Goalkeeper Bartosz Bialkowski has confirmed Town’s target for the new season, due to start with Saturday’s home clash against Birmingham, will once again be a top-six finish.

The 30-year-old Pole said: “Ideally, that’s where we want to finish. The expectations have never changed since I joined the club — we have always been talking about getting into the play-offs.

“But every other team in the Championship wants to be in and around the play-offs and it is such a tough, competitive league.

“You just cannot predict anything and we just need to take it game by game, focus on our jobs and make sure we perform better than we did last season.

“A good start would be good. It’s always very important to start the season well because it can give you extra confidence. We need to make sure we are fully on it.”

At least replicating their play-off finish of two years ago may seem like a tall order for a Town side whose promotion chances have been written off by the bookmakers — who actually see them as a better bet for relegation — but a desire to prove their critics wrong could inspire an unexpected challenge from Mick McCarthy’s men.

Bialkowski was asked to assess the main contenders and said: “Teams like Middlesbrough and Aston Villa have a good chance.

“But there are others like Sheffield Wednesday, who always want to be up there, Derby spending millions and Wolverhampton now doing the same, although you never know how good they are going to be. I don’t know. It’s such a tough league that I cannot really predict anything.”

Meanwhile, Birmingham’s visit to Portman Road at the weekend could see a return for one-time Town loanee keeper David Stockdale, snapped up by Harry Redknapp on a free transfer after missing just one league game in helping Brighton to win automatic promotion to the Premier League last term.

Bialkowski admitted: “I was a little bit shocked. Straight away I called my friend Tomasz Kuszczak [Birmingham goalkeeper] and he wasn’t happy about it because he wants to be the number one and play in the team!

“But then again it’s about the competition for places and I’m sure David Stockdale is going to be a massive signing for them.

“He has proved in the past that he can do a great job and he’s been promoted with Brighton.

“Yes, I was a bit surprised he went there. He was in the Championship Team of the Year last season so he is obviously a great signing for Birmingham.”

Finally, the Town keeper recalled his holiday this summer in Jamaica, part of which he shared with supporters via social media by posting footage of him winning a fun sports event in which he participated with other guests at his Caribbean hotel complex.

Training session done ✅ 😜 pic.twitter.com/dA7qNX6mKW

— Bartosz Bialkowski (@1BartMan1) June 2, 2017

He laughed: “We had to swim a length of the pool, do 10 press-ups and then drink a pint as quickly as possible, which was good because I was a bit thirsty after it.

“I didn’t get a medal but there was a prize, a bottle of Jamaican rum. I smashed it — the next guy was 10 seconds behind me.

“I never said anything about being a professional footballer but the other lads came up to me afterwards and said ‘You must be an athlete’ so we talked about it. There were also some fans of other clubs there and they said they recognised me as well. It was all good fun.”

Photo: Action Images

runningout added 19:27 - Aug 3 Too many Bart subjects.. sorry to be critical
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prebbs007 added 19:33 - Aug 3 Did you have something in your eye at Charlton Bart. Did you not see the utter dross in front of you. Hell will freeze over before this squad is anywhere near top 6. Live the enthusiasm big man but we're dog sh1te
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big_gaz67 added 19:38 - Aug 3 Take it we will hear this interview word for word on Radio Suffolk on Saturday and then Bart will be on the cover of the programme. YAWN YAWN YAWN. The TWTD survey said to leave your e-mail if you wanted a response to comments made - I made mine about this site, that is based on an excellent fanzine, becoming too much in bed with the club and not challenging it - still waiting for my response!

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jas0999 added 19:41 - Aug 3 April Fools? Surely even the club don't believe this! Four new players - to add to a reduced squad which was abyssal last season!
6

christiand added 19:45 - Aug 3 Club have realised that rolling Mick out to say the same old garbage won't wash at the moment, so send the player of the year out instead to say the same old. I think we'd much prefer to see better performances and results on the pitch Bart. We're not stupid, we all know this season is going to be really tough. Let's focus on a good start against Birmingham instead of getting ahead of ourselves. At the moment, the majority of us know we aren't a top 6 side. Talk is cheap, do your talking on the pitch and we'd all be really happy and supportive. COYBs!!!

4

ernie added 19:47 - Aug 3 Dream. On
3

TimmyH added 19:47 - Aug 3 Yawn!...the same old line about top 6 comes out once again (I wonder how many other teams are saying the same thing)?. Personally feel at best we might just be looking at top half but realistically bottom half.
2

rock added 19:52 - Aug 3 Let's all just hope for a good season👍🏻👍🏻
0

Suffolk_n_Good added 19:58 - Aug 3 Don't get me wrong I'm a huge fan of Bart, but this is clearly the club putting forward for interview, the only player who has any credibility with the fans, not even the most optimistic supporter can genuinely believe we have any chance of a top 6 finish, do they?! #mccarthyout
9

iaintaylorx added 20:19 - Aug 3 Not being funny, but he isn't going to say "mid table is the aim" is he? Tie this guy down to a longer term contract ASAP! Without this guy, we would be relegation favourites!
2

TimmyH added 20:19 - Aug 3 Good old Billybaxterwasbest hitting the down arrows but not adding nothing of his own...nothing changes there either!
0

Mark added 20:34 - Aug 3 The players have to be positive and aim for the top six, but for fans at the moment it seems the only way ITFC will make the top six is if we turn the table upside-down. I wonder what the real target is that Evans has set McCarthy in order to earn a contract extension? Keep us up? For what purpose though, as next summer it will be the same position without investment and quality youngsters coming through.

4

pragmatic added 20:49 - Aug 3 The amount of negativity being posted could well talk us into a relegation battle before season has started if you hav any genuine feelings for the club show real support although being realistic not possible for some posters who would blame the club if it rained tomorrow!
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RegencyBlue added 21:35 - Aug 3 pragmatic The relegation battle will come about because of Evans ownership and MM's management. Its not the fans fault this club is being run into the ground!
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FromIpswichToPhoenix added 22:06 - Aug 3 While I appreciate his optimism, every year someone in the squad says the same thing. Of course their target is top 6. Would they say "we're aiming for mid table mediocrity keeping in line with the past few seasons so we can show consistency"? I'm aiming to be a millionaire this year. Same thing I said last year, the year before that and the year before that. But here I am still with a mortgage and car payment. Aspirations don't equate ability.

3

fifeblue added 22:19 - Aug 3 The first target should be to avoid the bottom 3. Anything after that is a bonus. Unless Evans stumps up £300m to buy Messi.
1

armchaircritic59 added 22:42 - Aug 3 fifeblue, i reckon there's more chance of Messi stumping up £300m to buy Evans, even after his fine! Would certainly make an interesting owner/player and at least one who does have a clue about football! Far too many football club owners (as opposed to a board of directors) are just in it for the ego trip these days.
2

grumpyoldman added 23:08 - Aug 3 How does anybody believe that what we post here has any adverse effect on the players, do you really believe that the players bother reading what any of us post. On the off chance they do, can all players attempt to play attacking football, pass the ball to men in the same colour shirts as you are wearing, mark the players in shirts a different colour (but not the officials).

3

Taricco_Fan added 00:05 - Aug 4 Keeping out of the bottom six would be a good season. Not being negative but that's where we are. A very limited budget and a very average set of players.
5

GiveusaWave added 03:28 - Aug 4 Get the most popular player in to say a few words, in order to stop panic amongst the support. Maybe I am being cynical, but why Bart at this point?
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Sam added 06:59 - Aug 4 Well, that would be good, yes. It's a new season so anything can happen. With these new signings we are a stronger sqad. Moaning won't help so let's get behind them.
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sereneblue added 07:45 - Aug 4 I think Bart has had a bang on his head!!
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Stu_Magoo added 12:46 - Aug 4 Well Bartman, Scarlett Johansson is my target and is looking about as likely. Seems we're going to both be disappointed. Well either that or you'll be in the Prem and I'll be married.
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BluedanW added 13:09 - Aug 4 ha ha you can't beat polish humour. I'm hoping to win the lottery this year too.
1

Seasider added 23:30 - Aug 4 There was a prize said Bart,a bottle of Jamaica rum.I smashed it.What a waste !!!?
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