Manager Paul Jewell wasn’t getting carried away after Town’s 3-0 victory over Sheffield United at Portman Road on Saturday, despite it being the Blues’ third league win on the trot. The Town boss says confidence is the biggest factor which has seen Town get back into winning ways.
Jewell said: "I’m obviously delighted with winning matches but I think it’s important to keep our feet on the floor and realise that we’re still a fair distance from where we want to be.
"The lads have been terrific with their effort and what we’re trying to get them to do, they’re trying to do. It’s not easy all the time, especially in windy conditions.
"Winning matches breeds confidence and you can see the same team two weeks on and the confidence in the side makes them unrecognisable from the team that you first saw.
"The team we played at Millwall, they tried hard and there was no less effort, but we looked bereft of confidence and winning matches just gives us that.”
Jewell had praise for David Norris, Gareth McAuley and Damien Delaney, all of whose Town terms are up in the summer: "I think the players deserve great credit. If they were all out of contract we’d be all right, wouldn’t we?
"I’ve spoken to the players which have been mentioned, I’ve told them straight and they’ve responded brilliantly.
"They want to stay at this football club, no doubt about it, and I’ve said to make it even more difficult for us not to keep them. I’m comfortable and they’re comfortable with the situation, I’ve been straight with them and they’ve responded in a brilliant way.
"Not just those three, there are a lot of lads out of contract and the response in training every day has been great.”
The Blues boss is pleased that Town are up to 14th, 10 points from the relegation places, and ideally would prefer to be at the other end of the table, but stresses the importance of taking things slowly: "I’d like to be looking down on the rest of them, to be honest with you.
"What are we on, 37 points? No one ever stayed up with 37 points as far as I’m concerned. There are a lot of points to play for yet and we’ve just got to keep our feet on the floor.”