Ipswich central defender Damien Delaney admits that improved self-belief within the ranks is a major factor behind the team’s recent revival.
Saturday’s 1-0 home win made it eight games, including six wins, without defeat at Portman Road and a mere two losses in their last 13 outings.
Delaney, 30, said: "The mentality has changed. If we go a goal down now it isn’t a case of thinking the whole world is against us. Instead we have a genuine belief that we can still get something from the game, if not win it.
"In the past when we fell behind it seemed everybody was looking at each other, thinking ‘that’s the end of this one’ and writing it off. I think that’s a sign of the belief we have these days.
"Winning matches helps and the team’s been settled as well. If you look at the last 10 or so games it’s been largely the same team, barring one or two changes due to injuries.
"Earlier in the season there seemed to be an awful lot of changes all over the pitch — the goalkeeper and central defenders in particular - which made it difficult to develop a proper understanding.”
Town’s 1-0 home win over Barnsley at the weekend saw them climb to 14th place in the Championship and to within eight points of a top six place.
But Delaney is cagier than some of his team-mates about the prospects of edging their way into the play-offs, adding: "If we won six on the spin it’s possible but I’m not staying up late thinking about it to be honest with you.”
Meanwhile, striker Michael Chopra is facing court over an allegation that he ran a red light in Princes Street on September 28th last year having returned from Town’s 1-0 win at West Ham. The matter is due to go in front of Ipswich magistrates on April 18th.
In December Chopra was banned for 56 days for speeding at 106mph, while he picked up a further three points the following month for driving while using a mobile phone.