Former Town skipper Matt Holland says the Blues can still get promoted this season, despite failing to win any of their first 11 matches and currently sitting bottom of the Championship. Holland, who is currently without a club after leaving Charlton at the end of last season, was writing in his new blog for the Football League website.

The 35-year-old former Ireland international feels Roy Keane’s side can emulate the Town team from his time at Portman Road: “It's a false position they find themselves in and in a month's time after three home games and one on their travels I expect to see a lot more points on the board.

"Can Ipswich still get promoted? It may sound crazy but I think they can. In my first season at Portman Road we were in the bottom three after 14 matches but then embarked on a spectacular run which saw us lose just one game in the next 22!

“A fifth place play-off finish was ours and I can see that happening for the Blues this season too if they get things sorted.”

Read Holland’s blog in full on the Football League website where Andy Ritchie writes on League One and Peter Jackson on League Two.

Photo: Action Images

mockerygap added 14:31 - Oct 16 keanostackle: bang on. Holland at his peak would walk into our side - and, in fact, any championship side, and maybe a handful of premiership sides.
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dirtydingusmagee added 14:32 - Oct 16 and he had an amazing match record, he never shirked, fained injury, or ducked out when things were tough. TOP MAN
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WeWereZombies added 14:54 - Oct 16 Holland was criticsed by some for the same reason as Jermaine Wright (though not as fiercley criticsed) because Burley gave him lots of work to do off the ball, holding positions to manage the shape of the game. Therefore when you watch the game following the ball all the time you wonder where these players are and what they are doing. It is a short but incorrect step from there to the conclusion that they disappear from the game.

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FriskinPriskin1 added 15:22 - Oct 16 Agree to the Club Captain bit without hesitation - but like Yallop - could he tackle? No; Could he pass? not with penetration? did he score? Sometimes.... Ambassador: YES Top Class player: NO
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dobbie73 added 15:27 - Oct 16 I may not agree with dirtydingusmagee on many things, but totally agree with his assessment of Holland - he was a top man indeed. In fact probably one of our best midfielders since the Robson glory years IMHO. Completely pointless question this ..... but do any of you lot think that Holland would have been good enough to play for Sir Bobby in the great sides of the 1970s and early 80s if he had been around then? I certainly think he would have.

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Yallop added 15:39 - Oct 16 Not a chance in the 80's side. No where near Wark, Murhen, Thysen, Talbot and that's off the top of my head. Don't get me wrong he was a good player but to me no more, I'd put him in the same category as Magilton, Mowbray, Venus, Scowie - good player yes - legend no chance. Modern day I'd rather have Leadbetter or dare I say it Norris.
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LollITFC added 15:40 - Oct 16 dobbie73 .... simple answer to that question: NO
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nsblu1 added 15:41 - Oct 16 read fabs book. It tells u all about the 'kick'
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bleedblue added 15:52 - Oct 16 FriskinPriskin1: Could he tackle = No, Could he Pass = No ---- What are you on about?! Yallop: Same category as Scowie?! You must be a comedian, first Kuqi now Scowie - Dear Christ!! You name one other player in the past 15 years who did better for the town than Holland................... Still waiting.....
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Yallop added 16:17 - Oct 16 Magilton, Venus, Mowbray, Marcus Stewart, Tarricco I note you ignore those and pick on Scowie who for the record the season we were promoted was excellent. You probably only refer to his loan spell under Joe Royle
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FriskinPriskin1 added 16:34 - Oct 16 Magilton bled for Ipswich Wilnis bled for Ipswich Holland bled us dry. And the comparison with Jermaine Wright is harsh. Jermaine could play killer passes. As for the muppet that suggests I've never seen us play.... Holland was a good leader in a strong midfield. Jim was the talisman. I like the suggestion that Matt marked space. That's why we went down in the 2nd season. Must be great being loved by everyone for being a 'great bloke'.

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Steve_ITFC_Sweden added 16:46 - Oct 16 FriskinPriskin1: I put quite a bit of store by the fact he was indeed "a great bloke." For example, I appreciate a player who comes over to acknowledge the fans rather than trooping off down the tunnel without so much as a glance. He must have been a pretty decent player too; after all, he was an international. Any time MH wants to come back to PR, he gets my vote.

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dubblue added 16:56 - Oct 16 Holland was a great captain, loyal to his club....but as a player he would not be in the same league as Muhren, Thijssen or Wark.
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FriskinPriskin1 added 16:58 - Oct 16 I'd run around all night until the fans had gone home for £10k a week. I'm not denying he wasn't a great bloke, or a good player. But to suggest that he was up to the standard of Wark, Thijssen, Muhren etc. Proves you are in your 20s. No-one who can remember our greatest side would mention Matt in the same breathe. If you want a comparison between him and any player of that era, it would be Steve McCall.

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WickedBlue added 17:15 - Oct 16 FriskenPrisken and Yallop pity you show you utter ignorance on all things football. One day I would like to read comments and and not want to bang my head against a wall but with you two around I doubt that will ever happen.
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FriskinPriskin1 added 17:33 - Oct 16 Ignorance... on all things football. Hmmm...if you provide evidence of your experience of football as a player and as a spectator then perhaps I may concede. You may of course be Matt Holland? It's called an opinion. If you want me to start on a really crap player, then let's try Frank Lampard. A very average midfielder, with, admittedly an eye for goal. I suspect many of us have the same view on him, but because we support ITFC we are happy slate him. Amazing what rose tinted glasses do to sheep.

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theinbetweener added 17:56 - Oct 16 Lampard a 'crap' player...now i've heard it all! Because he's won 80 odd England caps by being a 'crap' midfielder. Right...Want to add Beckham, Gerrard, Carrick, Barry to that list? As for Holland, a top man, a top captain, a top professional.
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DalianAtkinson added 18:05 - Oct 16 For forks sake. Everyone seems to seems to think they know who's good and who ain't. Who cares!? How the hell Lampard gets a mention in an ITFC fansite i'll never know. Garbage.
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multipulemicky added 18:13 - Oct 16 I never thought he was captain fantastic either?
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dirtydingusmagee added 21:03 - Oct 16 well that's ruffled a few petticoats, now pour me another glass o red eye barkeep .
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dirtydingusmagee added 21:09 - Oct 16 guess'n we only want callum's blog on here now and we'll all be knee deep in buck shot .
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tommyblue added 22:55 - Oct 16 what the hell is going on? matt holland top man, top player, top captain, top pro.....SIGN HIM UP
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Back_The_Boss added 19:40 - Oct 17 He is obviously having a complete laugh and Keano is probably paying him to say that!!!
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adamisablue added 12:59 - Oct 18 dobbie73 (bit late) there is absoluty no way to answer that question. since the robson glory years the game has changed. again. and again. and again. in those days u could kick the living crap out of each other and get away with it. hell u could bundle the goalie over the goal line and the ref would give a pen for the goalie getting in the way. rules have become stricter, the game has got faster and players have got more skillfull. i.e whos more skillfull? best or ronalado? also take into account the techknowalgy behind training and the fact the game now has become money orriantated, so traing regimes have also become stricter. you have to judge each player on there merits for the era as its an un fair comparison

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adamisablue added 13:02 - Oct 18 as for holland being a crap player, fact is he never missed a game and we always ended up in the top 6 (three occasions narrowly missing out on second) the table doesnt lie gentlemen
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