Jens Cajuste feels Ipswich Town’s 1-0 home loss to Crystal Palace will prove to be ‘just a bump in the road’ on their way to achieving Premier League survival.

The Blues had gone into Tuesday’s fixture, broadcast as the first of Amazon Prime Video’s midweek takeover, neck-and-neck with the Eagles on nine points.

But a deft Jean Philippe-Mateta angled finish on 59 minutes saw Oliver Glasner’s side travel back to South London with a precious three Premier League points to move them away from the bottom three.

The narrow defeat, with the returning Jacob Greaves having seen a header come back off the post after falling behind, saw the Blues’ winless home run on the club’s long-awaited return to the Premier League extend to seven matches.

Napoli loanee Cajuste said: “It felt like we started to come into the game in the second half and then conceded from nothing really, so it's incredibly frustrating.”

Put to the Swedish international that it must have left a flat dressing room, he said: “Yes, but I think it's still a tight-knit group and everybody supports each other through thick and thin. We know there are so many more games to come, so it's just a bump in the road.”

The 25-year-old admitted his side’s display lacked the intensity seen in their previous home game against Manchester United where a 1-1 draw had been the least they deserved, but felt there was a reason behind that.

“Yes, I think it's a different game,” he said. “It's a different team with different tactics. They didn't really press us as high as United did. 

“It's difficult to analyse the games so soon after the final whistle, but yes, we definitely lacked a bit of intensity.”

With Town having gone into the game knowing a win would have lifted them clear of the relegation zone and put three points between themselves and a survival rival, the game had taken on extra significance ahead of kick-off.

But central midfielder Cajuste feels it is far from a disaster to come away from the game empty-handed.

“There are still so many games to go, it's still early and there's time,” he said, “but, of course, we wanted to win this game a little bit extra. But it didn't go our way this time.”

Sunday sees AFC Bournemouth make the trip to Suffolk and Cajuste says the players will be giving their all to bounce back with the victory the home fans have been desperate to see arrive. 

“We've got to go out and give everything we've got, there's nothing else to it,” he said. It will come. “It's a matter of time.”

With just four days in between the two home games, he added: “I think it's better to have less time to ponder and reflect on it. So definitely it's nice to have games so short between each other.”

Cajuste has now started four games alongside Sam Morsy in the heart of the midfield, following Kalvin Phillips’s suspension after a red card against Leicester City which was followed by an ankle injury.

And the player who has a Haitian-American father and a Swedish mother, having been born in Gothenburg, has been enjoying his run in the side at a club he has quickly grown fond of.

“I've said it before, I think it's a great team and great club,” he said. “Everything around it is fantastic. And, of course, on nights like this you're a little bit frustrated, but I'm very, very happy with the team.”

Photo: Russell Claydon

ChrisFelix added 09:55 - Dec 4 It was frustrating for us fans. Against the giants of Palace Burns looks an average Championship player & it was only after Hutchinson was moved out right that we threatened. A midfield 2 which was over run & over powered. We have a very talented player in Delap but he was badly isolated & the ref wasn't going to him anything
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ThaiBlue added 10:02 - Dec 4 Cajuste had a decent game surprised he came off.we are never going to score going backwards all the time.please get Burgess back asap.
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ITFCson added 10:03 - Dec 4 Really is a class player, lets hope soon he's fully fit and can regularly do 90 mins
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ArnieM added 10:09 - Dec 4 Too many players simply not good enough at this level. In truth we got promoted a season or two, too early.. Once again we've failed to turn up against a team in our " mini league". These are teams we must be beating to stand any chance of survival. After last night I sm now of the view we will not survive. McKenna needs to own that defeat because his team selection and subs were highly questionable, and not for the first time either. Don't be surprised if Szmoducs asks for a transfer. Ridiculous to not play him last night yet bring on a League, unproven player above that level, when we had a 30 goal + striker sat on the bench. What was McKenna thinking??

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Help added 10:09 - Dec 4 We lacked so much in the final third. We need to start creating more chances and then scoring, but not anywhere near there yet. Somehow we seem to be more defensive minded, or that we are really struggling to cope with established premier teams. The passing of palace at times last night was like watching us last year. Slick, fast and to a player who was exactly where they were supposed to be. We looked laboured and slow of movement.

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DinDjarin added 10:10 - Dec 4 Delap gave the ball up too easily when he had options to retain possession and they countered and scored from it
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ArnieM added 10:47 - Dec 4 We're missing Hirst massively. Delspnis nowhere close to being the hold up player Hirst is. Delap likes to simply run at defenders. We needed far more guile up front klast night than that. Jack clarke triez to beat the whole opposition on his own ( as does Delap at times). Its naive. Ladt noght id have had, Delap... Szmodics..... Chaplin....Omari
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Barty added 10:48 - Dec 4 Thought he was our best player last night. Too many below performances and lack of urgency. My optimism for staying up is wearing rather thin as this was a game we simply had to win.We need to recruit well in January to stand any chance of survival. Still love my club though.
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Gforce added 11:07 - Dec 4 Whatever happens this season,I really hope we can keep Cajuste,has been a class performer. If we do eventually go down, build the team around him,for next season.
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johnwarksshorts added 11:43 - Dec 4 After defeating Spurs, posts on here were full if praise. Now apparently we're not goid enough. Yes it was a disappointing defeat but there's a long way to go.
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IPSWICHMOUSE added 12:03 - Dec 4 How quickly some supporters turn eh!! Yes , it was frustrating & yes , it was a below par performance for a home game , but this is football & we have to take it & move on...Everyone was crowing when we beat Spurs & nearly had Man U's pants down...We will win matches we thought we wouldn't & vice versa this sason without a doubt...We will stay up by the skin of our teeth , but that will do for me...Recruit in Jan & we will be ok & become a Palace / Forest type team & stay for the considerable future....COYB...ITID...

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ChingShady added 12:04 - Dec 4 I hope we stay up simply so we can keep Cajuste, he's been class recently. He seems to be growing in each game, can drive the ball forward once he opens up the space for himself. KP might be warming that bench most of the season.
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ipswichboi added 12:06 - Dec 4 Keep plugging away boys. Also, there was likely a reason Sammy didn't come on, minor knock/niggle/fatigue. That said, Jan cannot come fast enough, we clearly lack the necessary depth in a number or positions (RWF, ST, CAM, RB).
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tractorboybig added 12:56 - Dec 4 ipswichmouse you need to live in the real world
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ChestnutSe added 12:58 - Dec 4 Yes we struggled a bit last night but we had some good performances around the pitch and I don’t recall Palace having many goal attempts (apart from the goal which was an unfortunate slip by Greavsie). They scored and we hit the post, that was the sum of the highlights I think. Nothing much between the teams so need need to panic. It’s all fine margins (another 1-0). We are not being stuffed every week, we are competitive. It’s just another game, plenty of points still to play for and no need to panic. I thought at the start of the season it would probably go to the last game and I will take that as success if we can still be in it at the last game. Thought the defence played well last night. Harry did well enough but Tuanzebe is better for us but injured. We looked better with Omari wide and Chappers at no 10. Clarke looks like he can cause problems with his running and dribbling, just needs to maybe move the ball a bit sooner. Delap ran his heart out but playing against a very solid defence. We never really got past the full backs except when Omari went wide and put a lovely ball across the goal. Midfield were ok and looked ok still when Taylor came on. Broadhead looked lively as well when he came on. I suspect some of the lads not playing last night are nursing some injuries, KM has to utilise his whole squad and I’m prepared to admit he probably knows better than me which team he can put out.

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londonben added 13:08 - Dec 4 ArnieM - funny how after the Utd game you posted “We're not out of place at this level are we!” and now we lose a couple of close games and you’re calling for half the squad to be sold, and suggesting that Szmodics, a guy we’ve given a first chance at playing in the prem at the age of 28 after one good championship season, will be “asking for a transfer in Jan”. The fact that we are even competing at this level is an incredible achievement. This time two years ago, we conceded in 90+6 to draw 1-1 with Fleetwood Town. Now you’re angry that we lost 1-0 to a club that made almost as much money selling one player (Olise) than we spent on our entire transfer window last summer. Pack in the melodramatic whinging and get behind the boys. Even if we go down, we’ve had an incredible run and the signings we’ve made are young and exciting, and should allow us a great chance to bounce straight back up and stabilise in the prem. COYB <3

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cymroglas added 13:28 - Dec 4 Cajuste was our best player until he went off. I would have kept him on but in KM I trust. Disappointing performance yes...but we will play better and that home win will come. Fine margins again....Greaves will be disappointed with the goal and at the other end that his header hit the post. If we had secured a point the posts on here would be considerably different. Lets move on now to the Bournemouth game....

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Jugsy added 14:45 - Dec 4 I'm with ArnieM on us being promoted too early, but I'm certainly not disappointed that we're here. It's a tough old league, Palace are scrapping at the bottom like when we played Lincoln in League One, set up to frustrate us and stop us playing. We'll develop and get better but certainly we are carrying a number of players who aren't quite equipped for this level.
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Linkboy13 added 14:47 - Dec 4 Yes Cajuste was neat and tidy but dosent really look a creative goal threat we tend to rely on Hutchinson, Delap and Davis.
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terryf added 17:13 - Dec 4 So when is a good time to get promoted? Lets face it we have all enjoyed the journey but always knew that we had to recruit heavily and it would take time to regroup. Established Teams have the luxury of only needing to tweak one or two positions so we are playing catchup. Injuries to key players have also not helped us so yes we will need to recruit again. The Premiership has certainly got harder over the years and to some extent has become an elitest division! We may or may not survive this season, so good or bad days lets just enjoy the ride.

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KMcBlue added 18:00 - Dec 4 I think at the moment we need Chappers in the 10 to link play. His vision is better than Omari's. At least whilst Hirst is out. Omari on the right, and Szmods or Broady left
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ArnieM added 18:03 - Dec 4 Londonben: funny how we have failed to COMPETE with those sides relegation threatened. How do you explain this, and were you happy with last nights tram selection and performance?
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ArnieM added 18:19 - Dec 4 Edit. Of course another school of thought could be McKenna's approach is flawed? The slow build up in play out from the bavk is expected by our opponents ( Palace didn't press 7s did they!) They just sat bavk and waiting. We time and again having found no way through passed the ball all the way back to Muric and laborious tried to build again. Consider Delpas strongest aspect of his game is running at defenders with the ball either at his feet,or running o to the ball. So why onnearth not get the ball up to him quicker?? Or if our w8ngers get on the ball that they manage a half decent crosses into the box for him to attack? Burns xidnt get a decent crosses into the box all night. Omari put in more crosses in 10 mins once he'd gone wide right. Thus has been the case in other games too. So why not utilise O.aro wide right instead of Burns? Why not vary our approach ....eg plan B . Does McKenna have the willingness or ability to ADAPT his approach at this level, it'd a question btw not a criticism. But one I'm asking others on here

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Linkboy13 added 20:48 - Dec 4 McKenna did fantastically well to get us promoted last season with a average bunch of players and i find it laughable that people on here are criticising his tactics and team selection. He's been dealt a very poor hand in the transfer market with players that are not much better than last season's squad and we paid well over the odds for them. Delap, Morsy. Hutchinson Davis are all decent Cajuste is improving and Phillips dosent seem in the right frame of mind to me.

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mathiemagic added 12:18 - Dec 5 I am not sure that some of the comments about fans "Turning" against the team are justified. It is just a matter of seeing the reality. With a fully fit squad then I think were capable of survival but its when we get injuries to key players and we have no one of similar quality to come in for them is where the cracks start to appear. Many of the team that got us promoted are just not Premier League standard. We take Delap off and bring on a L1 level striker. There has been no lack of effort or willingness to give their all for the team in any of the games so far but the quality is just not there its sad to say. Just hope there will be three worse sides come the end of May.

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