Town boss Mick McCarthy says this afternoon’s away game against second-bottom Wigan Athletic is “without a doubt” a “six-pointer”.

The 17th-placed Blues go into the match five points off the bottom three and seven points ahead of the Latics.

“It’s a six-pointer, isn’t it? Without a doubt it is,” said McCarthy, who has said he will make changes to his team for the visit to the DW Stadium.

He says the game is a chance for Town to put some distance between themselves and last season’s League One champions, who have struggled since returning to the Championship, and also an opportunity to gain some momentum going into the Christmas period.

“We’d prefer to be three more points in front of Wigan and we know over the season somebody picks up and has three or four good results, and we want to start on Saturday.

“If we get that result, then we can come back here and play with a lot more confidence against Fulham [at Portman Road on Boxing Day].

“If we don’t get beaten, we want to get something out of the game. There’s got to be a starting point.”

While he is targeting the win, he says a draw wouldn’t be a bad result: “I’m not going up there to try and get a point for anyone that thinks, ‘He’s being really negative about it’.

“No, that’s not the case, I’m going up there to try and win to try and put us in a much better position.

“But with the results we’ve been having, if we go up there and play as well as we possibly can and we put in a good performance and end up with a 0-0 draw, then, yes, I’ll take that.”

However, a first victory in four games is the primary target: “We need to win, we need to get some goals and we need to win games.”

Asked whether he believes his team is underachieving now having overachieved in previous seasons, he said: “It doesn’t really matter, we’re just not having a good time at the minute, we’ve got to change it.

“So, whatever’s gone on in the past, wherever I’ve been, whatever I’ve done, including here, it’s irrelevant. We’ve just got to turn it around.”

Meanwhile, a Blues side featuring U18s, U23s and academy trialists beat Chinese club Beijing Guoan's youngsters 5-2 in a behind-closed-doors friendly on the 3G at Playford Road on Thursday.

The Chinese team are currently in the UK with Liverpool among the other sides they're facing.

Photo: TWTD

NSL added 06:22 - Dec 17 "We are not in a relegation fight, not even thinking about it but this game against a team second bottom is a 6 pointer". He doesn't even know what he's saying anymore
13

Blue_Dwarf added 06:25 - Dec 17 There in lies MM biggest issue he often sets his teams up for a draw then bemoans bad luck / decisions from officials. If he was more positive officials decisions would not pay as much of an influence.
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christiand added 06:27 - Dec 17 I think this shows that MM thinks we are in a relegation dog fight!!
3

muccletonjoe added 06:37 - Dec 17 Imo he needs to get rid of Douglas AND Skuse. It might just give us the advantage in a game like this. One prediction i will make is we will not win with those 2 in the team.
5

Toronto_Tractor added 06:48 - Dec 17 Can we just stop asking him questions? The answers are killing us all inside.
4

blue75 added 07:00 - Dec 17 If we're going for the win it'll be skuse no douglas then!!!!
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Suffolk_n_Good added 07:01 - Dec 17 Here we go again..... Let me sum up today's match for you...... Defensive line up, MM sets the team up not to lose, Wigan low on confidence are there for the taking, but we just keep clearing the ball from our back line, our midfield is so slow & uncreative. Wigan with the crowd behind them, start to believe they can get a proper result, due to now constant pressure on our back line, one of our players then makes the fatal mistake, Wigan now winning, keep the pressure on. Having now been caught cold again, MM desperately looks at his subs and realises he has little choice but to chuck on a couple of attacking players, but only to replace two of the attacking players who have ran themselves ragged trying to A. Hold the ball up, B. create their own space & opportunity, C. Score. MM persists with the philosophy "there's no such thing as a bad point" so keeps 7 defensive minded players on the pitch.... Now at this point, I'm gonna let you choose your own ending!! (A bit like one of them books you read when you were a kid!!) Option A. Wigan continue to attack, & score again, we lose, & afterwards MM bemoans our lack of luck, blames the ref/Linesman, individual errors, the budget he has to work with, anything else I may of missed...... Or Option B. We somehow manage to scrap an undeserved equaliser, & draw the game 1-1, afterwards MM comes out saying he's happy with a point away from home, against a Wigan side who have good players & are in a false position, fans need to remember that he saved us from relegation 4 years ago, & he won't be swayed from playing who he wants to, finished off with a backhanded two finger salute to the fans who dare to criticise him...... So there you go folks, I've just saved you about 2 hours of your day, go & enjoy the last of your Christmas shopping!! PS. Phil/Gav i'm very happy for you to use this as your match report!!

40

mickeyjb added 07:36 - Dec 17 Spot on Suffolk No wonder nobody goes to games anymore we can predict them before hand and then do something else with our time and money
11

Suffolk_n_Good added 07:45 - Dec 17 Cheers Mickey
1

Keaneish added 08:05 - Dec 17 We'd be happy if you pushed for 3 points let alone 6!
1

Penguinblue added 08:09 - Dec 17 "If we don't get beaten, we want to get something out of the game. There's got to be a starting point.” Moronic. McCarthy OUT
4

jas0999 added 08:10 - Dec 17 Even if we win today - which is highly likely, it doesn't take away from an abysmal 2016. At best we will still be 7 points off the play offs. But we are what we are. A below average mid table Championship side.
3

bluesym added 08:16 - Dec 17 Suffolk n Good- you have nailed it.Stick it in the forum too!
7

Mick_Mills_Tache added 08:26 - Dec 17 Who'd have thought at the beginning of the season we'd be saying that a game against Wigan this early in the season is a relegation 6 pointer....? No doubt we'll get the draw and Mick will be delighted. It is, sadly, a must win game. Anything less than 3 points and we really could be in deep do-doo come 5pm with both Cardiff and Wolves having winnable games and Blackburn could possibly steal something from Reading at home. Potentially be 19th and 3-5 points off the bottom three. Worrying times ahead, folks. Anybody that thinks we're too good to go down really needs to give their head a wobble. Anything less than 3 points today and surely the board will have to sack McCarthy. He's slowly dragging us back to where we were before he took over...

2

Suffolk_n_Good added 08:27 - Dec 17 Lol! Ok will do, thanks 👍🏼
0

Mick_Mills_Tache added 08:34 - Dec 17 Oh, also, "So, whatever's gone on in the past, wherever I've been, whatever I've done, including here. It's irrelevant." Could somebody please remind Mick of this quote of his before he starts spouting rubbish about how he 'saved us' four years ago, please? "If we don't get beaten, we want to get something out of the game." - has he been talking to Michael Owen? If we don't get beaten, we'll obviously get something from the game!! Tool!

3

Tractorboy1985 added 08:51 - Dec 17 Like many have said.. what's the point in going to the game or watching Jeff.. it's so predictable! The only place we should all go to is the bookies to lump on a 0-0 draw! He contradicts himself time and time again.. he's not going for any win.. he'll sit 9 men behind the ball leaving one up top and try nick one on the break.. against Man Utd or arsenal fair enough but we are playing Wigan FFS!!!! We should be taking the game to them but until BOTH skuse AND Douglas are dropped we will continue to create f all from midfield!! Great post Suffolk! Merry Christmas fellow posters and town fans

4

brittaniaman added 09:01 - Dec 17 At last he has admitted it is a 6 pointer !!!!! 1pt. out of 9pts. this month so far, hardly a manager of the month candidate !!!!
1

ChrisFelix added 09:06 - Dec 17 Wouldn't fault Skuse, as we need a defensive player in the role. But a deffinate no to Douglas. Also beginning to agree that Chambers is a liability, but can't see him dropping his skipper. And when are we going to play the Mccarthy route & have a big target man
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iaintaylorx added 09:59 - Dec 17 So he's admitting we're in a relegation battle then!? Never thought I would think us playing Wigan would be a "6 pointer"... Sad times!
1

Lathers added 10:19 - Dec 17 Suffolk n Good - that was genius mate and really tickled me. We joke but we all know (sadly) that this WILL happen. MM losing what little credibility he has left.
3

kpblues added 11:22 - Dec 17 Brilliant Suffolk. Absolutely sums it all up. Been watching for a lot of years and I think this is the worst it's been. Great post !
2

runaround added 11:38 - Dec 17 There in a nutshell is the reason why fans are being turned off Mick & his tactics. He should just say we are going to try & win the match & get the players to do it. Not all the pragmatic nonsense or take a point negativity. the negativity throughout the club is coming from him. Sad times for our club
2

itfchorry added 11:48 - Dec 17 On the train to Wigan - chuckling at Suffolk's post - Dozzell is a definite starter today - Let's really go for it today - COYB and McCarrhy OUT
2

TimmyH added 12:38 - Dec 17 I think Wigan have lost their last 3 or so at home and havent scored hardly any goals to boot...so Ipswich are always willing to help a team in their darkest hour. Saying that I've put us down as an away win today on my coupon, surely we have to win this won or am I being a fool?
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