Town midfielder Jack Taylor believes the Blues’ first win of the season will take care of itself but admitted it would be a big confidence boost when it arrives.

The Blues are without a victory since their Premier League return but remain outside the relegation zone after seven matches having accumulated four points so far this season.

Town return to Portman Road this weekend to face fellow strugglers Everton, with the Toffees currently just one place and one point above the Blues in the early-season standings.

Taylor says a first victory would be a monkey off their backs, but emphasised that the focus is on performing well and that results should come with that.

“We’re more focused on the performance because if you perform well then nine times out of 10 the result will follow,” he said.

“It would obviously be nice to get that first win and hopefully that does come tomorrow afternoon. It will kick on and hopefully we’ll get momentum from that first win.

“It will be big, playing well in it would be more important. To play well and win a game would top it off for us because I think we are performing quite well in spells of games and we’ve deserved to pick up more points than we have. It will be special and momentum will hopefully swing our way.”

Looking ahead to Saturday’s important visit of the Toffees, Taylor is aware of the quality they possess and knows that each game in the Premier League brings its own challenges.

The midfielder also highlighted the importance of the Portman Road crowd, which the former Peterborough United man is grateful for and hopes can swing the game in the Blues’ favour.

“We know they’ve got really good individual quality, especially at the top end of the pitch,” he said of the Merseyside outfit. “All games in the Premier League are going to be different whether you’re away to Fulham or at home to Liverpool or Everton who we’ve got tomorrow.

“We’re ready for all tests, it’s going to be a good game that we want to try and control everything to be in our favour.

“We’re such a strong force, especially at Portman Road. The fans definitely bring an atmosphere and it does help the team with them behind us, no matter what is happening they’re going to get behind us.

“It’s always good to be at home and put on a show for our home fans.”

Taylor has previously outlined his own personal targets, one of which was to make his debut for the Republic of Ireland and another to make his Premier League debut.

Having spoken about these to manager Kieran McKenna, Taylor said: “It’s all coming true, I should have them chats more often. You’ve got to have aspirations, you can’t just be happy with where you’re at.

“It’s happened quicker than everyone expected the club to be in, but it just shows the job that everyone in the building has done so long may it continue.”

Having now achieved both feats, Taylor was asked what was next. After featuring five times in the top flight this season as a substitute, the 26-year-old is now targeting his first Premier League start.

He said: “I think just to make myself an established Premier League football player. I still haven’t started a game yet so hopefully that comes soon enough. If I play well then I’ve got to fight for my shirt because there’s a lot of competition in the squad this year.

“It’s a really interesting time for me that I need to work hard and work as hard as I ever have before because I’ve not been at this level before. Hopefully once that start does come I can stay in the team.

“That’s what I’m here for, I want to play football matches. If it’s coming off the bench or starting a game, I’m going to give my everything for the shirt and for the team and hopefully I can make a big impact on the squad this year.”

Reflecting on his Premier League debut, where he played 25 minutes off the bench in the Blues’ opener against Liverpool, Taylor said it was a dream come true.

“It was really special and it’s something you dream of since you’re a kid,” he said. “It was a really special moment coming on against a team like Liverpool, it was so special. But at the end of the day it’s our job and we’ve got to compete at this level this year to try and get as many points on the board as we can.

“I’m pretty relaxed with things like that. Looking back I do get some goosebump moments, especially towards the end of my career I’ll look back and think that was a really special moment. My family and everyone was so happy for me.”

Manchester City loanee Kalvin Phillips has joined up with Town’s midfield unit this summer and Taylor has spoken about the impact the England international has had on the group since his arrival.

“First and foremost he’s a really good lad,” he said. “He’s not this big star that everyone might have perceived him as, he’s such a good lad. He’s such a professional as well, he shows everyone his levels of how hard he trains and recovers for games.

“It’s a delight to have him on and he’s embedding himself in the squad really well and long may that continue.”

Phillips is not the only newcomer to the Blues midfield, with Napoli loanee and Sweden international Jens Cajuste also coming into an area of the field that has captain Sam Morsy and Massimo Luongo there too.

Taylor says the new arrivals in his position have not put him off and instead made him hungrier to succeed, stating that the added competition is what is needed in a strong squad.

He said: “You want competition to make the squad healthy and make everyone be able to compete at the highest level, so it keeps everyone on their toes.

“But we’re all good lads and we understood coming up we were going to invest in some new players so I knew it was coming. As long as I focused on myself, that’s all you can do and work as hard as you can and the rewards will follow.”

Photo: TWTD

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