Town defender Tommy Smith has hailed the impact of manager Mick McCarthy in his six months in charge at Portman Road.
Few, if any, fans need reminding that when arrived on the opening day of November he inherited a team bottom of the Championship with just seven points from their first 13 games of the season.
Now, 31 games later, the Blues have amassed a further 50 points to all but banish fears of a drop into the third tier of English football for the first time since 1957.
Smith said: "From the position we were left in when the previous gaffer left it will be a good achievement to finish out of the bottom three and I think the fans can see how positive the place is at the moment.
"If the league had started from when Mick McCarthy joined us we would be in fourth place. That’s testament to the manager and TC and how well they have done with us.
"First and foremost Mick addressed the defensive side of things — not just the back four but the whole team. You’ve seen how hard the strikers have been working recently.
"Frank has got his goals by closing the opposition down. In the past I don’t think we were working too hard as a team defensive-wise and it was maybe leaving the back four a bit exposed.
"But the whole team is grafting together now and that’s massive. It takes some pressure off us at the back and obviously, if we are winning the ball higher up the pitch, it means we will have more chance of scoring goals.”
Smith is approaching the end of what he acknowledges has been his toughest season in the game but revealed that the Portman Road staff, not just his playing colleagues, had played their part in the turnaround.
He added: "It’s been tough for everyone involved with the club. You don’t know where you’re going to be but everyone has clubbed together — even the staff in the offices. They’ve all been right behind us and it’s been great.
"The club is a real family unit at the moment and the team spirit is fantastic. Hopefully that will carry on and we will finish strongly this season then continue in the same way at the start of next season.”