Town will be looking to win three league games in a row for the first time since the end of the 2008/09 season when Sheffield United visit Portman Road on Saturday. Manager Paul Jewell will hope his side’s growing confidence will see them to a victory over the struggling Blades.
The Blues last won three league games on the spin at the crossover of the Jim Magilton and Roy Keane eras, the Northern Irishman’s tenure ending with a 3-2 victory over Norwich City at Portman Road before his replacement led Town to a 3-0 win at Cardiff and a final day of the season 2-1 home win against Coventry.
Jewell’s first Portman Road game ended with a 3-2 victory over Doncaster and, after the Carling Cup loss at Arsenal, the Blues won 2-1 in midweek at Derby, coming from being a goal down as they had against Rovers.
The Blues showed signs of becoming a more composed side at Pride Park, despite Jewell believing that his team still has a long way to go: "That comes with confidence, with winning games. We want to try and pass the ball in the right areas and at times the end product wasn’t what we wanted.
"We’re trying to do the right things, we want to pass the ball, but it’s going to be difficult to pass. I was talking to the players today about the Millwall game when we played three in midfield and we didn’t pass it, we just lumped it.
"That was just anxiety, a bit of edginess, a bit of nervousness. We’d only been together training one day. It’s slow progress, but hopefully we can evolve into a team.
"It’s no good being a passing team and not winning. But if we can win passing the ball and playing the game in a way where people enjoy it, that’s even better. Our aim is to win games, our ultimate aim is to win games playing attractive football.”
The Blues boss says loan signing Jimmy Bullard will be a big help in making this happen: "He demands the ball, sometimes he wants the ball where he shouldn’t get it, but that’s Jimmy. I’d rather have somebody who wants to get on the ball.”
Jewell feels Saturday’s opponents are probably better than their current position in the relegation zone: "I am a bit surprised to see Sheffield United struggling. It’s a big club and there are a lot of big clubs in this division.
"I think they’ll get out of it. Micky Adams will make them tough to beat. They’ll be physical, they’ll be strong and we’ve got to match that. It’ll be a tough game on Saturday.”
Jewell had praise for Town’s supporters and hopes to give them a bit more to cheer at Portman Road in the months and years to come: "The fans have been terrific since I’ve been here. It’s been positive. We took a nice little following to Derby on a Tuesday night and one thing I’ve learnt is how far this place is from everywhere!
"It’s a long way to trek on a Tuesday night, people probably had to take a day off work and the travelling support was great.
"Our home form has been a bit of a concern this year, we’ve lost six games. As every manager says, we’ve got to try and make our home ground a bit of a fortress because there’s a great atmosphere around here when the crowd gets going.”
New signing Andy Drury was unavailable for the visit to Derby but Jewell says the former Luton man could come into his squad: "They’re all in my thoughts. It’s a big step up for Andy and I think he’ll find his feet gradually. He’s looked fine in training and we’ll take everything on its merits.”
With no new injuries, the Blues boss is set to name an unchanged side with Márton Fülöp in goal, Carlos Edwards at right-back, Mark Kennedy on the left and Damien Delaney and Gareth McAuley at the centre of the defence.
In midfield, Jimmy Bullard and Grant Leadbitter will play behind David Norris in the centre with Lee Martin and Connor Wickham in the wide roles. Tamás Priskin will be the lone striker with Wickham joining him up front if the Blues switch to 4-4-2.
Brian Murphy isn’t expected to be back in action until the end of March after breaking his ankle in training during the Christmas period and Alan Quinn underwent groin surgery yesterday - his second operation on the injury which has decimated his season - and is likely to be out for around another month.
Sheffield United boss Micky Adams, reflecting on Tuesday’s 1-0 home loss to Leicester, says he believes the team he took control of after Gary Speed’s departure in December is better than their current position of 22nd, seven points and five places below the Blues: "We are not a bottom three side. Yes, the table says we are but I’m convinced we aren’t and that these players aren’t.
"But we are in it and it’s how we respond now. In terms of the effort and the application, I can’t fault the boys. I wish I could. I wish I could go into the dressing room and rip their heads off but I can’t after what they did the other night.
"We’ve got to pick ourselves up and if we have any less application than we’ve shown then we’ll get beat wherever we go. But I think we’re making strides.”
Adams says he and Paul Jewell know one another well: "Paul and I go back a long way, we have been on coaching courses together and been in opposition dugouts many times.
"Although he had a difficult time at Derby County he says that he has learnt from it, as we all do from those situations. Maybe he has changed his football philosophy a bit as a result, I don't know, but he is a top bloke, a real football man with personality."
Full-back Joe Mattock, linked with the Blues on innumerable occasions over the last couple of years, is out with knee and ankle injuries suffered in midweek.
Midfielder Nick Montgomery has a slight calf strain, striker Ched Evans is ill and fellow frontman Daniel Bogdanovic has a thigh injury after being involved in a minor car crash, and all are doubtful.
Defender Nyron Nosworthy is not yet back from an ankle problem, while skipper Chris Morgan is out for the season with a serious knee injury.
Loan defender Kyle Bartley returned to Arsenal before going on another short-term spell at Rangers, while the Blades signed centre-half Neill Collins — who could make his debut at Portman Road - from Leeds and midfielder Michael Doyle from Coventry during the transfer window.
Town have had the better of the Blades over the years, winning 22 times (21 in the league), drawing 24 (21) and losing 19 (17) of the meetings between the sides. The South Yorkshiremen are unbeaten on their last four visits to Portman Road, although May's final day of the season win was their first in Suffolk since March 1975.
In November, goals from Tamás Priskin and Gareth McAuley saw the Blues to a 2-1 victory at Bramall Lane. Priskin put Town in front early on before Alan Quinn’s younger brother Stephen equalised for the home side, McAuley grabbing the winner just before half-time.
On the last day of 2009/10 Sheffield United defeated 10-man Town 3-0 at Portman Road. The Blades were two goals up through Mark Yeates and Ched Evans when debutant Tom Eastman was harshly dismissed for a second bookable offence, Richard Cresswell adding the third soon after.
Alan Quinn was previously a Sheffield United player, while Lee Martin spent time on loan at Bramall Lane in 2008.
Former Town keeper Richard Wright signed for Sheffield United in October having been released by the Blues in the summer, while ex-Town striker Marcus Bent rejoined the on loan from Birmingham in January. Midfielder Ryan France spent time on trial with the Blues in 2003 when an Alfreton Town player, appearing for the reserves.
Saturday’s referee is David Phillips from West Sussex, who has shown 64 yellow cards and five red in 19 games so far this season. Police officer Phillips hasn’t previously taken control of a game involving either the Blues or the Blades.
Squad from: Fülöp, Lee-Barrett, Edwards, Kennedy, Delaney, McAuley, O’Dea, Smith, Leadbitter, Bullard, Norris, Healy, Martin, Wickham, Civelli, O’Connor, Peters, Drury, Priskin, Scotland, Murray.