Town midfielder Cole Skuse is adamant Town can still finish in one of the two automatic promotion places this season.

The 1-0 win at MK Dons on Saturday took Mick McCarthy’s men into sixth position in the Championship table but they go into tonight’s clash with Fulham at Craven Cottage trailing leaders Brighton and second-placed Middlesbrough by 11 and nine points respectively.

Skuse said: “How realistic is automatic promotion? I think a lot of teams will be looking at it thinking it is very realistic, not just us or even the group above us at the top.

“The whole league in general is very, very tight so a lot of teams will be looking at it thinking it is a very realistic goal for them.

“People have talked about the top five pulling away but we don’t see it like that. Although we lost to Middlesbrough I thought we were the much better side for the first 55 or 60 minutes.

“I know that at the end of the day the three points are the be-all and end-all but I thought we played very well.

“Even last season we applied ourselves very well against the top teams. I don’t think we have anything to be afraid of.

“Even if there is a little gap there are always going to be spells where the other leading teams will have a bit of a wobble and that could see us gain momentum and close the gap on them. The current gap is nothing to be afraid of and we’re still aiming for the top.”

The recent 2-0 home defeat by Middlesbrough is Town’s only setback in an otherwise unbeaten eight-game run that has seen them collect 15 points and register three successive away wins over lowly trio Rotherham, Charlton and, at the weekend, MK Dons.

But although, on paper at least, the forthcoming run of games — after tonight’s trip to Fulham they face Derby, QPR, Brighton and Burnley — looks a lot more demanding, Skuse is bullish going into the festive period when points are traditionally won and lost in a short space of time.

He added: “Our next games are all against top teams with quality squads. They have spent very well to bring in some good players but we never go into a game overawed by the opposition.

“We never over-prepare for certain teams or take others lightly. We do the same preparation for every side we play and we go out on the pitch full of confidence knowing that we have every chance of beating anyone.

“We’ve had teams that have come to our place and changed their set-up to accommodate the way that we play but we never go into an away game looking to do that.

“We look to stamp our authority on the game and in the last few weeks the lads have been brilliant. Every game plan has worked and we’re picking up the rewards.”

Skuse collected the Man of the Match accolade from sponsors Sky Bet after Saturday’s success in Milton Keynes and he said: “I had a few in my long, long stint at Bristol. Not too many, just a few. I thought I did okay, not just me because I thought it was a very solid away performance. We had to dig in and dig deep.

“It wasn’t the most possession we’ve ever had in a game but it was a good away performance. It was a very buoyant bus on the way home because we got ourselves back into the top six, which is the minimum requirement for where we want to be.”

Photo: Action Images

Benters added 06:20 - Dec 15 Blimey .
2

carsey added 06:54 - Dec 15 Nonsense
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therein61 added 06:59 - Dec 15 Well we can all dream Cole!!!!!!
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TimmyH added 08:18 - Dec 15 Don't be silly Cole - we are behind the likes of Boro/Brighton/Derby etc. (currently).
2

Dwillams57 added 08:43 - Dec 15 No we cant
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Fatcatevans added 08:53 - Dec 15 I'm not sure the game plan worked too well at Reading Cole!
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ITFC1983 added 08:56 - Dec 15 Technically - yes we can. Realistically - no we won't. But I admire the optimism and if the players want to push us up towards the top then all the better, I'd rather that than trying to hold on to 6th place!
5

muccletonjoe added 08:57 - Dec 15 Anyone who saw the game on Saturday will be shaking their heads
3

trncbluearmy added 09:15 - Dec 15 Whilst the optimism is to be admired without some real quality added in January scraping a play off place and then hoping for some luck is the best we can hope for. If so many fans can see this why not the management, it really is time ME made some serious money available otherwise another decade of boredom and mediocrity beckons money. and feck this fair play nonsense, everybody else who can afford does, we have tried to play it by the rules and it gets us nowhere.

6

Guthrum added 09:17 - Dec 15 Other teams have tough fixtures coming up, too. Burnley face Boro and Hull in the next three. Brighton and Boro play each other on Saturday. Then there's the whole second half of the season to come. Silly to assume we're out of the running at this stage.
5

commuterblue added 09:21 - Dec 15 Clearly we can, those teams above us can fall away and we can go on a run. Good that he has that ambition. I don't expect it will happen though, but wouldn't be surprised if we finish above 6th. We have a better squad than last year.
3

northernblues added 10:04 - Dec 15 I like his optimism, but I would bet him his months salary we dont! So cole if your reading!!!
0

BlueNomad added 10:57 - Dec 15 We have quality. Fraser, Bru, Oar, Bishop and McGoldrick to come back consistently. I think without that creativity we have done really well.
3

MattinLondon added 11:13 - Dec 15 In a world where Frank Nouble played over 50 times for Town anything is possible. I agree with PragmaticBlue - all those players listed will give us more of a edge especially with the busy Christmas/ New Year matches coming up.
2

warktheline added 11:34 - Dec 15 Two hopes of that happening, Bob Hope and No hope!
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jas0999 added 11:50 - Dec 15 Considering the quality of player we have, especially in the midfield where there is little in way of goals or creativity, we are doing very well to be sixth. To press on to challenge the top teams we would require significant investment from Evans in January. We all know that's not going to happen. Therefore we are playing for sixth.
2

TimmyH added 11:59 - Dec 15 Hahahaha! - one of my favourite phrases @warktheline - good old Bob! Yes some players to come back from injury (mainly in midfield) but whose to say they will regularly start now with Douglas and the ever present Skuse in centre midfield. Just wide areas I reckon will be addressed. I also can't see the club splashing any cash in January either. It would be nice to see the club have a strong second half to the season but have to say I'm not sure some of the players we have are psychologically strong enough when it really matters.

2

afrodids added 12:09 - Dec 15 that's nearly as good as MM,s I'm playing my best back 5 joke, keep em coming,if we stay in the top 6 I'll be very surprised, Evans needs to invest he made the mistake not to last Christmas when we were top had he done so we could be in the PL now,anyway I'm sure he won't so it's the championship again next year at least we might get the Nodge game again!
1

NSL added 12:28 - Dec 15 Unfortunately I think the key to automatic promotion would be to have a central midfield pairing which get 15 goals between them . . . . . . . Basically when our strikers don't score, then well, we don't score. That loses about 10 - 15 points over the season I bet.
1

Fatboy added 14:02 - Dec 15 Based on the current table, Brighton have 42 points from 20 games (2.1 points per game (ppg)) and Middlesbrough have 40 from 20 (2 ppg). If they continue at that rate, they'd end up on 96(ish) and 92 points respectively, so to finish in the top two, we'd need 93 points, which is 62 from our remaining 26 games. By my reckoning, that's 19 wins, 5 draws and 2 defeats (one of several permutations). Whilst I'd love to see that, it does seem unlikely. Hopefully one or other will have a bad patch, but then you've also got Hull, Derby and Burnley hot on their heels for us to overtake too.

1

Hegansheroes added 14:12 - Dec 15 I believe with a couple more quality players in defence & midfield we could get in the top 2 but not with the current manager,6th at best.
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JustSpivvyChops added 15:22 - Dec 15 Oi Hammers......you nicked "bullish" from one of my recent "financial update" threads didn't you? Come on.............. spill the beans :-)
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warktheline added 18:07 - Dec 15 @TimmyH, unfortunately some on forum need a reality check, does anyone seriously believe we can make top two with this squad! The club needs to invest on playing side, especially when you consider McCarthy chucked 8 million into the coffers. @bohslegend, please don't insult me by insinuating that I'm waiting for MY CLUB to slip up and lose as often as possible! Grow up, you're not the only Town fan on forum , WE all want OUR club to succeed, differences aside. By the way, if you happen to disagree with points of view try stipulating why, and give good reason why you see things differently!

1

jocasaja added 18:09 - Dec 15 I think he is quite right to be seeing the automatics still on - now getting back to full strength - will all depend on how we do against the teams above us. But with just over half the season left I think we have a decent chance. COYB !
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karls_dad added 19:00 - Dec 15 Saturday was a horror show! just plain awful, i have watched many games over the last few weeks and the one things that stands out from others is that they pass the ball to feet, when i watch town i,m saying HOOF! its a sad fact!
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