The team spirit and unity that was well to the fore as Town clinched a play-off place two seasons ago is still alive and kicking, goalkeeper Bartosz Bialkowski has been quick to insist.

Such prominent qualities alone will never be enough but at a time when manager Mick McCarthy’s squad lacks the multi-million pound signings made by several of their contemporaries it is key to their attempt to recreate the success achieved in the memorable 2014/15 campaign when they finished in sixth place.

Bialkowski said: “A few players have been released but most of the starting XI has stayed the same and it has always been the case here that the togetherness in the dressing room has been very good. We are a very close group, all friends with each other, and I think you need that.

“We have a few new additions for the new season and they are top guys as well. Every single dressing room is the same and it is no different here. We have a specific type of banter in the dressing room that brings all the lads together. I’m into the British banter now but when I first came to England I couldn’t understand anything.

“It’s just like Polish, you need to pick up the slang, but now I love it. I’m sure every dressing room around the world is the same — you give each other a little bit of stick and you have to take it as well. We’ve got our own WhatsApp group but we don’t want anything to be leaked!

“Every single one of us wants to be successful and wants to bring success to Ipswich. We are desperate for some success and this club deserves it. We truly believe it’s going to be the case this season.”

That is quite a bold claim from the Pole after such a frustrating 2015/16 season that culminated in Town’s worst end-of-season finish, 16th, in 58 years and a level of dissatisfaction among fans illustrated in the worst way possible when an estimated 2,000 of them declined the opportunity to renew their season tickets for the new campaign that gets under way on Saturday when Birmingham City come to town.

Bialkowski’s big hope for the new season is that players and those supporters who have stayed loyal to the cause will come together over the next few months to recreate a feel-good factor that might prompt at least some of the detractors to return.

He added: “There are always question marks before the season starts. As a fan I think you just need to get behind the team, get behind the lads and show them the support. They have been brilliant with us and we know we didn’t play a lot of entertaining football last season.

“We are trying to change that and we need the fans behind us. We need to get back to the season before when Portman Road was a fortress. It was always hard for teams to come here and get something out of the game. If we are going to get back to that we need the fans’ support.

“It is not a question of trying to prove people wrong. We know that as a team we didn’t perform as well as we wanted to last season and we need to change that. We have been on holiday to clear our heads and now we are back with fresh minds, ready for the new season.”

Photo: TWTD

christiand added 16:57 - Aug 3 It's like the chicken and egg scenario. Is it the team's responsibility to get the fans behind the them or the fans to fire up the team? After last season, I feel the onus is very much on the team to get the fans back on side. Lets hope they deliver. Bart is right, it's about time we had some success at Portman Road for all our sakes!!
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Surco72 added 17:48 - Aug 3 How many players actually improve from when they first arrive or break into squad under MM and TCS training and coaching ? It doesn't matter what team spirit you have if you do not improve as a team or individuals technically
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Ryorry added 17:51 - Aug 3 Good to hear :) G'luck for the coming season Bart & lads [thumbs]
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