Manager Mick McCarthy feels that Easter has left the Blues a little bit worse off, despite being happy with their four-point haul. Town, who beat Leeds 3-0 at home before drawing 0-0 at Millwall, are now in 17th in the Championship, three points from the relegation zone having reached the normal survival mark of 50 points.

Reflecting on the Easter weekend, McCarthy said: “It hasn’t made or broken us. It’s made us a little bit worse off, despite the fact that we’ve got four points.

“The league’s bonkers, isn’t it? We’re probably something like three points of relegation and six points off promotion at the minute! It’s just crazy.”

In fact the Blues are 10 points off the play-offs with only 13 points separating sixth-placed Brighton from Huddersfield in the final relegation spot and just seven between the Terriers and Derby County, Town’s next opponents, in eighth.

Why is the Championship so tight this season? “We’re all as bad as each other!” McCarthy joked. “On a given day you’ll get a stand-out performance, but over the season I think we’re all very much of a muchness. It’s been proven because the bottom teams are the form teams at the moment.”

The Town boss says he remains level-headed whatever the situation or the results: “I’m never one way or the other, up or down with it.

“We’ve had a good Easter, other teams have had better Easters than us. Some have had worse. Blackburn lost and Sheffield Wednesday drew, apparently. We all keep looking at everybody else’s results. Millwall drew, they’ve got a big semi-final coming up.

“It’s all still in the pot to be won or lost, and I can’t argue with how we’ve played over two games — not brilliant but four points is a good haul.”

While the Blues again failed to score at Millwall — they’ve netted only once on their travels in the league since the turn of the year and their run of five away blanks in a row equals a club record — McCarthy was pleased that the opposition also failed to register: “If we keep a clean sheet in the rest of our games we’ll stay up. It’s not a bad stat, is it? I’d like to score a goal though, to take the pressure off a bit.”

The Blues have now kept clean sheets in their last four games home and away, with one more equalling another club record.

The Town boss admits that he has no idea how many points might ultimately be required to stay up: “133! I don’t know. When I got the job everyone thought it would be 50 points, but we’ve got that now and we’re still in it.

“In 1996 Millwall went down with 52 and that was the highest I can remember. I think it might be even higher than that.

“We’ve all been saying over recent weeks, ‘Three wins, four wins, two wins’, whatever points you’re on. But it might still require another couple of wins. We’ll see.”

Photo: Action Images

tearle1974 added 15:27 - Apr 2 Think for the drop i have to say Bristol City have got some tough games and are very much gone, Peterborough i think will surprise us all and get out of it as they can dig out a result when needed, Huddersfield play a number of teams in the bottom area and if they don't pick these points up then they deserve to go down so it's in their hands. Sheff wednesday like Huddersfield have it all in there hands against teams around the drop zone but have 3 very tough away trips at Millwall, Leeds and Blackpool that could result in the confidence being knocked out of them and at the end of it Town at home after that could give us a chance for a much needed 3 points away. Barnsley i can see doing a hoodoo act and escape the drop as they like Peterborough can pop out a good result out of the bag and i think Jason Scotland is one player that may recue them in the end. Blackburn will have to bring some experience in to the side to get them out of it but have a few tough games along the way. Wolves i think will pick up again and will avoid the drop. They have had a blip and have some good players that will clear them. Even Charlton could get dragged down as they have some tough games but with the last game of the season against Bristol City they may avoid it from the skin of their teeth. Blackpool are a team that i think will escape, They have some classy players that will get them out of trouble and will keep them up. Millwall i think will escape as they have many home games to play and i think that will be enough for them. Burnley have done enough i believe and with Charlie Austin to get the goals they will stay up. Leeds and Birmingham have the quality in the team to get them the points to stay up and that leaves us.I believe if we can get one more win and make sure we dont get beat at home then we will survive and be ready for the clearout at the end of the season and MM bringing in the players for us to have a good season next season. Think we shall all agree this season is a close shave and should never forget it. Onwards and upwards i say and i think it will be Sheff Wed, Huddersfield and Bristol City for the drop.

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AdScHi9678 added 15:39 - Apr 2 Absolutely mental league, this!...
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LankHenners added 16:03 - Apr 2 Absolutely bonkers league this season! By the end of it, the team that finishes bottom (my prediction Bristol City) will probably have the same number of points as the team that finished 18th last season! We must make sure we keep getting the points - almost all of the teams immediately behind us have a game in hand and our appalling goal difference means that unless we win the rest of our games 3,4 and 5-0, we are in danger of being sucked right back down again. I think the message from now should be: "Onwards and upwards; in Mick we trust."

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Elizabeth added 16:50 - Apr 2 Oh what a variety of comments and opinions ! We still find ourselves in a precarious position but I think we will just about do it looking at other fixtures. Come on Mick and Terry ,not long to go now and then we can start next season with renewed hope for better days !
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jas0999 added 19:17 - Apr 2 Tonight's games could be crucial. Fingers crossed these matches go our way. 56 or 57 points should see us stay up. Means we could lose three (although would prefer not to!). MM has done an excellent job. I'm afraid I still find it remarkable that a small number of posters still think PJ was doing a great job and would have got us out of this. We would have been down by now under Jewell. MM is in a different league to him.

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BrettenhamBlue added 23:05 - Apr 2 We could do with Barnsley or Sheffield Wed taking a big 6-0 loss at some point. This league is really going down to the wire and goal difference is going to be critical. Pleased we have a better goal diff than Huddersfield. We need to keep the pressure on and just keep on winning. Blackburn are on a massive downward slide. They are certainly not "the in form team" at the moment and if we lucky they will get sucked into the bottom 3. Well done MM on even giving us a shouting chance.

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dford7 added 23:11 - Apr 2 Finally some decent results for us tonight. Peterborough draw and more importantly Huddersfield lose their game in hand.
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BrettenhamBlue added 23:41 - Apr 2 Agree dford. Next sats fixtures are interesting. If we get a point at Derby it will be a seriously good result, they are 1 of the in-form teams. Can see Sheffield Wed beating lacklustre Blackburn. Hopefully Bristol city will pull off a shock away win to keep Burnley in the relegation battle. Bolton should beat Wolves and Palace beat Barnsley (but in this tipsy-turvy league Scotland will probably score a hatrick). Crunch game- the big 6-pointer will be Huddersfield vs Peterborough. Can see P winning this- they should really have beaten Middlesborough tonight. Can see a Birmingham win too. Those last 2 relegation places really could be anyones....... If Blackburn go down- what's the betting we will have Jordan Rhodes stories galore.... That's if we haven't gone down too. My gut says we will be ok.

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yun added 03:15 - Apr 3 Just for fun, check out the run-ins of the teams directly below Town: Wolves Bolton, Huddersfield, Hull, Charlton, Burnley, Brighton Blackburn Sheff Wed, Derby, Huddersfield, Watford, Millwall, Crystal Palace, Birmingham Barnsley Crystal Palace, Cardiff, Charlton, Derby, Nottm Forest, Hull, Huddersfield Sheff Wed Blackburn, Millwall, Leeds United, Blackpool, Ipswich, Peterborough, Middlesborough Huddersfield Peterborough, Wolves, Blackburn, Millwall, Bristol City, Barnsley Peterborough Huddersfield, Watford, Brighton, Derby, Sheff Wed, Crystal Palace I omitted Bristol City because I think they won't be able to catch us. Huddersfield have to play five out of the bottom six!

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Gazelle added 09:25 - Apr 3 Apart from Bristol City, the bottom six are the hardest teams to play at the moment.
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airliner added 14:31 - Apr 3 I think now that Blackburn look doomed with their 2 top keepers injured and out for season. We will finish on 59 points I believe.
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ippy4life added 16:29 - Apr 3 Ive just seen Martin O Neil in Ipswich town centre. He would be an ideal replacement of Mick!!!
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airliner added 20:18 - Apr 3 No maybe de Canio has gone and one ill is taking over lol
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