Town new boy Christophe Berra may have started the current campaign on the bench but today’s clash at Charlton will see him take his uninterrupted first team run to 13 games.
Berra feels good about the fact that he has established himself in Mick McCarthy’s starting XI after the man who spent £2 million to sign him for former club Wolves snapped him up on a free transfer in the summer.
The Scotland international said: "Yes, it’s good to get back in and to be playing regularly. Hopefully I can keep my place and keep my performances up, and we can start putting more wins on the table.”
Asked how he rated his current form, the former Hearts player added: "As a defender — and especially a centre-half — you just need to be consistent. That’s what you pride yourself on, doing the basics right, and building from there.
"You want to be a seven or eight out of 10 every week, instead of being a nine one week and then a four or five the next. If you’re that low you have probably cost a goal, or something like that, or you have been beaten quite convincingly.
"I think as a defender it’s about gaining that experience and being consistent throughout the season. You know what they say — it’s not a sprint, it’s a marathon — and it’s a tough, tough league, both physically and mentally.
"As a centre-half you do a lot of running, but maybe not at such a high intensity as others on the park. However, mentally you’ve got to concentrate for the whole 95 minutes. If you lack concentration it could cost your team a goal and obviously it’s the same with goalkeepers as well.”