Boss Paul Cook says the Blues’ fortunes are not going to be changed with a magic wand, but on “habits, culture, work ethic and recruitment” which will eventually result in a strong Ipswich Town.
The Blues sit 11th in League One with their season hampered by a lack of consistency, following up their best displays with poorer performances, while within games they allow their levels to slip, letting opponents back into games which appear to be one, Wednesday’s Papa John’s Trophy tie against Arsenal U21s being a prime example.
Asked if there’s anything he can do about that inconsistency, Cook said: "I think no different from all supporters, you’ll always get good supporters, in my opinion, who have genuine conversations about the club, you’ll always get people in the modern world now through social media who are just drama queens, if you like. They’re just drama queens in my world.
"The reality for us is that we have an ability to give goals away when you would least expect it. You go back to Fleetwood this season, a game we’re in control in, probably 76 minutes, counter-attack - goal.
"You go back to Burton Albion away, 84 minutes, total control of the game, we give a penalty away.
"So while our inconsistency and our lapses in concentration are probably ingrained in the squad and the group of players, the reality for us is we must keep working hard to eradicate it.
"But if you look at Wednesday night, for example, a different XI, 2-0 up, 68 minutes, total control of a game, Arsenal have one corner in the match. One. And they score from it.
"The reality with those lads, and we’re asking, searching all the time, when you’re at clubs like ours, you must respect your shirt, your jersey etc because one day it won’t be there for you.
"And unfortunately for our lads sometimes, we have so many positives from Wednesday night, but unfortunately we have a few real negatives as well.
"The negatives are not worth continually talking about because we’re not affecting them in a good way. The positives are what we want at the football club.”
Cook was reminded that those supporters expressing their frustration are not necessarily reacting to recent events but many years of underachievement at Town, that scars run deep.
"Football fans, Ipswich fans, fans around the world now, are that used now to managers being under pressure imminently,” he reflected.
"That’s the football industry now. Managers get spoken about now in such a disrespectful way it’s sad. But that’s the game today. I think Steve Bruce highlighted it, but that’s the game today and you live with it.
"I live with it, it doesn’t stop me tonight being on a train up to Gateshead to watch Charlton play. If any of those fans want to jump on the train with me and spend eight hours with me, feel free, I’ll be happy to do that.
"My job here, like when I’ve been at other jobs, Portsmouth my first year, loads of pain, got in the play-offs. Second year, won the league.
"I don’t have to explain myself. Our supporters just want to see action. That’s all they want to see. We can’t be promoted in December. Our club’s fortunes are not going to be changed with a magic wand.
"Our club’s fortunes will be changed on habits, culture, work ethic and recruitment. That’s how football is. If football fans aren’t patient enough to wait, that’s the game we’re in today.
"But the ones who are patient and the ones who wait will certainly see our club go forward and our club grow because the ownership and the people involved at the higher end of the club want the same common goal, a strong Ipswich Town Football Club.”
"While Cook is experienced enough to deal with the pressure, will his players be able to do the same? "They’re not my players, they’re our players. Our supporters should always remember that, that they’re our players, they wear our colour, they wear our shirt. Confidence like everything else in football is huge.
"We’ve had one bad performance in as long as I can remember, Rotherham at home. That’s the truth of it, that’s how I look at football.
"I can look back to the last 10, 12, 15 games, Rotherham at home, way off it, not good enough. Every other performance I’ve enjoyed and thought we’ve done OK in. It’s my world.
"Does that mean we’re good enough today? Not a chance? Does that mean we look like what we want to be? Not a chance. Does that mean we’re striving to get where we want to be? One hundred per cent.
"So I’ll just stay in my world. My world is a great cup tie tomorrow, should be a good crowd in, we desperately want to be in the third round of the FA Cup.”
Cook has been pleased with recent performances, such as the display at Sunderland in which there only looked one winner until the final minutes.
"Could we play any better at Sunderland?” he said to agreement from reporters. "If we're going to keep playing like Sunderland away and keep losing, the reality is I'll lose my job, but Ipswich will be playing well.
"With Oxford at home, we left the stadium to a standing ovation. We've gone to Sunderland away and lost a game that we absolutely played really well in.
"I’m genuinely comfortable with the performances, the results are not what we all want because everyone wants to be promoted this season and we need to get in the top three before Christmas. And if we all keep in that world, we’ll all up in a loony bin.”