Centre-half James Wilson insists the Blues are in “a really good place” and believes that if they carry on performing as they did in yesterday’s 0-0 home draw with Oxford United they’ll be “there or thereabouts” come the end of the season.

The Blues dropped a place to 12th as a result of their second successive home stalemate, now six points off the top six and 14 away from the automatic promotion spots.

Asked whether the draw with the U’s was a point won or two lost, Wilson said: “It’s a tough one. I think we deserved to win the game, to be honest. We had some really good chances. But a point’s a point, it’s something to build on.

“I think they’re the in-form team in the league, I thought we had the best chances, so I think that says a lot.

“It’s a bit frustrating but it’s a stepping stone. We’ve just got to take each game as it comes. There’s a lot going on about the place, I think you can all see that. But we’ve got a lot of young boys and we’ve just got to keep going.”

As a centre-half, the Welshman was pleased with the clean sheet: “Yes, of course. That’s exactly what I wanted from today’s game, so really happy with that.”

The 31-year-old was among a number of surprise recalls as manager Paul Lambert made seven changes, the central defender having been out since the Lincoln City trip in October due to a knee problem.

“I’ve been back training for a couple of weeks after my injury,” he said. “I was enjoying training and doing as much as I could in training, so I was hopeful of playing.

“I feel really good. I’ve done loads of fitness work with the physios, so I had two weeks on the grass running and doing fitness work and two weeks’ training, so I was good to go.”

Wilson, who joined the Blues in the summer of 2019 after leaving Lincoln City, revealed he needed surgery on his knee.

“It’s been really frustrating,” he admitted. “I did five or six weeks of rehab and my knee wasn’t right so I had to get an operation, so I had to do the same again, rehab after that.

“It’s been really frustrating but we’ve still got so many games to go, which is lucky, we’ve got 19 games left, so I just want to play as many as possible.”

And he says watching games has been even tougher for injured players this season than it usually is.

“It’s been really hard, even more so this season,” he reflected. “We can’t even come to the games, we’re watching it on iFollow.

“So it’s been frustrating but I think we’re still in a really good place, I know there’s a lot going on, a lot being said but I still think within the dressing room we’re in a really good place.”

Wilson, who says he is “definitely” ready to go again at Hull on Tuesday, says he enjoys playing alongside Toto Nsiala, who also returned to the side yesterday following his hamstring injury.

“I enjoy playing Totes,” he said. “I don’t know if I’ve played with anyone else this season out of the other centre-back boys. But I enjoy playing with Totes, I think we have a good understanding.”

While he, Nsiala and skipper Luke Chambers, who was also back in the side at right-back, added experience to the team on Saturday, Wilson had praise for youngsters Luke Woolfenden, Mark McGuinness and recent new loanee Luke Matheson for their performances.

“I think they’ve done great defensively,” he said. “I think [having] a lot of games has been really tough for them this season, so I think they’ve done great and I think they’ll be back in before long.”

Looking at Town’s current position, despite being six points off the top six, Wilson believes they’re very much in the running.

“We’ve got two games in hand, we need to make them count,” he said. “I think we’re in a really good place, I think if we carry on playing like we did today, we’ll be there or thereabouts.”

He believes one or two wins could really kickstart things and help the Blues to build up some momentum.

“I think so,” he said. “With the number of games we’ve got on Tuesdays, points can quickly tot up. We’ve got to put ourselves in a good position coming into the last five or six games of the season, and I think we can definitely do that.”

Wilson wasn’t overly impressed by Monday’s Blue Action protest, which led to an inadvertent fire caused by a flare and training being suspended for 10 minutes.

“I think it was completely unhelpful, to be honest,” he said. “Obviously the fans have got their opinion, that’s great, but I don’t think that’s the way to go about it.

“Before the Northampton game, I think we had the youngest side we’ve had out all season, so it’s not helpful.”

As that demonstration illustrated, manager Paul Lambert has been under significant pressure, although appears to have been given some breathing space by yesterday’s result and performance against the division’s form side.

Wilson says the players know they have a role in easing that: “It’s our responsibility, we’re the ones out on the pitch. I don’t see anything changing, we’ve just got to keep going, we’ve got to stick together.”

Asked to comment on Kayden Jackson and Jon Nolan being frozen out and made to train with the U23s, he said: “To be fair, it’s nothing to do with us, the decisions that get made like that, it’s nothing to do with us. They’re still our team-mates so we’ve just got to stick with them.

“We’re all in it together, I think they might get a chance later on down the line, you never know.”

Looking ahead to Tuesday’s game at Hull City, who were pegged back to a 3-3 draw in the 12th minute of injury time at Doncaster on Saturday, he said: “They’ve got a lot of talent, so we’ve just got to take it to them and see how we go.”

But he believes if the Blues replicate the display against Oxford then they’re capable of claiming all three points.

“Yes, I think so, I don’t see why not,” he insisted. “Anyone can beat anyone in this league on their day, so if we turn up like we did today, then we’ll have a good chance.”

Photos: TWTD/Matchday Images

MonkeyAlan added 13:01 - Feb 21 There abouts? Who's telling these players to come out and spout this tripe? Evans you Muppet.
4

Skip73 added 13:10 - Feb 21 Only at this pathetic club can they think that this is a really good place. Until they open their eyes and see what a complete mess they are in, will anything improve.
5

jas0999 added 13:14 - Feb 21 The spin coming out of the club is incredible. Anyone would think we've just held Barcelona at home. We failed to score and beat Oxford United. End of. Not good enough and it's even more remarkable that Evans is happy with the current scenario and thinks yesterday was good! Lambert should have been sacked.
11

blues1 added 13:23 - Feb 21 Sospier. Dont necessarily disagree. But players have to do interviews. It's part of the job. So if they're asked a question, all they can do is answer it factually.
1

therein61 added 13:36 - Feb 21 An improved performance maybe but football is quite simple if you don't score goals you don't win games and we need wins not draws!!! all these stalemates will result in us having to win a huge number of games which we are not capable of under the current inept management/coaching set up.
7

sospier added 13:57 - Feb 21 blues1. I just think they should be honest in the interview.We can all see it's not good enough.I just makes them look like puppets.
2

PSGBlue added 14:16 - Feb 21 It's the only thing we are good at the moment, is spouting out this deluded waffle. Come back in a few weeks time once we have played , Hull, Doncaster and Lincoln and see how good your waffle sounds then!
4

Suffolkboy added 14:32 - Feb 21 It's awfully difficult for any interviewee to be put on the spot with leading questions , the answer to which ,from their point , is quite unlikely to accord with the demonstratively negative accounts which reflect the generally despondent opinions . It did look, however, as if the defence was much more of a common mind , and even well coordinated yesterday : credit where it's due . Interesting there were few if any noisy complaints about individual shortcomings , and could it be that some wisdom and experience coupled to better positional knowledge and play reveals a lot about previous shortcomings ? We are not out of the candidacy for promotion yet ( Lord knows how ) so where there's life there's hope ! Come on chaps , let's get chins up ; don't forget the players all need support – be positive wherever ! COYB

1

ringwoodblue added 14:41 - Feb 21 We shouldn't have a go at James. He's been out for months, only returned yesterday and played well. He is just the poor booger that drew the short straw this week to give the post-match player interview.
3

bushhillblue added 14:58 - Feb 21 If we keep scoring 0 cant really see us being thereabouts more waffle
3

dirtydingusmagee added 15:00 - Feb 21 keep playing like that and it will be there or there abouts , yes relegation battle ,fighting for survival in
0

dirtydingusmagee added 15:09 - Feb 21 keep playing like this you will be there or there abouts ,yes in a relegation battle,fighting for survival in lge 1 ffs. I was thinking back last night ,to the good days ,we had teams that played for the shirt, thick or thin , in those days we would be upset if a player was going to be sold [with a few exceptions] we didnt want to see the team broken up . Now to be honest there is NOT ONE PLAYER that i would be bothered about if sold, not one. I think now more than ever this club needs a complete rebuild .

5

tractorboybig added 15:13 - Feb 21 because everyone now laughs at the scottish motor mouth he keeps rolling the muppets out
1

BlueGhost added 15:35 - Feb 21 You are paid to play football, kindly do so
-1

Michael101 added 15:35 - Feb 21 If players told the truth in interviews they would probably get put in the under23s,
4

BangaloreBlues added 16:27 - Feb 21 Oh gosh, I have to add "may of" to the list, on top of "would of" and "should of". It gets worse. And there's only one exclamation mark required at the end of a sentence, not seven. Extra exclamation marks do not make the sentence more exclaimed. And what's this "American consortium" all about? Never heard anything so comical in all my life. Perhaps it's a couple of bored actors who want to compete with Wrexham in the National League. I wonder what the players will be coming out and saying after Tuesday's 5-0 thrashing by Hull? Perhaps that we competed well and should be there or thereabouts. I am guessing they are actually referring to the bottom end of the table.

1

SickParrot added 16:28 - Feb 21 Whilst the players need to remain positive, James choice of words was unfortunate. We are clearly not in a good place. We are 12th in league 1, struggle to score goals and have been so bad that a no score draw at home with Oxford is a good result. 2 points and 1 goal scored in the last 3 games doesn't suggest that we are suddenly good enough to be in or around the playoffs. We would have to beat some top 8 teams to do that! A good outcome for this season is avoiding relegation and Lambert leaving.

0

brendenward35 added 17:45 - Feb 21 Problem is PL will make 6 or 7 changes for next game as he normally does as he hasn't got a clue. So chances of playing like that again is very doubtful
0

Marshalls_Mullet added 17:45 - Feb 21 How will 0-0 draws get us in the play offs?!
2

bluechelmsford9 added 18:12 - Feb 21 Who is responsible for PR training at Ipswich these days? The utter rubbish coming from the mouths of the manager and players astounds me. They are not helping themselves and clearly lack any ambition. To say “there or thereabouts” is a disgrace. The “there” has even changed to the playoffs - I always understood the “there” to be automatic promotion. And now Sunderland have a new owner. This club is sinking quickly and we are in desperate need of a lifeboat.

0

Vanisleblue2 added 18:30 - Feb 21 I like James Wilson and think he should be a regular. Him and Nsiala should be given a run of games now (unless Nsiala gives away penalties again).
1

heathen66 added 19:37 - Feb 21 The club should stop these players doing these interviews. It is not fair on them. What can he honestly say...The managers not got a clue !!!...We haven't got a hope in hell !!!...if we are not careful we will be in a relegation fight !!!...we should play 2 strikers !!! In the current climate it should be the management team only IMO For the record, Wilson has done well for us and had a good game v Oxford, however we should not forget Woolf and McGuiness kept 2 clean sheets in the last 3 and did not really deserve to be dropped !!! It was suggested on this forum, and I agree 100% that Wilson should be made captain. These commanding performances shows leadership by example which has been lacking for a while !!!

1

Nobbysnuts added 19:57 - Feb 21 The latest player to come out talking utter bollox.
-1

dirtydingusmagee added 20:02 - Feb 21 from targeting the Prem from Championship to hoping to build on goalless draws against Northampton and Oxford, in Lge 1 [for the second year] , talking that UP shows how far Evans has taken the club. and STILL some think he saved us. Lambert, been with huge clubs even in Germany! ,cant manage a team in Lge 1 .
0

bobble added 20:31 - Feb 21 if we keep playing like that and drop a place every game we will be relegated...
1

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