Town captain Dara O’Shea says he understands the significance of the East Anglian derby, but warned that the Blues will be facing a resurgent Norwich City on Saturday.

October’s 3-1 victory at Portman Road ended Town’s 16-year wait for a victory over their fierce rivals, but the Canaries have since turned around their disastrous start to become one of the Championship’s most in-form sides.

No team in the division have won more matches than Norwich since the appointment of Philippe Clement in November, while the Yellows have won six of their last eight league games heading into this weekend’s clash.

As a result, O’Shea is not expecting the reverse fixture to have any bearing on events at Carrow Road by the time kick-off comes around on Saturday lunchtime.

“I think they’re a different side,” he said. “Since the manager’s gone in there, he’s transformed them and he’s made them one of the most dangerous sides in the league. We understand that, we know that, we’re going to prep them well.

“We know it’s not going to be the same game, no game is the same. We’ve got to go into that understanding that, knowing their threats, and trying to maximise our threats too.

“I don’t think it’s going to be a quiet game, it’s going to be an exciting game. Hopefully we can do enough to come out on the right side of it.

“They’re a really good side. Since the manager’s come in, they’ve been one of the best sides in the league and they’ve picked up a lot of points.

“They’re a dangerous side and a good footballing side, so we’ve got a lot of respect for them to understand where their qualities are and we’ve got to try and nullify them.

“For us as a team, it’s always been trying to focus on ourselves and try and play the way we can play and maximise that. When we do that, we’ve got a great chance of winning.

“With games like this, it doesn’t always work like that. There’s added feelings and added emotions, we’ve got to try and come out on the better side of that and understand that it’s a massive game for them too.

“It doesn’t matter where you are in the league or what you’re pushing for, this game always has something else and it’s important to be ready for that.”

Town supporters will not need reminding of the Blues’ recent record in this fixture, particularly away from home.

Not since February 2006 have the Suffolk side claimed victory on enemy territory, while another record they will be looking to end is the long wait for a league double that last occurred in 1992/93.

O’Shea said: “We understand it’s been 33 years since we’ve done the double. We’ve spoken about that, but only briefly.

“It’s important to understand what the game means to everybody and also understand what we need to do as players going into the game. We can’t lose track of that focus, and that’s what we’ve been speaking about.

“Really looking forward to it. It’s a game that means a lot to the football club, the people of Ipswich, and it means a lot to us as a group of players as well. The history speaks for itself with this game.

“Going away to Carrow Road is going to be hostile and tough, but it’s a game that we’re really looking forward to. It’s been a long time since we’ve done the double over them so that’s in the back of our minds as well.

“But for us as a team and group, we’re going there trying to get the win. We know it’s going to be a fight and a tough game, it’s not going to be plain sailing. We’ve got to prepare ourselves as best as possible and go into that game with confidence.”

With the Blues chasing promotion to the Premier League and the Canaries revitalised under Clement, this clash is clearly one between two of the most in-form sides in the Championship.

The East Anglian foes lead the league table since the start of December, with both teams having earned 45 points during that time period.

That recent record only emphasises the importance of this weekend’s meeting, and O’Shea reflected on the reverse fixture to highlight how much this game means to the supporters.

He said: “It was a lot and probably more than I imagined at the time. In the weeks leading up to the game, everyone in the street, it’s all they were talking about. If somebody saw you, that was the first thing they were saying.

“It was a massive thing for us to be the group that’s done that. To see how much it meant to the fans and the people of Ipswich was special. That in itself motivates you more than anything.

“Our fans have been brilliant with us and to give them that joy and bragging rights was amazing. Everybody in that stadium was buzzing and so were we as players. It’s another thing we want to go and do, and we’ll be pushing towards that.”

O’Shea could become the first player to lead the Blues to victory at Carrow Road with the captain’s armband since Jason de Vos more than 20 years ago.

Having been handed the role of captaincy by manager Kieran McKenna last summer, the Irishman was widely praised for his pre-match speech to the players during the last meeting with Norwich.

He said: “I tend to just say what I think in the huddle at that time. I'm big on energy, getting the feeling for things and understanding how the stadium is and the boys are.

“I never had as many people coming up and speaking about a specific thing and that was that game, so I knew how much it meant to the people of Ipswich.

“When I said that, it was what I felt at the moment and it got a bit of traction and coverage. It’s important not to lose that, and that’s still the same message.

“Generally I’m going to the coin toss, so when I walk back, I’ll say my bit, but the lads might be talking when I'm doing that.

“As long as we win the game, I’m happy. It would be lovely to score, but I’ve got a job on my hands to try and get a clean sheet first and foremost, that would make me happier.”

Asked for a message to the 2,000 travelling supporters making the trip north of the border, O’Shea said: “Keep being yourselves, you’ve been brilliant all season. We know how much this game means to the people of Ipswich and we don’t underestimate that.

“We want to put a performance in that we’re proud of, but they’re proud of too. The main thing for us is doing what we can and they play their part, hopefully we can play ours.”

Photo: TWTD