Boss Paul Cook says the challenge of turning things around at Portman Road was why he took the job and has been disappointed with himself that the Blues’ play-off push has faltered. “It's the reason why I came to the club,” he said when asked how excited he is by the prospect of turning Town around.
"When I came to the club, I was very confident that I would lead the team into the play-offs. To say I'm disappointed in that myself is an understatement.
"I think I should be getting more out of these players. That disappoints me that I'm not. I've lain awake for the last two or three nights, I am a fighter and I am someone that doesn't settle for second best or mediocrity.
"I don't want to leave Wimbledon congratulating Wimbledon on beating us 3-0. I don't enjoy it. I don't want to leave Fleetwood congratulating Fleetwood on beating us 2-0. I don't like leaving Gillingham [after a defeat]. I like leaving being proud of my team, something that I'm not at the minute and something that I can rest assure will change.”
Asked whether he will have a meeting regarding his budget with new chairman Mike O’Leary soon, Cook didn’t want to be drawn into discussions about the close season.
"The summer at the minute is not really to the fore of my mind,” he said. "As a manager, as a sportsperson, I said it before, the players represent me on the pitch, they represent Ipswich Town Football Club, they represent the town of Ipswich.
"When I stand on the sidelines, I want to know what I get out of them because I think they'll know what they get out of me.
"As you guys know, I offer very little criticism to the team. At the minute, I don't like the team and I haven't got a clue what I'm getting out of them. That will end at the end of this season — 100 per cent. So, the least I say probably, the better it will be.”
He says the club will be a very different place come August: "One hundred percent. I'm a happy person, I'm always happy because, like I say to the players, when you do get fans back in the stadium, one thing you need at the end of a football game is your fans to clap you off the pitch.
"That means they have seen what you've put up and they are happy with it. You don't have to win football games for that to happen, you have to show fans that you care about the club and you've run every blade of grass and you've tried your best. I'm glad fans aren't in stadiums at the minute.”