Town visit Bolton Wanderers on Saturday still looking for their first away win of the season, however, manager Mick McCarthy believes there’s no lack of self-belief in his squad, who won last year's corresponding fixture 2-1.
McCarthy says he and his players are frustrated not only that they've not won away this season — and just once during 2013 — but also that they were beaten at home by Burnley last week.
"Not winning last week’s irking us as well,” he said. "But it’s not bothering us to the extent that we’re thinking ‘We can’t win away from home’.
"We’ve played great away from home and I think that all our fans who have watched us away from home would back that up.
"It’s always tempered by some people coming away saying ‘It was crap today’ if you’re beaten. But the reality is that that will be a small percentage because it hasn’t been. Anywhere we’ve been I think we’ve played really, really well and we should have had more points.
"But you’ve got to keep the ball out of your net if you can’t score and when you get your chances make the most of them, which we probably haven’t done.”
The Blues recorded a memorable double over the Trotters last season, late goals sealing what proved to be six vital points.
McCarthy recalls the victory at the Reebok Stadium: "It was a great win. We played well there and certainly had the best of the second half and deserved to win it, even though it was late on. It was Michael Chopra that got the goal.
"I thought we were good value for it. I thought we played well. But we’ll have to play equally as well again.”
McCarthy seems unlikely to make too many changes to his starting line-up. Dean Gerken will be assessed before a decision is made on whether he will be in the squad with McCarthy expecting the ex-Colchester man to be available despite suffering a dead leg against Burnley last week.
If so, he’ll keep his place in goal with Luke Chambers wearing the armband at right-back, Christophe Berra and Tommy Smith in the centre and Aaron Cresswell at left-back. If Gerken isn't considered fit enough for involvement, Scott Loach will start, while 17-year-old Michael Crowe looks set to travel as cover.
In central midfield, Cole Skuse is likely to continue to be partnered by Luke Hyam with Paul Anderson again on the right and Ryan Tunnicliffe on the left.
Daryl Murphy suffered a groin problem in training but McCarthy expects the striker to be OK to partner David McGoldrick. Otherwise, Frank Nouble will come into the side.
Bolton boss Dougie Freedman is a big fan of his Town counterpart, even if he feels the Blues robbed his side twice last season: "Mick McCarthy is a very good manager — Ipswich mugged us last year on two occasions where we performed very well.
"We just didn’t quite kill them off, so they took advantage of our lack of killer instinct. It will be a difficult match because they’re well organised, but something needs to change because we’re performing well.
"This division is very strange and close — as with us last season, if you go on a winning streak and get four or five results, it can take you from mid-table to top six.
"We’ve not started well, but with a few results like Ipswich we could find ourselves up at the top.”
Bolton have lost loan winger Liam Feeney, who has been recalled by Millwall, while first-choice keeper Adam Bogdan has suffered a knee injury and will be replaced by one-time Town target Andy Lonergan.
Midfielders Stuart Holden and Mark Davies remain on the sidelines with long-term knee injuries, while full-backs Marc Tierney (ankle) and Joe Riley (knee) are also out for lengthy spells.
Historically things the Blues just have the edge, having won 15 times (13 in the league), Bolton 13 (nine) and with seven (six) games between the teams ending in draws.
The teams last met in March when skipper Carlos Edwards netted in the 88th minute to see the Blues to a crucial 1-0 victory over Bolton at Portman Road.
Town should have been ahead in the first half, Andy Drury missing the best opportunity, while the visitors improved in the second but rarely threatened Stephen Henderson’s goal.
In December at the Reebok Stadium, Michael Chopra netted his first goal under Mick McCarthy’s management in the final minute as the Blues came from behind to win 2-1, their first victory at the Trotters’ current home.
Bolton had gone in front through Mark Davies in the first half, but DJ Campbell equalised from the spot after Daryl Murphy had been fouled, then Chopra completed the job at the death.
Former Blue Arran Lee-Barrett joined Bolton on a deal until January yesterday while former Town loanee Keith Andrews is still a Trotters employee but is spending the season on loan at Brighton. American midfielder Stuart Holden spent time on trial with the Blues in 2005 but is a long-term absentee with a knee injury.
Saturday’s referee is David Webb from Lancashire, who has shown 28 yellow cards and one red in 10 games so far this season.
Perhaps worryingly, Webb’s most recent Town match was the 1-0 defeat at Nottingham Forest in March when he red-carded both Lee Martin and Richard Stearman in addition to showing five yellow cards to home players.
Squad from: Gerken, Loach, Crowe, Chambers, Hewitt, Veseli, Cresswell, Mings, Smith, Berra, Skuse, Hyam, Wordsworth, Tunnicliffe, Edwards, Anderson, Tabb, Murphy, McGoldrick, Nouble, Marriott, Lee.