Town captain Sam Morsy says the Blues will be defined by how they bounce back following confirmation of their relegation to the Championship.

The Blues have been trending towards the trap door for a number of weeks and their fate was finally confirmed following a 3-0 defeat to Newcastle United at St James’ Park.

“We know the club is on a really forward trajectory and we know there’s a great opportunity to come back,” Morsy said.

“Players are playing for their futures as well and if they want to be on board the train it’s going to have to be hard work, humility and work until the very end of the season.

“The manager and the players won’t accept anyone not putting in those standards and that commitment to the club. That’s what it has to be, especially in the difficult moments. Sometimes in life how you are in the difficult moments will define you in the successful moments.

“It’s unity and sticking together, not just in the good times when we’re getting promoted but in the tough times as well.

“We had a goal and we didn’t achieve it. That’s one we have to own individually and own as a group and come back stronger.

“These periods in players careers can define them and players can go either way. We need to make sure we’re a really strong group and as many of us as possible go the right way.

“It’s life, it’s football, not every season is going to be your season. It’s about how you react to it and your motivation and commitment, that’s going to define you.

“We’re not going to drop our heads too much. It’s going to hurt, we’re disappointed, but we’re going to keep going and stick together until the end of the season.

“The way you are in defeat and in loss is going to define you if you get to the success again. We have to take it on the chin, it happens and come back stronger.”

Despite most accepting that Town were heading towards their destiny, it will not make the mathematical confirmation of their immediate return to the second tier any less painful.

Morsy reflected on what has gone wrong for the Blues this season, who join Leicester City and Southampton in having their fates sealed with four league matches still to play.

He said: “We’re disappointed but the lads have given everything they’ve got and there’s a real hunger to keep going and keep getting points on the board this season.

“It’s obviously disappointing but we did know it was coming and we had a mountain to climb. It’s part of the journey. We haven’t won enough games, we’ve been close but not close enough.

“We’ve been competitive in a lot of games and close in a lot of games, there’s just a lot of fine margins haven’t gone our way this season. If you want to survive, they have to go your way.

“We’ve been close. To survive in the league as a promoted team you need those margins to go your way. Not every one is going to go your way but you need more than your fair share and we haven’t had those moments go our way. That’s why we are where we are.”

In defeat on Tyneside, Town had Ben Johnson sent off during the first half for two yellow cards – the first for simulation and the second for hauling down Alexander Isak.

It marked the fifth red card the Blues have had this season, and Morsy believes his side were competitive up until that point with the hosts ultimately comfortable from that moment onwards.

“In the first 30 minutes we were in the game, we looked really good and comfortable,” the 33-year-old said. “We were right in the game, I thought we started really well and looked a threat.

“I genuinely thought it was going to be a good day for us. We should have the free-kick on the edge of the box, then Johnno gets his first yellow.

“We’re disappointed with decisions leading up to the penalty. It’s tough to take, you go down to ten men so early in a game it’s going to be a difficult afternoon.

“We have to learn from that, we’ve had too many red cards. The first one was really unfortunate because it would have put us in a good position, but decisions don’t go our way. Against ten men it’s going to be a really tough afternoon, but we dug in and did the best we could.

“We were in the game, we defended really well, we were a threat on the counter and we did a lot of good things. It’s something we’ve got to be better at, if you go ten men to a very good team it’s very difficult. The lads tried their best but the weight of the pressure is sometimes too much.”

Asked what manager Kieran McKenna said in the dressing room, Morsy said: “He’s said he’s proud of the efforts but there’s things we need to work on. It’s got to be motivation for 12 months' time making a return.”

The Blues were supported by more than 3,200 fans who made the 570-mile round trip to the north-east, but were given a resounding reception at the final whistle.

For Morsy, the backing he and his teammates have received through a tough period means everything.

“It is special. When the good times come back, the fans are going to really deserve it,” he said.

“The way they’ve stuck with us has been phenomenal and not every football club does that at all. They’ve stuck with us until the very end, we really appreciate that and we’re going to do our best to pay them back.”

Town end the season with trips to Everton and Leicester and home clashes against Brentford and West Ham United.

“They’re different sorts of games now,” Morsy added. “All tough games but let’s try and get some wins on the board.”

Photo: Kallum Brisset

pablo123 added 19:36 - Apr 26 I fear for next season tbh
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mistert added 19:52 - Apr 26 @pablo123 We certainly shouldn't be complacent and we need to respect the teams in the Championship but I see no reason why fear should come in to it.
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flykickingbybgunn added 19:53 - Apr 26 I dont fear next season. I'm really looking forward to it. Morsy will make a good manager when the time comes.
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Leejames99 added 19:57 - Apr 26 Utter waffle from the Mckenna handbook, he got them all believing defeat is okay and deflection is best, talk like politicians now. Not the right philosophy for football
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blueoutlook added 20:19 - Apr 26 It’s going to be very tough next season. We are no way going to walk it. If we make the top 6 we will do well. Some of the players we have are just too light weight. You can afford one or two small, agile players, but you need some really big brutes in the championship. We have way too many twinkle toes at the moment.
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Gforce added 21:21 - Apr 26 Wise words from a top man and top pro. We will be back !!
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Town1Inter0 added 21:40 - Apr 26 Next season looks promising. We thrashed Coventry 4-1 away in the FA Cup, without our first XI and without Delap starting. If Sheffield United go up, then there will be no strong teams left to compete with. Leicester need a complete revamp and have poor players stuck on massive wages, Southampton are a mess and we have the core of an exciting team of players who have excelled in the Championship in the past as well as talented youth. We might look like a poor team at the moment in the PL, but the gap is so vast that we're likely the favourites to win the Championship next season. Uppa Town!

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Bluewhiteboy added 21:47 - Apr 26 Dear oh dear I wish I had sane arrogance as some of our fans.
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herfie added 22:13 - Apr 26 SM speaks well and intelligently. I genuinely believed that we would be able to survive in the PL, and feel that, in falling short, we’ve not always performed to the max and, perhaps, have been a tad naive in what is a brutal league. Therefore essential that the internal post season review focuses on what it is going to take to tip the balance in our favour in those ‘fine margins’ games, where the dropping of points has ultimately cost us our PL survival. This has to start with player recruitment.

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WestSussexBlue added 08:21 - Apr 27 Complacency would be our biggest threat next season. With no chance of that under McKenna, we stand a very good chance of having a terrific season. The culture of the club is right, we have the quality even if as expected we lose 2 or 3 and the infrastructure is in place. I don’t agree there will be “no strong teams” though. It’s labelled one of the best leagues because on their day anyone can beat anyone. There will be a lot of clubs looking forward to taking on Tow. Can’t wait for August.

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Suffolk_n_Proud added 10:04 - Apr 27 LeeJames99, it is my opinion that your opinions are complete waffle. But just like your opinion, it means absolutely nothing.
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ChestnutSe added 14:20 - Apr 27 I just discovered that once signed in you can click on a poster and then choose to ignore them so you don’t have to put up with the same old drivel on every post. Happy days
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TimmyH added 14:23 - Apr 27 Now all we have left is a lot of talk from players and manager but very little from Ashton and the owners...
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TedTurnip added 14:54 - Apr 27 Just to be clear we were not relegated due to small margins this season. We were a long way off and there’s a lot of work to do to get to that standard. There was nothing marginal about how we were relegated
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Leejames99 added 15:00 - Apr 27 Why do people feel the need to point out they have blocked me and say I waffle, about what exactly? A different view tethers. Let me be clear without waffle I my opinion as a Ipswich Town Football Club in order to get promoted at first chance we need to have a reset. Mckenna is not a Premier League Manager, was great in lower league's but he has reached his level and I believe we need an experienced manager with passion and experience. He will go anyway, he will know that if Town aren't in promotion places by Christmas he will be sacked so if a Prem club come in for him he will go, for a nice compensation hopefully, perhaps with elite players his style might work. I dont think the following players Burns, Luongo, Davis, Harness, Al Hamadi, Morsy, Walton and J Taylor are Premier League quality and I think we are in a good position to buy better than Chaplin and Broadhead (although if they happy to be in squad fine, just think it's a waste for them) I think we need a new midfield completely but Humphries should get a pre-season We should try and keep Burgess or an experienced defender should come in to replace him. If Delap goes we need to bring in 2 star strikers to compete with Hirst and cover his inevitable injury. My choices would be Haj Wright, Adebayo, Troy Parrott, Dane Scarlett, Callum Robinson, a new starlet from top team Midfield if Morsy stays then we need 2 top class midfielders, my choices would be Finn Azaz, Jobe Bellingham, good loan James Macatee would be amazing. New LB I would go for Cresswell or Chilwell as cover for Townsend. We are stacked with forward talent. I think Broadhead or Chaplin or both will go, be great if we could get Doak in. Goalkeeper situation will be interesting I'd like to see Muric back in Championship purely based on his record with Burnley when they one promotion and his Championship stats are much better, I think Palmer and Walton will go and Slicker will step up to number 2. I know that won't be popular but just look at the stats for Burnley the season before last. I would lo e it if Mckenna could say but I dont think he will change his system and oppisition will know how to play against us, i also think he is too soft and too attached to the league 1 lads. So yes I am a Town fan through and through, i totally respect what Mckenna and the lads done, i just think this coming season ahead and based on this one we need some wholesale changes. What is wrong with that as an opinion?

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KiwiTractor added 21:38 - Apr 27 “We’ve been close. To survive in the league as a promoted team you need those margins to go your way" I think firstly the players need to be honest and admit they haven't been close. We have absolutely competed in a lot of games, but unfortunately only for short amounts of time. It needs to be for 90+ mins or you have no chance to stay up. Not through lack of effort I would say, but through lack of quality. Really hope we can bounce back next season, but think it will be a tough task. Will be an interesting summer, seeing who stays and who goes.

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Motown added 09:34 - Apr 28 @ChestnutSe, Thank you - you've just improved my enjoyment of this site significantly! .
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1987TractorBoy added 13:51 - Apr 28 LeeJames I'm now convinced you're a troll account with this latest comments. Do you want Mike Bassett as our new manager? What are "woke strategies"? What has Dane Scarlett ever done and how are any of those other fowards "star strikers" that are even an upgrade on Hirst? Finn Azaz is an attacking midfielder, same as McAtee. Jobe Bellingham isnt going to another Championship side unless we paid £25m+ You cannot be serious about Chilwell or Creswell signing for us and being backup to Townsend lol. And what do you mean attached to League 1 players? We've signed almost a brand new squad and hardly any of the league one players now start when everyone is fit, aside from Burgess, who you rate anyway and Davis, who is still a quality player. Honestly lost with some of what you're going on about

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Leejames99 added 14:30 - Apr 28 @1987tractorboy I'm getting very fed up people calling me a troll or not a fan, what are you on about? Who would you like to see come in then? Do you know anything g about football? I dont think Mckenna has the experience or aggressions be a Premiership manager and his tactics don't work and my fear is he won't change them because he is so set in his process.And by woke I mean he looks scared of saying anything, look at every prem game this weekend every manager going nuts when fouls or VAR or ref calls don't go their way, Mckenna just gets a notepad out, does he need to write haul Jack Clarke off? If I'd said to you last season go and get Liam Delap you would of said 'what has he ever done" etc it's the same with Dane Scarlett he is only 20 but rated like Delap as a top player, he is a unit, he is an England U21, wouldn't be expensive and I think worth taking, Troy Parrott scored 18 this season, Haj Wright is a pro en Championship striker on double figures etc so why could they nor be star strikers?Who would you go for? They are all better than Hirst. Would Hirst get on Spurs squad..no he wouldn't. I'm aware Finn Azaz and James Macatee are attacking minds and? They score goals and are strong midfielders. Why wouldn't we pay 25 mill for Bellongham? He still young, also England U21 And Chilwell or Cresswell as back up to Townsend why not? Both hugely experiences in Prem and you need a couple of players like that. Fans moaning about Danny Ings but we wouldn't be moaning if he hit same kind of form as Chris Woods. And how do we start with new signings? The only game all season we did was Villa. Too attached means he won't drop them, Davis has been found out in Prem, he is good in Championship but if he stays we might as well recoup on Jack Clarke.if a club want Davis we should cash in because he worth way more than 1 million maybe 8-12 Instead of being so rude and calling me a troll who do you think would be good targets then?

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Leejames99 added 15:45 - Apr 28 To add, regardless of injuries Mckenna perfect line up next season will be close too Walton Tunazabe Wolfenden Burgess Davis Humphries Morsy Burns Hutchinson Szmodics Hirst Should be Muric Tunazabe O'Shea c Greaves Townsend New Mid New Mid Szmodics J Clarke Hutchinson New Striker
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Daniel72 added 22:58 - Apr 28 I respect Sammy, immensely influential captain, great football player... strong moral compass... a rare man indeed, very happy he is an Ipswich man... hope he stays and is involved until his legs give in and beyond...
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