Ben Johnson feels the Town squad have done the club proud this season, despite the Blues’ impending relegation to the Championship.

Sunday’s 2-2 draw with Chelsea leaves Town 14 points from safety with just six league matches remaining, meaning it is a matter of when, not if, the Blues’ fate is eventually sealed.

Kieran McKenna’s side have climbed two divisions in as many years following back-to-back promotions into the richest league on the planet, and Johnson says the players can take pride in the effort shown during what has been a difficult campaign.

“We have to win our games, we can only focus on what we do and not look at the other results,” the wing-back said following the point at Stamford Bridge. “Just enjoy it, come to these stadiums, play the best and do as well as we can.

“We’ve done extremely well this season considering how much everyone spends and the quality of players. We’ve tried our best, I don’t think we’ve been at fault at all this season.

“I think we’ve done the club proud and there’s been some highs and lows. But it’s the best league in the world and playing against the best in the world so it’s not easy. I feel like we’ve gone toe-to-toe and hopefully we can continue that.

“You’re playing against the best in the world, literally some of the world’s best players playing. We’ve got to play against another of the world’s best teams next week [Arsenal], so it’s not easy.

“I feel like we can rise to the challenge, I feel that we have done a lot this season but we’ve come off the back of some results and that happens. It happens to every team, it’s about how we’ve bounced back and I feel like the squad’s done brilliantly.”

Town went close to securing a league double over Chelsea when they raced into a two-goal lead following first half goals from Julio Enciso and Johnson before ultimately being pegged back.

Along with netting his first goal for the club, Johnson is pleased for his run in the side having started each of the last three Premier League games on the right of the front four.

He said: “I’m really enjoying it. It’s hard work, of course, because a lot of the time we probably don’t have a lot of the ball.

“That’s what we work on during the week – we work on having the ball, we work on not having the ball knowing that there’s going to be times in the game where we’re going to have to suffer. I enjoy that part of the game and that gets you the points.

“Playing football, the job we have is a privilege, we’re living a lot of boys’ dreams. We want to do it with a lot of heart and a lot of courage, we’ve got great support so that gives us that extra yard.

“We’ll see what happens. I’m an Ipswich Town player so I want to focus on that towards the end of the season and come back in pre-season. I’ll just enjoy my football.”

Town’s immediate relegation back to the second tier could be mathematically confirmed as early as this weekend’s visit of Arsenal if all results go against the Blues.

While there is an acceptance that this season will end in disappointment, Johnson dismissed suggestions that might lead to the team playing with more freedom than in previous matches.

“I don’t think so,” he argued. “We came here with an identical game plan that we’ve had all season against all the other teams.

“We’ve got so many new players at the start of the season, we spent a lot of money trying to put the pieces together and I think it takes time. Like anything, you don’t just click straight away.

“Of course, now it might be a bit too late, but I think we’ve put together a good side and a good squad that’s going to put us in good stead for now and next season. We’ll keep pushing and focusing on what we can do.”

On his relationship with right-back Axel Tuanzebe, Johnson added: “It’s not been ideal when Axel hasn’t played. I help him, he helps me, and I think it’s a good partnership. Hopefully we can continue that until the end of the season.”

With the Gunners’ clash at Portman Road next on the fixture calendar, Johnson is hoping to embrace the final few weeks of the season by standing up to the challenge some of the top sides in the Premier League will pose.

The 25-year-old said: “They’re coming off the amazing result against Real Madrid. Again, it’s the opportunities that we want to seize and want to play and look forward to playing against them.”

Matchday Images - REUTERS/Dylan Martinez

timetraveler added 12:16 - Apr 15 It’s all a matter of perspective as to whether the club spent wisely. We spent around £130m I believe. Yet I read somewhere that Chelsea’s two centre backs cost (or valued) at more than that. We probably spent close to our PSR limit. How would the team promoted from league one and championship have performed with no reinforcements? Would we have been any better spending £130m on 2 or 3 established premiership players even if they would come to a newly promoted club likely to be relegated. Basically we will never know. I think the team had in the main performed well apart from a few games but the quality of the opposition both in terms of skill and physicality was beyond us A v leap to far too soon perhaps

2

blues1 added 14:18 - Apr 15 Carberry. No, Butcher wouldnt have said that. Bcse he didnt get relegated in a team that had been out of the top flight for 22 years,with many of the squad, from lge1. Nor did they get relegated from a lge anywhere near as hard as the pl is today. So that's a,daft comparison to make.
1

ChrisR added 16:23 - Apr 15 No they have not . Gave 4 points to Southampton , 2nd worst ever premier side , and we were well beaten by Wolves , those 2 wins would have given us a chance , but we were not even close . We dont have the physical presence and 90 minute stamina needed to compete at this level. Must get a decent keeper and hope to keep Delap to stand a chance next season. .
1

Bazza8564 added 17:29 - Apr 15 I like Johnson as a player, he is improving as people say. Some of the later comments on here are laughable though. Terry Butcher played in a team that had 25 years of top division continuity, at a much lower level than now. We've had 25 years of the opposite. We spent all the money we could and will have a fantastic squad on which to build in the summer and when we bounce back. The PL level we have been asked to perform at this season is light years ahead of the PL we played in 2000-2, and let's not even talk about the Robson years, that division was laughable in comparison to nowadays. Have we wasted opportunities this season? Yep, undoubedly Did the club plan the expenditure this season with a likely bounce in mind, buying young high potential with long contracts? Undoubtedly Will we sell Delap, Undoubedly, and we can still get more than the release clause, thats where bidding will start. Someone talked about money wasted on Julio, well hes been a breath of fresh air at times and hes only a loan player. Id have him here next season no doubt. Muric has been poor, but when you lose faith in him in the first 20 minutes and slaughter him all season what do you expect? People really expected our league one players to be able to compete at this level? Thats a joke,. In truth there were far better sides in the Championship than us last year but we managed the impossible. This season we have paid the price. But with a couple of big fees coming we will have 50-60m to spend on reinforcements and a shed load of players on 5 year contracts who we paid great money for to get us back up who we have no need to sell. Fans who should be moaning this season, West Ham, Wolves, Spurs and Man United. We should be overjoyed we had a year, built a brilliant squad and will be back because we didnt gamble the whole show on making it in one season. I like this site, Phils reporting and the news is excellent, but some of the comments make Trump look plausible

1

algy added 17:43 - Apr 15 I'm afraid Bazza you've lost any credibility you might have with your blatant ignorance of facts. "25 years of top division continuity" indeed. Next time do some basic research before you post things you know nothing about.
-2

Bazza8564 added 17:46 - Apr 15 Algy, ok so it was 23 between 63-86, i was two years out
1

Carberry added 19:47 - Apr 15 I'm talking about character, personality and empathy with supporters, real pride in pulling on the shirt. If Terry Butcher was playing in that team this season he would never have come out with such a ridiculous statement that some of you are happy to lap up. And to hear it from a player who has contributed very little is astonishing, as many sensible people on here can see. Johnson came as a Premier League player and should have brought stability to our defence, however he has started 9 games and looked nowhere near good enough, no wonder West Ham let his contract rundown. And here come the excuses, what a journey we've been on...we bought to be prepared for promotion next season... we'll go straight back up... the Premier League is corrupt. Honestly, stop looking at the Emperor's new clothes.

2

Dozzells_Bobblehat added 22:54 - Apr 15 Carberry . West Ham offered Johnson a 5 year contract .
-2

bluebullet29l added 08:05 - Apr 16 I completely disagree...relegation is nothing to be proud of.
1

algy added 08:41 - Apr 16 Bazza even less credible now. 4 of those seasons we were in the Second Division!!!!
-1

Motown added 11:19 - Apr 16 Bazza, I couldn't agree more with everything you say. Thanks for brining some much-needed rational balance back to the comments. We can be disappointed while still taking pride in where our club is and has come from. I was certainly proud of the team on Sunday As for Johnson, I think he was scapegoated a little for a couple of bad team performances earlier in the season and we can all be slow to revise our opinions on players. I love the way he actually gets up and down the wing, gets balls in rather than cutting back all the time, and isn't afraid to pop up in the six yard box.

1

Dozzells_Bobblehat added 12:49 - Apr 16 Bluebells he didn't say he was proud of relegation . Read the actual comments.
-1

Bazza8564 added 13:59 - Apr 16 Algy, fiar enough, you have your little rant. It's doesnt make a blind bit of difference to anything Ive said about this season, so we had a couple more second division seasons that i thought. Way before Butcher played though, and OH, he played in the relegation season of 1986, left directly after relegation according to wikipidia. Suppose thats not right either? So Johnson is compared to Butcher as both having been relegated, the former after "20ish" seasons in the top flight :) Johnson aint done so bad then! "In 1986, Butcher left Ipswich when they were relegated, and became one of the first 'English invasion' players to join Scottish club Rangers following the appointment of Graeme Souness as manager."

-2

itfc2024 added 14:18 - Apr 16 Johnson is joking right? done the club proud we have been terrible 1 win at home all season is something to be proud off I think not losing to the worse team in the Premier league showing no desire or passion is something to be proud off listen here Johnson your been a poor signing so stick to learning to play football b4 coming out with that rubbish who's gonna come out next and say we've done the club and fans proud delap who's off in the summer or muric who's been a massive failure

2

tractorboybig added 14:33 - Apr 16 the season is a disaster we have failed with a team and manager out of their depth.
6

Carberry added 18:00 - Apr 16 What a patronising person you are Bazza. Unnecessary from someone who doesn't get it.
0

Bazza8564 added 18:57 - Apr 16 Carberry, I think I do get it, Im not defending Johnsons words, just pointing out what I think is obvious, we simply aren't good enough yet to stay in this division. With three more transfer windows we might be, but we were never going to have enough this season, never. People can talk about Terry Butcher all they want, it makes not a jot of difference to the fact we haven't got enough experience across the board at any level to sustain a PL period. Next time (hopefully) we will be better and will have a better shot, but how many times did Fulham take to stay up. The level is miles ahead of what we've got, even after 140m

-1

Carberry added 21:07 - Apr 16 You are missing the point, Bazza. He should never have come out and said it, regardless of all those excuses, we have been relegated in a dismal manner - there's no pride in that.
4

algy added 09:56 - Apr 17 Bazza. 25, 23, 20ish. All wrong!!!!! . Same for years outside the top div. 25? Wrong again!!!!!! . But keep on ranting in ignorance with no credibility. You're very entertaining.
0

Blogs 298 bloggers

Ipswich Town Polls