I may have seemed like a Roy Keane lover or an optimist over the past few months, so I thought I'd take a look and write what may be seen as a 'realistic' blog.

We are now going into a run of four away games starting tonight with QPR,after these four games we will see what the end of season will bring for our club, lose most or draw these and I will accept that we will be in a relegation dog fight till the end. Win one or two and collect a point somewhere and although we won't be safe it will be a start.

But say we did lose all four, or draw all four games, we'd more than likely be in the relegation zone and facing league disaster.

Although this will kill me, and most other fans alike, one thing I will say is I'd rather be a Town fan than a Portsmouth, QPR or West Ham fan. Portsmouth tomorrow could not longer exist and this makes me look at our club and think that although relegation could be a realistic end to this season, I'm just happy that our football club exists. Whether it's in League One, Two or even the Conference I'd be there cheering, I'll be listening or I'll be sitting at home some nights watching Sky Sports News biting my nails at the updates.

As the season brings more and more games, and more draws and losses than wins, it's time to reflect and admit that maybe the risk of taking on Roy Keane hasn't been a good one. However my support for the team hasn't dwindled, my support for the players hasn't dwindled either, and as long as a manager is in charge of my team I will always support him as well.

I accept that we are worse than last year, my God we are worse than the year before, but there are positives in the team and the games we've played, unfortunately we aren't in the league position to look at the positives in great detail.

We are hard to beat and if we were mid-table we could dream of the play-offs or even top two, but the facts are we are fourth bottom, one point ahead of Reading who I said three months back would not be down the bottom come the end of the season.

Maybe David Healy and Daryl Murphy could change our scoring stats, maybe not, maybe we'll go on a fun of 10 wins, or maybe not. Maybe we will scrape away from relegation and next year get promoted, or may not. Either way, no matter what happens relegation, promotion, I am thankful for being a Town supporter and thankful my club is still here, and I'm a firm believer that if Marcus Evans hadn't have come in, we wouldn't be here today.

So if we lose these away games, if we lose loads more, after each game, instead of screaming at Keane, the players the board, just be thankful we are Ipswich Town, and not Portsmouth, West Ham or QPR.

naa added 10:27 - Feb 9 Hmm, realistic in that you accept the possibility of relegation (some on here probably are still of the opinion that the play-offs are possible) but also tinted with your usual blue specs in that you'd almost happily accept relegation. Let's get this straight right now. We should not be anywhere near the bottom. We had a perfectly capable squad last year that suppsedly has been improved and renovated by Keane and yet we're down near the bottom. I've no idea what relegation will do for Evans' tenure, I guess he'll hang on as he needs us promoted to get his investment back, but it still leads us into dangerous territory. If we do go down and fail to come straight back up there's a possiblilty that Evans will give up and take a loss (it could certainly happen after two or three years down there, God forbid). Thus putting us, most likely, out of business. I'm not saying any of this is likely, but don't be so keen to accept relegation. It could well put us in the position of Portsmouth etc. So, there's my overly pessimisstic posting to balance some of the optimistic ones we're bound to get.

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Tractorog added 11:43 - Feb 9 Your sentiments are noble. We are probably going to get relegated if we don't start winning during these next few games, but there is little point sacking Keane now - we have to support this team if we are to stand a chance.
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Facefacts added 12:17 - Feb 9 Yes, relegation is looming. It's really hard to comment on the Evans - Clegg - Keane triumvirate. We just don't see the chemistry between them. Who is doing what? Keane will always be an isolated figure. I think I would rather have a manager who's been out there on the pitch and fought for the cause, in the lower reaches. Evans is probably a busy man with other issues to think about, I wonder how often he directs things, how involved he is. Clegg and Keane are no doubt doing their best but reality is going to kick in. We have no alternative to them as it's probably too late to change anything now. Have they rolled the final financial dice in getting Healy and Murphy in on loan? Evans might be saying look at our wage bill look at our squad why aren't we up there, what will season ticket sales be like for next season. Might he cut his losses and remove his backing? Up to the Preston and Southampton away defeats, I was genuinely hopeful about our away performances. Back then some idiot on 5 Live tipped us for the playoffs. Our results have got worse recently whilst Reading and Sheffield Wednesday have really improved. Because of the possibility of playoffs and relegation being so similar, the championship is a crazy league, it's who can get the best premiership rejects, usually on loan, and it's just a fact of life that you need 12 wins to survive in this league. What's the difference between Crystal Palace and us - players taking a step down from us to them - but they are in administration with minus 10 points and could still make the playoffs - but they have an experienced manager. Looking at our nervous home form, the upcoming opposition, and the other teams around us starting to pick up, I can see us needing to win two of the four away games coming up, to stay out of the relegation zone. Dreading Peterborough my local game, POSH season ticket holders all around. COYB we need a win tonight.

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Surco72 added 13:08 - Feb 9 Super all i can say is that in November you told us how we would be sitting in the top six comfortably at the end of the season and all the negative posters would be eating humble pie !! We will all support Ipswich whatever league we are in but looking at the big picture really should be doing a lot better with the squad we have ,money spent etc We have now run out of people to blame for our position ,it was R Wrights fault ,then the defence's fault ,midfield not gelling ,strikers not putting chances away,Magiltons crap squad. I believe we are too good to go down and it will not happen but it has been a step backwards and we should not now be just laying down accepting relegation and thinking ourselves lucky we are not Pompey !!

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superblueflude added 13:28 - Feb 9 Surco, i Did believe back in November that we would go up the table but you have to admit when enough is enough and although we're taking draws we dont seem to have enough to do the job needed which is why relegation actually does look like a possability, no i certainly wouldnt be happy with relegation but no matter how much anger we show on here nothing we can do can change the team or the results, we've cheered the team on - no change, then theres silence at games - no change, there just doesnt seem to be an answer. so for me in a way ive been proved wrong by saying we'll be top 6 but then again who wouold have thought we would be where we are?!.

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mightytown added 14:40 - Feb 9 we're not going down!!!
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cbower added 16:08 - Feb 9 Yep, relegation is a possibility but then again it is a possibility at the start of every season! No club has a divine right to do well but for Christ's sake, there are still 18 games to go, 54 points to FIGHT for! Get behind the boys and RK and fight 'til the death. It might happen but I prefer the sentiment of mightytown above - it ain't over 'til the fat lady sings!
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DrJeckyll added 18:38 - Feb 14 I think most people dont see the play offs as as a realistic possibility now, although it is still mathematically possible. 42 points from a possible 51 doesn't leave a lot of room for error and i wouldn't put any of my money on it. I still think the future is bright though, with the set up we have in place. 17 points would usually make us safe from relegation and that is 17 from a possible 51 and i would put my money on that :-)

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