says that initially he is after victories before looking to instil Town’s traditional passing game in his team: "Fabregas doesn’t think we play the 'Ipswich way'! The most important thing is winning matches, I’ve got to be honest.
"We all want to play the game the right way, but you’ve got to earn that right. I think it’s a bit of a fallacy when fans say ‘I’d rather lose the game 4-3 and play the right way’. They wouldn’t.
"They would rather win the game and as you win more games you get more and more confident and your players think ‘Where’s that come from?’.
"It’ll take time. We know we’re three points off the relegation places. We’re in battle. We’ve got to battle first, make no mistake about it.
"And after the battle, you’ve heard it before, you’ve got to win a battle to win a match. When we get in the right areas, we want to get the ball wide, want to get crosses in, but that takes time.”
Jewell agrees with his predecessor Roy Keane that Town are currently making too many poor decisions: "I think in and around both boxes. You can tell we’re a little bit edgy at times, we’re a little bit edgy when we’re clearing the ball and you get a feeling of nervousness when there shouldn’t be any.
"That’s football, that happens. We’ve just got to get rid of that and be strong, mentally and physically and try and move on.”
Meanwhile, striker Kevin Lisbie is yet to hear from Jewell regarding him being recalled to Portman Road from loan club Millwall. Like Lee Martin, who was summoned from Charlton yesterday, Town have a 24-hour recall on Lisbie. Pablo Couñago’s spell at Crystal Palace can only be curtailed if the player, Palace and Town all agree to do so.
Lisbie said: "I haven’t heard anything at the moment, and I’m not exactly waiting by my phone.
"But if Ipswich were to call me back, then it would presumably be to go straight back into the team. If something happens, then it happens, and I would see out my final few months at Ipswich.
"I have nothing against the club, and I know that they could call me back at any time this month. There’s a new manager in place and there’s 12 days left for them to come in for me.”