Town have the right mixture of experience and hunger to mount a promotion challenge, according to recent arrival Stephen Hunt.
But the winger, whose initial deal through to January was this week extended to the end of the current campaign, claims there are plenty of challengers out there.
Hunt said: "You can look at a dozen teams and from where we are you can even look at teams going into second place and even winning the league. That’s just the way it is and it can happen for sure.
"It’s about getting consistency and at the moment we have it. Now it’s about building on it, although there will obviously be a stage where we lose a game. Then we have to go again and build from there. It’s all ifs and buts and if we can go through the Christmas period unbeaten it will be a great achievement.”
Hunt is one of the most experienced members of boss Mick McCarthy’s squad — only he, Daryl Murphy and club captain Carlos Edwards are 30 or older.
But he added: "While I suppose experience is important you also have to be hungry to get to where you want to go. From what I’ve seen all the lads who haven’t played in the Premiership are desperate to get there and that desire can be better than experience at times because it means they are hungry and want to do well.
"Plus, they want to keep getting better, which is very important. I’ve had a taste of it and it is certainly the place to be. I had five or six years there, it was enjoyable and I probably played my best football there, so to get back there would be good — but one step at a time.”