 Monday, 26th Dec 2011 08:54 Town fans have yet to see the best of midfielder Lee Bowyer since his arrival at Portman Road in the summer, according to the player himself. Bowyer, signed on a free transfer after leaving relegated Birmingham, has played 17 games and scored once, the only goal in the away win over another of his former clubs, West Ham. But there is better to come, insisted Bowyer, who has also confirmed that he feels more at home alongside in-form midfield partner Keith Andrews in the 4-4-2 formation recently preferred by boss Paul Jewell. Bowyer said: “Keith is a similar type to me and I believe it works well for us. If you have one player who keeps going on runs into the opposition box then teams get to know how you play. “With us both being able to get in the box it’s benefiting us as a team. The ball has been dropping for Keith but it doesn’t matter who gets the goals as long as we win the game.” The player capped once by England turns 35 on January 3 and admitted he has been buoyed by Town’s two-game winning run, coming as it did after a miserable run of seven successive defeats. He added: “Obviously, it has given everybody a lift. We definitely needed it and there’s no hiding from the fact. We have been unlucky in a few games, but that’s just the way this league is, but it is good going into Christmas with a bit of confidence and we want to keep it going over the next few weeks. “I prefer my current role and I feel as if I am at my most effective in there. But I just love playing and if the manager chooses to play me elsewhere I’m happy to go along with that. I always try my hardest, wherever I’m playing, but I feel I give more to the team in that position in a 4-4-2. “I don’t think I’ve been at my best yet but it’s been difficult because we’ve had some bad games. We went on a good run before the international break — I think the international break killed us because we were flying before then. “I was starting to get some form then as a team we weren’t doing so well after that. I hope I can bring a lot more to the team and show what I am still capable of doing.” Bowyer’s vast experience has taught him how the Christmas period can often make or break a team’s season and he believes there is still plenty to play for in the current campaign. He said: “With a lot of games coming up — we’ve got four in a short space of time — it gives an opportunity to close the gap on the teams at the top. We’re only nine points off the top six and that’s not much, not in this league. “I remember that if we had beaten Crystal Palace we would have gone within a point of second place in the table. We didn’t and we went on a bad run that almost took us into the bottom three. Now it’s important that we keep this little run going but even if we don’t climb into the top half over Christmas there is still a long way to go with loads of games to be played.” Bowyer was signed on a one-year deal with a further 12-month option, but the thought of this possibly being his last season in the game is not even entering his head. He added: “I’m just happy to be playing and I love the game so much I’ll probably play for as long as I possibly can. I’m still putting in some good mileage in the games. I think I’m okay. “I still play the way I’ve always played. I’m competitive and I want to win. No one likes to lose and when we had that run of seven defeats on the spin it was the first time I’d ever suffered like that. It wasn’t nice. “I keep coming into work, putting in the hours on the training pitch, and that’s all I can do. I know we have the players here to make things happen and hopefully we will prove it in the weeks ahead.”
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