The current Town squad is stronger than its equivalent in 2012, when the club was also bottom of the table and under new management, according to skipper Luke Chambers.

The Blues’ present plight has more than a passing resemblance to the situation back then as Mick McCarthy took over a team with seven points from 13 games, while the side inherited this week by new boss Paul Lambert are on the nine-point mark having played 15 games.

McCarthy was appointed on November 1st and two days later steered the Blues to a 1-0 away victory over Birmingham City.

If Lambert can achieve a similar result on Saturday at home to fellow strugglers Preston North End it will provide an immediate and significant boost to the club’s chances of avoiding the drop into English football’s third tier for the first time in 62 years.

Long-serving skipper Chambers can see the parallels, admitting: “We had a few leaders back then, which was one of our strengths, but players like Richie Wellens and Nigel Reo-Coker, who were here when Mick came in, weren’t here for too long afterwards. He brought in Championship players, honest lads like what we’ve got here now.

“The squad we have now is better than that of 2012 — that’s my opinion — and we just need to find that belief, getting back to basics and having that black and white situation where everyone knows their jobs, no matter what happens, no matter where the ball is on the pitch. We’re going out to face Preston on Saturday much better prepared.

“We still have the right characters in the dressing room and this is a hell of a lot better place to play your football.

“There is better ability in the club and I think a lot of it is about just having belief in yourself. Okay, you might make a mistake but don’t make three or four. Back yourself to go again.

“The new manager has made no secret of the fact that he is going to back every single one of us.

“Obviously, if you make a glaring mistake, he’s going to tell you. But you know you’ve got his support and we’ll all be moving in the same direction.”

Chambers recalled how McCarthy made a winning start to his Ipswich career, adding: “It would be nice if the new manager could start like that as well. Six years ago we had a good season in the end and I think we averaged something like two points a game under Mick.

“It was one of those seasons where all our rivals also seemed to be winning and we needed to get more than 54 points to stay up. That was crazy but we might need to do the same again this time.

“The lads are positive and if you were here all the time you wouldn’t believe that things are as dire as they really are.

“The first few days have given everyone their belief back. When we won at Swansea we hoped we had turned the corner and then we went and lost two winnable games against QPR and Millwall.

“That ended up knocking the lads for six and we know we need to get something out of the games coming up against Preston and Reading. It doesn’t matter who you play in the Championship — top, bottom or mid-table — we need to get points out of the games.

“We’ll be set up in a way where we know what to do and when to do it, and that’s all that can be asked of us as a squad.

“Everyone wants to be entertained and that’s what we want to do, but there will be times when we are going to have to grind out a win.

“I cannot speak highly enough of our fans in the 15 games so far. I think they came in with so much optimism at the start of the season and backed us fully. Look at the way over 2,000 went to Millwall and backed us even when things weren’t going well.

“It was remarkable and it shows we probably have one of the best away supports in the country, not just the Championship.

“If they can continue to do that for us and back us at home, where we haven’t had the best of form over the past few months, I think we can have a good few months between Saturday and the end of the season.

“Our home form has festered for the last couple of years, a lot of people have made their opinions known and we find ourselves in the situation we are now in.

“The fans wanted a change at the football club and let’s not beat about the bush; it’s been going on for about 18 months now.

“You’re playing at home and you can feel the negative energy a little bit, as opposed to the days when we were hearing ‘Ole, ole, we’re the Tractor Boys, let’s make some noise’. Those days seem quite far away now.

“We need to get back to that. It’s us against the world now. Even if there are a few mistakes, stay behind the team.

“We’re going to work our socks off to give the fans something to cheer about because I don’t think we have done so far. We’ve got to take it on the chin but it’s not easy going home at night.

“People can say footballers have the best job in the world and they get well paid, but it can be very lonely at times and that’s where it’s been for me and everyone else over the past few weeks.

“I don’t expect everyone to listen to my words and think everything’s changed. It’s a difficult position for me because if we don’t get a result on Saturday people can say ‘You can talk all you want’. But we’ve had a good week so far and we’re going to come out fighting against Preston.

“There’s no hiding place for anyone now. We’ve got a manager who has come in and he’s very, very honest. If he’s got something to say to us it will be kept in-house. It’s a united front and the boys have responded well to the messages that have been sent out.”

Photo: TWTD

shefkuqi32 added 09:08 - Nov 2 Sorry Luke, but that is utter BS.
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StringerBell added 09:12 - Nov 2 Nurse, bring the meds
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Matt_Portman added 09:13 - Nov 2 regardless of the wider squad. The Squad MM inherited had DJ Campbell, Chopra and Murph. This side has no goal threat at all.
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PositivelyPortman added 09:16 - Nov 2 In truth you should've all ‘been working your socks off' for PH too. Here's hoping we can grab a win to set the ball rolling. COYB.
5

martin587 added 09:19 - Nov 2 I like your optimism Luke,but for the past 15 games we have been dire.You are obviously blaming the previous management and there tactics and not the players.! I'm a bit confused with your comments.Is it possible you can elaborate.🤔
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ParisBlue added 09:21 - Nov 2 Cresswell or Knudsen....?
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StringerBell added 09:29 - Nov 2 Murphy / Campbell vs Sears / Jackson. Mmmm.....
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TB42 added 09:30 - Nov 2 Actions not words Luke ....
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BlueySwede added 09:31 - Nov 2 I think Luke talks a lot of sense. Yeah, you could argue that the squad that McCarthy took over was perhaps stronger in quality, but maybe the team spirit is better now? I really do hope that the crowd gets behind the team for the next five or six games, regardless of results. Booing and sighing will do the players no good at all. The only time I think that booing is ok is if players are simply not trying, and I don´t think that is the case with this team. COYB!

2

StuartBrett8 added 09:35 - Nov 2 He's hardly gonna turn round and say the current squad is sh*t is he?
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BlueySwede added 09:35 - Nov 2 TB42...so you think all players should turn down being interviewed at the moment? Until they win?
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SouperJim added 09:39 - Nov 2 For pity's sake just get behind the team you bunch of keyboard warriors
6

Surco72 added 09:44 - Nov 2 MM inherited a better squad than he and Hurst left , but that is not a blame to either manager it is years of under spending and selling off players by the chairman . Hurst was on to a loser straight away with 4 of our best players leaving before he played a competitive game
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Taricco_Fan added 09:52 - Nov 2 Respectfully disagree. McCarthy had a bit more quality and experience to work with. Lambert inherits a squad with half a dozen players still trying to find their feet at Championship level and no obvious candidate to lead the line. McCarthy found a squad in disarray and in need of organisation. Lambert needs to organise and find a way to make these players step up, and fast.

5

TB42 added 10:16 - Nov 2 BlueSwede - with respect, you have totally misunderstood my comments. I am sure, especially as captain, Luke will get a lot of exposure in the media and of course, he has to speak with them. However, his performances this season, whether you like it or not, have not been exactly convincing or consistent and that is not all down to Paul HURST who unequivocally seems to be the fall guy for ALL our ills at the moment. I do like Luke and ordinarily have a lot of time for him, he has been a stalwart for the club for a long time but he needs to demonstrate his commitment on the pitch, not just in media interviews.

1

Guthrum added 10:16 - Nov 2 Chambers was in both squads, so he should know better than most.
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geminimustang added 10:27 - Nov 2 Deluded! MM performed a miracle and I sincerely hope PL does too.However,the quality isn't there and PL should be knighted if he pulls this escape off.Total respect to ME and his millions but to back PH on his suicide mission was surprising,Shocking even!
2

Scuzzer added 11:00 - Nov 2 Sorry Chambo...I think you are out on your own there. This, in my opinion, is far inferior in terms of the most important asset a team should have, technical ability. In this area we are woeful.
1

prebbs007 added 11:04 - Nov 2 It cant be stronger Chambo.....YOU'RE still in it !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
1

Edmundo added 11:22 - Nov 2 "If he's got something to say to us it will be kept in-house. It's a united front". I think that was the most important part of that interview: We all need to get behind the team. Otherwise we're not supporters, we're customers. I know what I'd rather be called. COYB
1

Orraman added 11:36 - Nov 2 Chambers is a great leader and we must remember that during his entire time here he has been played out of position He is a RCB so is it any real surprise he makes mistakes. He has always had to move to accommodate others
2

davidsc1971 added 12:45 - Nov 2 Well how reassuring. We'll be just dandy then #icallBS
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Henrietta_R_Hippo added 12:47 - Nov 2 Frankly personally tired of picking on Chambo myself, who as a whole has been (as in PAST tense!) a great servant to this club for many years but not only does he continue to put himself in the spotlight and not too brightly lately imho! Meaning besides his sadly too frequently recurring calamitous defending, certainly also with*some* of these interviews and occasional personal public relations broadsides, regardless of whether they are entirely voluntary or somewhat involuntary (he is our Captain after all isn't he) ..... but the main reason for me opting to post today is really this: Hmmm why exactly does some fans downvote @TB42's simple & concise post of 09.42 "Actions not words (Luke)..." which of course is a well-known alternative way of refraining the eons old (originated around 1628 or there about) idiom -- AND widely today considered an axiom too btw! Especially as seen resonated by great modern time civil rights leaders like Gandhi, Martin Luther King etc. -- "Actions speaks louder than words"??? 1) Is it because those fans think there is somehow certain individual exemptions to this otherwise Golden Rule, and our inferred deeply revered maestro 'Chambo The Great Fist Pumper' being one of these odd exemptions? 2) Or is it because those fans think Chambo "actions" ON THE FIELD thus far this season has *already* largely been beyond awesome, just about flawless & last but not least TRULY "leading by example"??? LOL... This despite the majority of the team way too often blatantly obvious lacking both morale & guidance in-game when things don't go according "to plan", and more concerning having himself an unmistakable LACKLUSTER average twtd rating of 5.02! and oh perhaps most concerning: To the best of my recollection 'Captain Calamity' being directly negatively implicated or otherwise at minimum partly to blame some way or another in at least a solid handful of the lofty 21 goals we have conceded thus far! In other words, overall just yet another case of 'em epoxy-glued-on bluetinted spectacles being ever so firmly affixed I gather :-) :-)

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ihatecanaries added 14:58 - Nov 2 What complete and utter crap, Luke as well as being useless at footballer you are also an idiot
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grinch added 18:40 - Nov 2 it's an honest opinion from a player that was in both squads he will know better than most the squad needs organising and trained more effectively and Lambert seems the right fit to make that happen not changing the team each game would be a start and coach them correctly would also be good let's see what happens in next couple of months so much more positivity at PR at moment let's use that and get behind

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