Midfielder Jay Tabb insists that a top two place is still within the Blues’ grasp, despite Town’s indifferent form since the start of the year.

Mick McCarthy’s men have taken only 14 points from their 12 league games during 2015 up to now and have dropped to seventh in the table, five points away from the automatic promotion places and one off the top six, having been in the top six since November.

“There are still 30 points to play for and the top two is still within our grasp,” Tabb said after Saturday’s 1-1 home draw with Brentford.

“Finishing in the top two might need a slightly lower points tally than usual, but getting in top six might need a bit more [than in previous years]. It is going to go to the last game of the season for top two and top six.

“If we can go on another little run as we have before in the 10 games left then we are in with a great chance. It is crazy at the top, no one seems to want to win the league.

“We had a mini-blip but it is not like we lost a load on the run. It was good to get a point and if we can get a win against any of the top teams we have coming up then it will more than make up for dropping these two points.

“Teams are dropping points because it is nervy trying to get to the Premiership with everything that’s at stake.

“Everyone down to us and even Wolves are still looking at the top two, which is crazy really because in previous years teams have run away with it.”

The 31-year-old felt the Blues put in their best display for a few games and that it was important not to fall to another defeat having just lost back to back league matches for the first time this season.

“After losing two games on the bounce it was good to stop the mini-rot and get a point,” he added. “We are only five points off the top and that was the best we have played for a while.

“Daryl took his goal very well, it was a poacher’s goal and he has not got many of them this season, they are usually crackers.

“He might have fancied a couple of those in the second half but he has 22 goals for the season, the league’s top scorer, but even he can’t score them all. I certainly wouldn’t have scored them.”

Brentford’s Stuart Dallas was content with the draw but thought his side might have grabbed a win: “It was great to come away with a point but there is a still a disappointment that we have not got all three points.

“We said before the game if we can’t win it, then let’s make sure we don’t lose it. If we can win the home games, picking up points away is a bonus. But all we are looking at is Cardiff next week."

He added: “We keep going until the last minute. Like Ipswich we were pushing for the win.”

Photo: Action Images

prebbs007 added 06:22 - Mar 9 Not with you in the team it isn't.
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jasondozzell added 06:28 - Mar 9 Prebbs - what a stupid comment. Tabb was one of the best players on sat.
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prebbs007 added 07:21 - Mar 9 Yeah. His pass to no one when a tap in was available was fantastic. He was not ine if the best players just coz he ran round like a headless chicken. Creates nothing 2 assists all season, delivers worse set pieces I've ever seen and scores not enough goals yet gets picked every week by Mr stubborn. You may think I'm wrong but just listen to the crowd every game. You're un the minority !!

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pennblue added 07:25 - Mar 9 We need a stronger midfield. Look at Boro, Bournemouth and Derby. All have top some notch quality in there...
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blue7579 added 07:35 - Mar 9 I didn't see Saturdays game, but what I have seen of tabb this season he runs around a lot which fools people into thinking he is doing a lot and working hard but never does anything, poor distribution and often shys away from 50/50 balls,I don't know what he brings to the team.
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Gingerblues added 07:55 - Mar 9 Ah the latest scapegoat, it's all Tabbs fault. Tabb is an honest, decent Championship level central midfielder, who cost us nothing. He isn't very good on the left because that's not his position. He has played really well in some matches this season and he played as well as skuse and Chaplow on Saturday, so lets not pin it all on him hey?
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muhrensleftfoot added 08:07 - Mar 9 I'm not his biggest fan, but thought he played quite well on saturday. He's better in central midfield than out wide. As many keep saying though, we need more goals from midfield & that's not going to happen with Tabb & Skuse. Until this weakness is successfully addressed, I think we'll struggle to make the top 6, let alone top 2.
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ChrisFelix added 08:07 - Mar 9 What planet is he on . He is the sole cause but as part of our midfield he is part of the reason
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ChrisFelix added 08:08 - Mar 9 I mean he is not the sole cause
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blues1 added 08:14 - Mar 9 no prebbs ur in the minority. the minority who come on here and use tabb as a scapegoat every time we fail to win. he was imo the best player on sat. I know people keep saying parr was mom but in 1st half, he looked totally lost. good 2nd half tho. tabb played well for 90 mins. no he didn't get every single pass right and a couple of his freekicks weren't the best, most were tho, just no1 attacked the ball when it came in, making it easy for the keeper. but guess, in ur world that was tabbs fault that no1 tried to win the ball in the area. gingerblues, uve got it right. hes not the best on the left, but in his best position on sat he was constantly trying to get us moving. no, he didn't get every pass right, every decision right. but then nor did others. berra with neither a shot or cross when in a great position, murphy with the miss of the season. yet despite this according to prebbs and others, its tabs fault again that we didn't win. ridiculous

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blueblood66 added 08:18 - Mar 9 Tabb is the latest moaners scapegoat. He ALWAYS puts a shift in and has been one of our better performers this season, particularly away from home.
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prebbs007 added 08:27 - Mar 9 berra shot across the goal, murphy missed form 3 yards... Tabb's fault ??? now who is being rediculous !!!! the fact is that Tabb (along with other of our midfileders) would get nowhere near the starting 11 of any of the top 6 in this league. MM told him in the summer he could find a new club, thats how much he rated him, yet now when we are at home in a must win game, he takes off Sears and keeps on Tabb.... hardly the act that will enfuse the crowd... and then when they question him he swears at them, nice onw Mick.... Fact is people like you who accept mediocrity like Tabb are the reason why our nice little club will stay in the championship..... i fully appreciate we all are allowed our opinion, mine differs to yours... that is allowed... but to question im in the minority means you dont read these boards or hear the crowd... we cant all be wrong.

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RaymondovicBlue added 08:56 - Mar 9 Ok... Calm down.... I didn't see the game not even listen. Just going by all the write ups.... Tabb says about Murphy's misses... "I certainly wouldn't have scored them" ... And in that he talks on behalf of all our midfield. We've come a long way.... Fantastic ...... But surely until we get used to seeing pace, creativity and goals from midfield we will simply not be as good as others sadly. We have players who can attack.... And at times in the games I've seen we have done it But why are we (allegedly) interested in another winner when wet have three (THREE) in our shall squad that never get on. Mick Raved about Connolly.... And that was AFTER he had been with us for months..... A pacey game changer..... I'm not getting desperate yet... But we do need that pace and creativity to take on the top six. We WERE there on merit. Now THEY are there in merit and we are struggling to find an answer 😕

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RaymondovicBlue added 08:59 - Mar 9 *ANOTHER WINGER
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wangford_blues added 09:10 - Mar 9 "There are still 30 points to play for and the top two is still within our grasp,” seeing as we have taken only 10 points out of the last ten games your are deluded in thinking a top two is still possible
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naa added 09:12 - Mar 9 prebbs: yes Tabb was one of our best players. Naming one pass that wasn't perfect is utterly ridiculous. I'm sure even Messi messes up one pass a game. Jeez. pennblue: not disagreeing especially that our midfield is the weak area (Mick has acknowledged this by trying to get loans in). However, using Boro and Derby as examples doesn't prove much considering that their current form is no better than ours. Especially with the loans Derby have got in you'd expect them to run away with it, but their results are no better.

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1RWR added 09:17 - Mar 9 Prebbs (& others) you are such a berk, sorry! Tabb had a cracking game on Saturday, at 3 feet nothing he normally out jumps most others to win headers. I take it you've forgotten his header/goal a few games ago? I'm not his greatest fan, but he puts a good shift in & doesn't deserve the cr*p you give him, grow up man! How about getting behind the player & the tea rather than slag a player off?

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1RWR added 09:20 - Mar 9 fat fingers, last but one line should have read team not 'tea' mind you, I'll put the kettle on!
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prebbs007 added 09:28 - Mar 9 1RWR as i say we are all allowed our opinion, let's agree to disagree without resorting to name calling and telling people to grow up.... On my way round for a cuppa though, sounds good, i'll bring the biscuits choc digestives ok for you ?
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wangford_blues added 09:47 - Mar 9 tea and biscuits, count me in
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blues1 added 09:49 - Mar 9 Prebbs. Read my post correctly and you'll see I was saying its u and others who are blaming Tabb for us not winning on sat but not Murphy or Berra whos misses cost us. And u are in a minority of Ipswich fans in ur scapegoating of him. There may be a fair number of u on here but that's still a very small minority of fans. But I'm sure you'll try and make that out to be representative of all town fans. But it isn't. Not 1 fan that I know holds that view. Yes. If he has a bad game, criticise. Just don't be pathetic and blame him for every game we fail to win

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BackTheBlues added 09:54 - Mar 9 I'm not getting everyones problem here... Good, Creative midfielders cost more money than any other player on the field - we have been given none to spend - so how can we go out and get any? Looking at saturday's game, I'd want Adam Pritchard in our team but he is playing for a team in the same position as us so why change? Tabby isn't the 'greatest player' granted - but I tell you what he certainly isn't our worst midfielder in the last 3 games - and nearly set up a goal from stealing the ball from Brentford's own freekick... Anybody disagree?

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1RWR added 10:06 - Mar 9 Prebbs....fair comment!
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britrim added 10:09 - Mar 9 With the team we were able to pick on Saturday, that was a good decent performance. We will not see much on the floor creative football until Didz is back, then he makes Bis and Bru better more confident players. As for scapegoats Tommy Smith has had 2 solid performances, Tabby has took on an immense role for the team and Johnny Parr will score goals as always backing up attacks and looking for rebounds.

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swarby_7 added 10:25 - Mar 9 My view is that Tabb is another victim of Mick playing players in positions that dont quite suit them. Chambers has been criticized of late because he cant get forward and put in a decent cross, bishop hasn't been at his best (before the little injury break) when played out wide, smith has looked worried using his one good foot etc etc etc. But all these issues stem from the same problem. Put Chambers CB, When playing Tabb/Bishop put them in the middle, Swap Smith and Berra around perhaps. That will go some way to help our cause. I'm sure Mick is as frustrated as we are. Maybe he does regret not changing things but certainly the fault is not all his, just its not all Tabb's either. Its collective, just as the earlier success was. I dont think Tabb is a world beater by any shot of the imagination. His crossing and set pieces are woeful and theres no way he should be taking them. But thats up to mick or another member of the team to say "Right Tabby, I'm having this one". He's not a winger at all. Playing the odd player out of position once in a while when short of numbers is fine but its not a long term solution. I think we all agree that 4-3-3 is our best formation. So my point is, players are maybe performing badly, and we all notice this and get on their backs, but this is caused mainly by them being played out of position and so not being suited to the job mick has asked of them. And it not all Micks fault either, big names cost money, we have none, and so he's been trying to solve the problem using what he has got and what he can get. And for the most part it has worked. We got to within touching distance of top spot. We just need a few players to return (ie Didz, S Hunt - who i think is usually pretty decent with set pieces) and maybe give the wingers a go (Stewart, Henshall, Connolly) which then gives us a plan B. Although i'm disappointed and often frustrated after matches recently, looking at the bigger picture, this season has been way more of a success than the last 10 or so. So I feel that we shouldn't just moan and forget the good just because recently its slipped again. Just remember what it was actually like during RK and PJ's leadership. We could yet turn it around again. We are not dead and buried yet, in previous seasons we have been by now! COYB!

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