The Championship table may suggest otherwise but Town still have a lot to play for this season, according to fit-again defender Tommy Smith.

With 12 games still to play Mick McCarthy’s men are currently in 16th place, 16 points adrift of the play-offs and with a nine-point cushion from the drop zone.

But New Zealand international Smith said: “First and foremost, you want to win football matches for yourself and your personal pride, but as a club we obviously have to show the fans that we are moving forward again.

“We have stagnated a bit this season, been very up and down, and we want to give the fans something to shout about again towards the end of the season.

“It has been a difficult season this time around, for whatever reason, but we’re confident now that we’ve found a formation that we’re very good at playing.

“We can play other systems as well, like 4-3-3 or 4-4-2, so we’ve got options to play it game by game and hopefully pick up a lot of points during what is left of the season.”

Before coming on as a second-half replacement for Myles Kenlock in Sunday’s heard-earned draw at Norwich, Smith’s previous taste of first-team action came in the 2-1 defeat at Reading in early September last year, which meant more than five months in the role of Portman Road spectator.

Smith added: “I watched all the home games while I was out injured. It’s not nice when you see your team-mates losing games and while I agree the fans are entitled to give them a bit of stick it’s never nice to see it happening.

“You automatically think ‘I could be helping the situation if I was out there’. The lads have turned it around in the last few weeks, of course, and I think performance levels have been really high recently.

“We’re victims of our own success really. We did so well a couple of years ago to make the play-offs and the fans have every right to expect that from us every season.

“It’s just disappointing that we couldn’t quite live up to that this season but the performances of the last few weeks have been really positive.

“Hopefully we can build on that and use that as a base to step up again next season.

“As for this season, we’re too far off to mount a play-off challenge. It would take something drastic from the teams above us to drop points and for us to win almost every game.

“Now it’s more about building towards next season with some positive results and performances, as well as providing more in the way of entertainment.

“I think the fans have been happier in recent weeks with the style of football we’re trying to play. We’re passing it a lot more and if we play long balls they’re not aimless long balls, which we might have been guilty of in the past, just lumping it forward.

“The long balls we play now seem to be more measured and give us a better chance of retaining possession higher up the pitch.”

Meanwhile, apart from clocking up some appearances with Town, Smith is also looking ahead to adding to his 29 caps for the All Whites in a few weeks’ time having returned to the international fold towards the end of last year. He said: “I’m hoping to be in the squad, if selected, for a double header against Fiji later this month.

“If we beat them we win our group and then play the winners of the other group [Tahiti, Solomon Islands and Papua New Guinea] in a play-off to decide who goes through to the next stage.

“I’ve no problem with travelling all that distance. We fly in comfort — we’re lucky enough that New Zealand Football provide business class travel for us — so there will be no issue with my back or anything like that.

“Then there’s the FIFA Confederations Cup in Russia in June and July, [in which New Zealand face the hosts, Mexico and Portugal in their group with Germany, Chile, Cameroon and Australia in the other].

“It will be another competition ticked off my international list, having already played in the World Cup and the Olympics.

“Testing myself against that calibre of player will be good. Cristiano Ronaldo could be involved and I’ll be testing myself against one of the very best in the world.”

Photo: TWTD

BackTheBlues added 13:40 - Mar 2 Can't help but think Tommy coupled with Berra's downturn in performances between October and January have been a massive part to us conceding silly goals and costing us points!
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BlueySwede added 14:21 - Mar 2 Very honest from Tommy, especially regarding our style. Unlike some on here I don´t mind a long ball here and there, but it should be dont with purpose and attacking intent. During the play off-season we had a better balance.
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walberblue added 16:15 - Mar 2 What are we playing for in the remaining 12 games Tommy? the absence of pressure on this setup is unbelievable. MM starts the season saying we only aiming at top six. We have no ambition in any cup games, We don't go out to win the local derby. A draw is always a good result. the opposition are always great. We never set out at intention because no-one at he the club has any b*lls to achieve a goal. MM doesn't even have the guts to say whether he's here next year. no it all quiet at Portman road . don't set any difficult targets, that way you never fail.

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Steve_ITFC_Sweden added 18:48 - Mar 2 Tommy is one of the good guys!
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KiwiBlue2 added 19:32 - Mar 2 Great to see him back. Hopefully he will be a constant fixture in the team next season after the increasingly distracted Berra departs. I am also looking forward to seeing him playing for NZ, particularly in the Confederations Cup, given the more positive style Hudson is trying to play.
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TractorBeezer added 00:39 - Mar 3 Good comments Tommy and good differentiation of direct ball versus hoof ball. Even Sir Bobby admitted that the most effective ball is direct to forwards but then signed Arnold and Franz! Great to have you available again Tommy. Hope that you stay fit and continue a great career.
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statto added 04:17 - Mar 3 Beezer, but when Arnold had to, he could play the most delicious 50m pass. Just ask Van Basten. Hope to see you in June Tommy in St Petersburg. All Whites!!!
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