Town defender Adam Webster has reflected on a frustrating 2017 so far, his appearance against Norwich in Sunday’s derby defeat to Norwich marking only his fourth league start this year.
Webster picked up an ankle injury in January and was unable to return to competitive action until the very last day of the season when he was a substitute in the final fixture, a 3-0 defeat at Nottingham Forest.
He said: "It has been very frustrating. I came back towards the end of the season and I think I was the only one at the club who didn’t want it to end. Because I’d only just come back I wanted to play games again and I was a bit gutted that the season finished when it did.
"Then I got injured again at the start of the season at Luton, when I was feeling good, so that was really gutting. It was the same ankle, but thankfully it wasn’t as bad as it had been in January, and I came back a bit ahead of schedule as well, so that helped.
"I’ve been working hard to strengthen the ankle and I’ve had a few injections as well, so touch wood that’s going to continue helping it.
"When you get an injury that keeps you out for a fair length of time it feels like you’re starting again. Before Sunday I last started a league game in January so it had been a long time — but I’m back in the team and I need to stay in the team now.
"It can be frustrating when you’re playing and you know you’re not quite where you want to be in terms of match fitness. That only comes with games.
"I played some U23 games but it’s different when you step out at Bramall Lane, for example, against a side who are on the front foot and you can’t get out of your own half. As each game comes and goes I’ll feel fitter, which is what happened on Sunday.”
The 1-0 defeat at Sheffield United earlier this month also saw Webster utilised in midfield and he recalled: "That was something I hadn’t done for a few years. The gaffer put me in there and it seemed to work for the 40 minutes I was there.
"They started well, which we knew they were going to do, and they were dominating us, so to change the formation for me to go into midfield stopped that and we came into the game from it.”
Webster was asked if he minded switching roles in defence, where he has appeared on the left, right and centre of a back three and in both central roles when manager Mick McCarthy has opted for a back four.
He replied: "I don’t see it as a problem to adapt. Whatever formation we play, we have played there enough times to know the roles and it’s fine. I enjoy playing on the left and I enjoy playing on the right.
"I don’t really mind. Chambo likes playing on the left as well but it’s something we have both done.”
With just two wins — against the Championship’s bottom two of Bolton and Sunderland — in their last nine games in all competitions Town travel to third-bottom Burton on Saturday looking to reverse the trend that has seen them drop down to 11th place in the Championship table, although they still have a game in hand on nine of the 10 clubs above them.
Does Webster fear a slide on a similar scale to last season when there was widespread discontent among supporters as Town struggled and eventually ended in 16th place to register their worst finish in 58 years?
The ex-Portsmouth player said: "Our recent run hasn’t been good — we know that — but we have a big week coming up and we need to put it right.
"We just need to take every game as it comes because we don’t want to be looking too far ahead. We’ve got a big game on Saturday and we need to go and get three points.
"We want to win every game and Burton haven’t made the best of starts, so we need to go there and play well. It should be a good game. We’ll go there and play our game, and hopefully we can get the three points.
"You saw on Sunday against Norwich how the boys up top are such a threat and I’m glad we have them in our team, especially the likes of Garns, Waggy and Didzy.
"They are up there with the best in the league and you don’t really want to be playing against them. Training with them every day helps us as defenders and there’s also Searsy as well. We’re lucky to have them.”