Town striker Brett Pitman has urged fed-up fans to get behind the team for tonight’s home clash with fellow strugglers Bristol City.
The 2-0 Boxing Day home defeat to Fulham saw manager Mick McCarthy and the players come in for an ear-bashing from sections of the crowd as the team extended a miserable Portman Road record to just two wins from their last nine outings.
Asked about the crowd reaction, Pitman said: "I think that’s football these days — it happens and it’s not helpful for the players.
"We’re trying to do the right things and we’d love the fans to really get behind us. But on the other hand I understand their frustrations.
"My urge to them is ‘Get behind us and if it’s not been a good performance boo at the final whistle. Give us whatever you want at the end of the game but really get behind us while we can get something out of the game’.”
Pitman & Co are desperate to make amends for a rock-bottom display against in-form Fulham, beaten just once in their last nine outings, when one of his former clubs are in town this evening.
He added: "Any defeat is tough but we didn’t deserve anything out of the game on Monday. They were thoroughly better than us and we’ve got to put in a performance on Friday night that hopefully goes some way to rectifying that.
"I think you have to give a lot of credit to Fulham. They’ve come and started brightly, and we’ve really struggled to get a foothold in the game and get hold of the ball. We found it difficult and, like I said, we’ll be looking to put it right.
"I’ve never met a footballer or any other kind of sportsman that is happy with losing and I don’t think I ever will. Obviously, everyone takes defeat differently and deals with it differently. We are hurting from the Fulham result and we’ll hopefully put it right on Friday.
"Don’t get me wrong, the fans have been brilliant with us and their reaction is understandable because the results and the performances haven’t been there.
"You can understand them venting their frustration. I urge them to really get behind us and support us. If the result or the performance isn’t right then by all means they should vent their frustrations at the end.”
Pitman believes Town would benefit enormously from back-to-back wins, something they have yet to achieve going into the second half of the current campaign.
He added: "If you win a couple of games, maybe three or four games in a row, in this league, all of a sudden you’re not far away from the play-offs. It’s such a bizarre league but that’s how it is.
"On the other hand, if you lose three or four in a row you’re looking at the relegation zone. We’re trying to string back-to-back wins together but we’ve struggled to do it.”
Pitman started the Fulham game but was withdrawn at the interval along with youngster Andre Dozzell, with experienced pair David McGoldrick and Leon Best replacing them as McCarthy sought in vain to find a way back into a one-sided game.
He said: "That’s football. The manager thought that was the best way to get back into the game and I support that decision.
"It didn’t work out that way but I’d have liked us to get something out of the game, having come off at half-time and the manager having made that call. It is part and parcel of football; you accept it and move on.”