Town goalkeeper Dean Gerken believes the hectic Christmas-New Year fixture programme will play a huge part in determining whether Town can mount a promotion challenge this season.
Following an impressive run of just three defeats in 16 league games, Mick McCarthy’s men are a mere three points adrift of the play-off places going into Saturday’s home clash with a Watford side who have failed to win any of their last nine games.
Gerken believes Town’s upcoming fixtures provide the ideal opportunity to strengthen their position in the Championship, even if it means tackling four league games in quick succession.
Then, having tackled Watford, Doncaster, Bournemouth and Charlton, the FA Cup visit of Preston on January 4th will complete a busy schedule of five games in 14 days.
He said: "It’s tough and you have to get into the swing of it. All you can do, pretty much, is take every game as it comes because they come round so quickly.
"It’s a good time and it really will show where we’re at. This could be a defining part of our season. We’ve got some fixtures that we feel are alright for us. Hopefully, come early January, we’ll look back and feel we have done ourselves justice over the Christmas period.”
Gerken is delighted to have played his part in Town’s undoubted progress this season. They currently have 30 points from 20 games and sit in 10th place, whereas at the same stage last season they only had 20 points to their name and were fifth bottom of the table.
The 28-year-old goalkeeper added: "We’ve always known what we are about and what we can do. It’s just being consistent with it and we seem to be hitting quite a consistent patch at the moment.
"Everyone is doing his job well and we are digging out results. I’m really happy with the way it is going and the main thing is the way we are showing other people what we are all about.
"I’m really enjoying the fact that I don’t have to worry about looking at the league table, like I used to do a lot of the time with my other clubs. I feel a sense of achievement and I know we can push on to do even better.
"There’s a great bond between the lads and it has always been the case. It must be frustrating for the gaffer when we haven’t had the results we have deserved in some games.
"But now we are getting the results on a consistent basis and we’re showing everyone else what we already knew, which is what we want to continue to do.
"But this is the Championship and just about anything can happen. I can see teams who are above and below us now who could be changing places later in the season.
"In this league the current high-fliers could end up in a relegation battle. You just never know. We just have to concentrate on what we are doing because if you get enough points on the board it doesn’t matter what anyone else is doing.”