Town boss Paul Jewell says he doesn’t want the heavy defeats to Norwich and Swansea to detract too much from what has generally been a decent first three months at Portman Road. The Blues play their final home game of the season against already-relegated Preston North End on Saturday.
Jewell said: "We’ve got to be careful that we don’t let the last two games spoil what’s been a decent run for us. Obviously it’s been a disappointing season for the fans, again finishing in mid-table, but we’d have taken that in January.
"I think if we needed to win this game to make sure we stayed in the league we’d probably have 30,000 here, and if we won the game we’d be cheered off and everyone would think that everything is rosy in the garden.
"The lads have done it the other way around really — we’ve secured safety early and obviously the last two games have been a huge disappointment for everybody, fans, players and management alike.”
The Town boss says it’s important to take the longer view rather than focusing on the last two matches: "It’s difficult but at the end of the day we’ve got to look at the bigger picture.
"We’d love to send the fans home on Saturday with a positive result and get them looking forward to this season and hopefully the signings we’re going to make over the summer will give them optimism for next season.
"In the last home game of the season we want to get a result for the fans as much as anything,” he said.
Jewell feels the games against Norwich and Swansea highlighted weaknesses in his squad of which he was already well aware, even during the more positive results which preceded them: "I’ve been saying all along not to get carried away — we’re doing great but it’s a long-term plan and I’m not going to turn it around in two minutes.
"The lads have done fine but the last two games against teams in the top six have just exposed us a bit more than maybe some people thought.”
The Town boss says it’s difficult to tell how Preston’s relegation a week ago will affect them on Saturday: "It can work both ways. They can come here feeling sorry for themselves but knowing Phil Brown really well, he’ll have them upbeat and looking forward to next season.
"The one thing Phil Brown is is enthusiastic and I’m sure his team will be exactly the same.”
Town will definitely be without defenders Gareth McAuley (torn groin muscle) and Darren O’Dea (ankle), who is out for the season, which is likely to see Troy Brown come in at centre-half and Mark Kennedy start at left-back, having returned to the side as a sub after his hamstring problem on Monday.
Carlos Edwards should continue at right-back with Damien Delaney in his usual left-sided central defensive role.
Young left-back Joe Whight could be in line for a debut at some stage but more likely as a sub rather than a starter.
Despite the injuries, Jewell says he has decided against recalling Tommy Smith from his loan at Colchester. Tom Eastman will probably to be added to the bench as central defensive cover.
In goal, the Blues boss will have to decide whether to stick with Arran Lee-Barrett, the subject of criticism after the two heavy defeats, or switch to one of his other keepers.
Brian Murphy is yet to play under Jewell’s management and could come into the side unless the Irishman isn’t considered ready after his long spell out with a broken ankle. Márton Fülöp could also come into the reckoning.
In central midfield, Colin Healy will continue in Jimmy Bullard’s place if the on-loan Hull man isn’t over his knee problem.
The Blues are still without Lee Martin, who completes his three-match suspension, while Connor Wickham is a doubt with a rib problem. Andy Drury is Wickham’s most likely deputy if he misses out with Shane O’Connor and Jaime Peters outsiders for the left midfield position.
Josh Carson will be on the right with Jason Scotland almost certainly continuing up front on his own. Ronan Murray may play some part from the bench.
January Town target Sean St Ledger and fellow defenders Conor McLaughlin and David Gray are long-term absentees, while Bongani Khumalo broke a foot and Leon Cort damaged his hamstring over Easter, leaving Craig Morgan as the only remaining fit centre-half. Striker Iain Hume has a bad cut on his leg but is likely to play in what's likely to be a young side.
Manager Phil Brown says his team will be looking to finish positively despite Monday’s defeat at Cardiff confirming their relegation: "We’ve got to approach these last two games with pride. There’s nothing else to play for but pride and six points.
"I want the lads to put some pride back in the shirt. We know we are relegated but we want to finish the season on something of a high.
"Next season we want to hit the ground running and two good performances would help us do that.”
The Blues have a poor record against Preston historically, winning eight games (seven in the league), drawing seven (seven) and losing 12 (11). North End have won one of their last 16 away games but are unbeaten in their most recent six fixtures against Town, winning four, and have won three of their last five matches at Portman Road.
In December at Deepdale, Iain Hume’s second half goal was enough to consign Town to their sixth successive league defeat and heap even more pressure on then-boss Roy Keane.
The Blues were the better side in the first half but failed to take their chances with Jason Scotland and full debutant Rory Fallon both missing opportunities.
Last season’s game at Portman Road ended 1-1 with Ross Wallace netting for Preston and Jon Walters for the Blues. Callum Davidson was sent off just before the break.
Tamás Priskin, who is back with the Blues after his loan at Swansea was curtailed by a knee injury, spent March and early April 2008 on loan at Deepdale when a Watford player, scoring two goals in four starts and one sub appearance.
Former Blue Wayne Brown moved to Preston from Leicester in the summer and is the only ex-Town player in Phil Brown’s squad, although one-time Blues loanee David Unsworth is the Lilywhites’ first team coach.
Saturday’s referee is Kevin Wright from Cambridgeshire, who has shown 74 yellow and five red cards in 24 games so far this season. Wright’s most recent Town match was the 2-0 defeat at QPR in February when he booked only Mark Kennedy.
Squad from: Lee-Barrett, Murphy, Fülöp, Edwards, Kennedy, Whight, Delaney, Brown, Eastman, Bullard, Leadbitter, Norris, Healy, Peters, Hyam, Carson, Wickham, Drury, Civelli, O’Connor, Scotland, Murray.