Town boss Mick McCarthy says few would have expected the Championship’s Christmas top three to be leaders Bournemouth, the Blues and today's opponents Brentford.
"I think the top three, Bournemouth, us and Brentford, you’d have won a few quid if you’d have backed that for Christmas, wouldn’t you?” McCarthy said.
"Maybe we were all a bit of a surprise. Bournemouth, they were like us last year, pushing at the play-offs.
"Brentford have been great, they’ve been a breath of fresh air, they’ve been refreshing the way they play, they have a right go.
"It’ll be a good game on Friday, I would have thought because both teams really have a go at it.”
Informed that the teams in the top three of the Championship last Christmas all ended up being promoted, he added: "I’m not sure whether you’ve made me feel better or worse! Maybe it’ll happen again or maybe it won’t because you don’t know.
"The top three look like three good teams. I think Bournemouth are the best team in the league.
"I’m not going to say that about us or Brentford or anybody else. Last week when I watched Middlesbrough against Derby, I thought they were two of the best teams in the league and I thought Middlesbrough were outstanding, and we beat them.
"But that doesn’t mean ‘My dad can fight your dad so he’s the best fighter out there’. I don’t know.
"We’ll just keep trying to pick up points wherever we go and keep scrapping away for results and I think that’s like everybody else.”
He dismisses suggestions that the expectations amongst supporters of Bournemouth and Brentford are lower than at clubs who were more fancied for promotion at the start of the season.
"I think once you get yourself into a position your fans start to expect and believe and put pressure on you,” he continued.
"And that’ll be no different at Bournemouth, no different at Brentford and it’s certainly no different here.
"People start to expect and want and believe and think they can get there and dream. I would say that when I was at Wolves and Sunderland the pressure was more because it was expected, they just think they should be in the Premier League. There’s nobody ‘should’ be in the Premier League, you’ve got to earn it.”
Would getting Town promoted be his greatest achievement in management? "I won’t know unless it happens, it’s hypothetical.
"I’ve won the Championship twice with other clubs, but I won’t know unless it happens. Let’s hope it happens and you can sit and talk to me and I’ll tell you how I feel!”
Why does he believe his side has gone from play-off challengers last season to serious top two contenders this time around?
"We were close to the play-offs last year, what were we two points off the play-offs? Having steadied it we had a bit of a fling last year and almost got there.
"I think it was just the size of the squad and the games over Easter really took their toll. We equalised at Watford and then gave a terrible goal away and then a third straight away.
"We drew with Bournemouth here, who had played on the Friday and Monday and we’ve played on the Saturday and the Monday. I think that put the kibosh on our chances.
"But we had a good go last year. We just keep improving, keep getting used to the league and used to each other and improving as a team.”
He added: "A mate of mine texted me on Saturday and said ‘Second is a nice position to be in on Christmas Day’. I texted him back ‘It’s even better when I’m lying on the beach in June’.”