Cole Skuse agrees with what seems to be the majority view among fans — and has also been endorsed by boss Mick McCarthy — that the current Town squad is stronger than last season’s.

Skuse said: “I’ve been asked this before and without being disrespectful to anyone involved last season I think the current squad is maybe a little bit stronger in terms of options.

“With a few players coming back the manager has a few headaches. The strength in depth is looking really good.”

Skuse & Co head for Fulham tonight and when asked if the 17th-placed Londoners, relegated in 2014, were occupying a false position in the table he responded: “I thought they would be higher and I was surprised that they weren’t closer last season as well.

“They spent quite a bit of money on certain individuals and they’ve still got some players who were in the side relegated from the Premier League — top, top players. There’s also been a lot of speculation off the field all season regarding the manager’s job.

“Even when Kit Symons was in the job there were people asking if he should be in it, how long he might be in it and who should take over. It’s all been a bit up in the air for Fulham and although it is said that the league table doesn’t lie I think, yes, they are in a bit of a false position.”

Following their wins on the road at Rotherham, Charlton and MK Dons, Town are bidding for a fourth successive away victory and, bearing in mind how they have won just once in eight home league games dating back to August, the midfielder was asked if he felt it suited the team more to be away from Portman Road.

He said: “I don’t know, really. We’re not piling enormous amounts of pressure on ourselves at home, it’s just the way it has happened in recent weeks and we’ve had some good results and some very good performances. We’ve dug in deep, like at the weekend for example when we ground out a result.

“It gives us an extra kick when we come out on top against big-spending teams like Fulham. It gives you an extra sense of achievement because we feel everyone writes off Ipswich. They maybe don’t see us as underdogs but they look at us and say we haven’t spent any money.

“But we’re doing so well from so little in terms of outlay and there are others spending massive sums. So, yes, it does give us a sense of achievement but it’s nothing we highlight really.”

Meanwhile, the Town players have had their Christmas party, leaving them free to concentrate on a testing run of games through to 2017, although they are also playing Santa to distribute gifts — paid for from their own pockets — to children in hospital.

Skuse added: “The boys have had a little get-together, nothing too exciting, nothing too extravagant and nothing too glamorous.

“The manager always reminds us of our responsibilities, not to be too silly. But he doesn’t treat us like young school children — he knows we are adults and that we are reasonable and responsible enough to look after ourselves.

“I think everyone enjoys the hospital visits. You get a real sense of well-being, which is nice. I visited a hospital last year and we were in the children’s unit. Having a little girl myself — and we’ve just added a little boy to our family — I was really taken aback to see the kids in there.

“It knocked me for six almost. You see them with a little smile on their face when you present them with a little bag of goodies.

“It’s a real sense of…well you feel you have done something really good. The lads are more than willing to do their bit and make more than one visit. We are all happy to do numerous visits to see the young children.”

Photo: Action Images

wellhungphil added 17:34 - Dec 15 "free to concentrate on a testing run of games through to 2017" Things are sure to heat up once we get promoted in May 2016, that's for sure. ;-)
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