Jack Taylor has revealed that he and his Town colleagues are working hard to concede fewer goals after they shipped two in each of their last three league games before the international break.
The 25-year-old midfielder, who spent seven years in the Chelsea academy before joining Barnet in 2012 and then making a £500,000 switch to former club Peterborough in 2020, admitted many games this season have been rollercoaster affairs.
Two 2-2 draws at Birmingham and Rotherham were followed by the 3-2 home defeat of Swansea and although the Blues’ record-breaking start to the season sees them sitting second in the table with only goal difference separating them from leaders Leicester and an eight-point cushion to third-placed Leeds, closer examination reveals they have conceded more home goals, 15, than any other side.
The entertainment on offer to spectators at Portman Road has seen them rewarded with a total of 40 goals in just eight games and with Town winning seven of them – their only defeat was to Leeds – fans have had little to complain about.
Taylor said: "It’s true that a lot of our games have been rollercoaster affairs. Sometimes we wish that wasn’t the case but it shows the character of the squad we have at the club.
"We were two down at Birmingham and never gave up, and 1-0 at Rotherham early on. Then we trailed to Swansea and came back to win.
"You just have to find ways of picking up points here and there, especially away from home. At home we’re not too happy with the number of goals we are conceding, nor the way we are conceding them.
"We’ll look to improve on that but, like I said, we’ve got so many goals in the squad now and there’s no real problem going forward, either individually or collectively. But we have to stop leaking goals the way we have been doing.”
Asked how such a problem is addressed, he replied: "We have to respect every opponent. There are some very good sides in this division and we have to play with more concentration, while still playing how we want to play and have been playing since the first game of the season.
"We always look to implement in games what we have worked on in training and that won’t change. We will play at our tempo and try to control the game in and out of possession.”
Taylor is no stranger to the Championship, having played 34 times – 29 starts and five appearances from the bench – and scoring five goals for Peterborough in the second tier during the 2020/21season, at the end of which Posh were relegated to League One, where they still remain.
The player was asked to compare this season’s Championship to his experience with his previous club and he smiled: "It’s not that similar, to be honest, because we were always near the bottom, rather than the top of the league.
"The games were a lot different and we weren’t playing at the level that Ipswich are playing right now. I’m really enjoying my time here and how the gaffer is implementing my style into the team a little bit. I was really happy with the start I made against Swansea last time out and long may it continue.”
Has he changed much as a player since his seven-figure transfer in the summer? He added: "The gaffer hasn’t been playing me much in the number 10 role I played at Peterborough. I’ve been playing a bit deeper alongside the skipper, so I’ve had to improve my game defensively.
"That has never been a strong point of my game so I’ve been working really hard to make a difference and looking to make an impact out of possession rather than just when we are on the ball.”
Town are heading for West Brom on Saturday and Taylor recalled playing the entire 90 minutes there when Posh were beaten 3-0 in January 2022.
He said: "I remember West Brom as a tough place to go. When I went there with Peterborough they were doing quite well. They’re not short of Championship experience or quality so I can see it being another tough away game, but it’s one we will attack and look to win.”
Taylor took time to praise teammate Leif Davis, who has shot to the top of the table for assists this season, registering seven in total in 15 league outings, one more than Leicester midfielder Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall, who is credited with six in 16.
"I think Leif’s the best in this division in terms of his position in the team,” said Taylor. "I remember playing against him for Peterborough last season and thinking he was way too good for that level. He’s dangerous the way he bombs down the left side for us. He always seems to make the yards and I think we’re very lucky to have him.”
When it was pointed out that Newcastle skipper Kieran Trippier, now a regular in manager Gareth Southgate’s England squad, holds the record for assists from a defender in the Championship with an end-of-season tally of 14, Taylor went on: "If Leif can keep going at his current rate, he should do it. Actually, knowing Leif, I think he will definitely do it!”
Finally, Taylor said he had enjoyed a few days in Dubai during the international break, adding: "I was out there with some of the lads and our families, and it was a nice break. Dubai is one of the few places where you can get a bit of sun in the winter, so it ticked most of the boxes for a lot of us, but since we’ve been we’ve had a hard week’s training and we’re all back at it again.”