Joe Garner has tried to encourage Town fans by insisting it is not all doom and gloom around Portman Road at the moment.

Mick McCarthy’s men may have won just three of their last 11 games — coincidentally against the Championship’s bottom three of Bolton, Burton and Sunderland — but thanks to their whirlwind start to the campaign, when they won five games on the trot, they still occupy a respectable position in the league.

Striker Garner, signed from Rangers in the summer, looked ahead to Saturday’s home clash with Preston and said: “If you look at the table we’re sitting 11th and not too many points off the top six so I think you’ve got to take the positives out of it and go on from there.

“We’re sat on the same points as Preston but we have a game in hand on them. At the start of the season, to be four points off the play-offs with a game in hand isn’t a disastrous start and a couple of wins will soon make the position better.”

Garner is too long in the tooth to think the points will come easily, however, and he reflected on Tuesday’s 3-1 defeat at second-placed Cardiff. “I thought it was a tough game,” he added. “Cardiff are a good side, very strong and physical, and I can imagine them being up there come the end of the season.

“We spoke about things this morning and there are probably a few things we need to improve upon but it’s all about the weekend and the game against Preston now.

“The league looks particularly close again this year and there are some tough, tough teams in it. Anyone able to string two wins together will shoot right up there but if you lose two on the spin everybody seems to jump above you.”

Preston, managed by ex-Norwich boss Alex Neil, come to town on the back of a depressing run of form — just one win in their last seven outings and only two points from a possible 15 in their last five — and with the teams tied on 21 points it is a huge fixture for both.

For Garner it’s a first chance to face his boyhood idols since leaving them in August last year when Rangers lured him north of the border in a £1.8 million move, Town paying considerably less to bring him south again in the summer.

He said: “I grew up supporting Preston and I used to go and watch their games. When the chance came up to join them I couldn’t turn down it down and I never regretted it. It was a real pleasure to play for them and it meant a lot to me.

“Will I celebrate if I score? Well, I want to win and I want to score. Put it this way, I will if it’s the last minute probably, if it's a last-minute winner!

"You can’t really say how you will react in that situation. The adrenalin decides, I suppose. We’ll all be going out looking to win the game, get three points and get closer to where we want to be in the league.”

Garner moved to Deepdale from Watford in January 2013 and in his first full season netted 24 times. He bagged 27 goals in the 2014/15 campaign to become League One’s leading marksman as the Lilywhites won promotion to the Championship via the play-offs.

The Blackburn-born striker — no relation to Ewood Park legend Simon Garner — only managed to score six goals in 44 games in the second tier and in August 2016 moved to Scotland, where ex-Brentford boss Mark Warburton was manager.

He added: “They are great memories of some successful times at Preston but it’s in the past now. I’m an Ipswich player and I’m looking to help us beat Preston on Saturday. That’s how it is in football, you move on. The Preston lads will be just as keen to beat us and take the points.”

Photo: TWTD

Smithy added 15:41 - Nov 2 don't think I would be too down either if I was getting paid in the region of £10k per week
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bluelodgeblue added 15:44 - Nov 2 I'm not sure whose form is depressing, Prestons or ours?
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BullardsMagicMullet added 15:51 - Nov 2 We see how much doom and gloom is around when the attendance is read out on Saturday, 14000 or under?
11

dirtydingusmagee added 15:57 - Nov 2 next MM will be getting the Chuckle Brothers in to make a feckin statement .
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dirtydingusmagee added 15:59 - Nov 2 this thing about having a game in hand is wearing very thin, it gets brought up like its 3 points owed to us and hasn't been added yet . WE HAVE TO WIN IT !.
13

dirtyboy added 16:06 - Nov 2 Einstein said something about negative people...
0

Rensham added 16:18 - Nov 2 I love the negativity of the ITFC fans. At most clubs there is an inherent hope and positive drive. When you go back to Portman Road, everybody is just running everything down. It's like whatever the opposite of a hug is.
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OldClactonBlue added 16:30 - Nov 2 Reality Rensham
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righty added 16:37 - Nov 2 Rensham please please let us know what is positive a manager who after 5 years doesn't know his best team makes 6 changes after winning a game has no tactics if you watch they at moronic mick for leadership none shown the mans an idiot
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blue75 added 16:41 - Nov 2 Preston at home should be a home win all day long. Let's hope McCarthy doesn't do the normal stop them playing and try to nick something!!! Please McCarthy just let them attack you've got the players I'd like to see a little we can score more than you attitude!!🙏🙏🙏🙏
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dirtydingusmagee added 16:56 - Nov 2 the negativity has been brought about by the manager and owner, until they change or ITFC issue fans with laughing gas, it wont be any different, what is sooooo positive, what gives so much hope and cheer at present Rensham, pray tell, I for one am obviously missing something.
8

Carberry added 17:04 - Nov 2 Don't people say we are a big, strong, physical side? Did we meet our match?
1

dirtydingusmagee added 17:09 - Nov 2 Blue75 we would like to think so , but Preston are a good side,they have some players, and they have good manager,they will be up for it having just been spanked, they will make things difficult for us,it will be hard to get past em ..........Sound familiar ? it should do,its Mick the Messiah 's pre match script, the same old same old , but hey, lets be positive,

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Seasider added 17:37 - Nov 2 Carberry:you are right they do say that.Well it may have been true in the past;but is no longer the case.Our two centre backs look probably around 6 ft;but they were useless on Saturday,was it the second goal,a punt down the middle that went between Smith and Chambers.They are also so slow,along with Skusey,who is getting more pedestrian as time goes by;just like Douglas last season We only have little blokes up front in Garner,Waghorn and Sears,and only Waggy has looks like scoring lately.

9

TimmyH added 17:37 - Nov 2 7 losses from the last 10 matches is why there's so much negativity at the moment and a manager whose should be put out to graze, in my opinion definitely a season too far for Mick. Hoping and praying we here something in the media about Sunderland being interested in McCarthy.
11

Elto added 17:40 - Nov 2 Blue75 Remarkable that we have scored more goals than 19 other clubs, having played a game less than the majority, and not drawn a single match with this approach isn't it? Do you think MM post match chat goes 'come on lads, stop scoring goals, lets turn these wins into draws'?
1

jas0999 added 18:13 - Nov 2 8 defeats in last 11 in all competitions. Wins against Burton and Bolton made difficult. This on the back of worst league finish for sixty years. Boring negative football. Hoof ball at times. It's all rather depressing. I've actually lost interest and no longer look forward to attending matches.
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Karlosfandangal added 18:26 - Nov 2 Blue 75 I agree with Elto...... Also did he not play 4 strikers against Burton and look how lucky Town were. Most fans wanted an attacking side now they have a side that score goals they are still not happy. When Mick does go they will be happy........o no because the next manager will be crap too and the next and the next......etc
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cat added 18:43 - Nov 2 The great start to the season has somewhat blighted the reality of our situation. Many inc myself started the campaign thinking a relegation battle was looming and certainly did not expect us to be mid table and close to the playoffs (with a game in hand lol!!) at this stage. So what are the reasons to be negative about, 1/ our defence is woeful at best,any supporter with a ‘wizard' of football knowledge can see this, except our manager of course who failed to strengthen, especially in the CB positions 2/ favourites remains ie Chambers & Skuse are still nailed on and can't play proper football if their life's depended on it, 3/ hoofball is returning, mainly because of the 2 players mentioned in no.2, 3/ McCarthy has returned to type on all fronts, showing what I believe to be a master class in completely severing relationships beyond the point of no return with the majority of fans, 4/ crowds are dwindling. The positives however are........ errrrr...... oh yeah we not in a relegation scrape yet and the Dino will one day depart.

12

WaltonBlueNaze added 19:21 - Nov 2 If MM dropped his 2 best mates, Chambers and Skuse that would please most supporters. Play Celina (our most skilful player) and get Waghorn back in the team. Go on MM show the supporters you have some balls and stop being a stubborn Dino....
2

pragmatic added 19:25 - Nov 2 As usual posters on here who don't even know the meaning of support irrespective of who is manager/owner etc but that's my opinion so will no doubt be marked down for voicing it!!
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blue75 added 19:29 - Nov 2 Elto and Karlosfandangal if you think we are playing attacking football I suggest a trip to specsavers!! We normally have to wait till the 2nd half for a shot on target. We have always played for a draw and hope to nick a goal to win 1-0 it's McCarthy's way.
7

corkblue added 20:24 - Nov 2 Stopped following a poor side and their magical hoof-ball technique! Any chance of keeping out of the bottom 4 in the near future?
0

warktheline added 21:08 - Nov 2 For me it's all about complacently, lack of interest and football knowledge from the top has over five years trickled it's way down to management and players, especially the ones nailed on to play regardless of performance, week in week out! The McCarthy that walked in to Portman Rd five years ago is worth five of the McCarthy currently overseeing dross!
3

Dissboyitfc added 07:35 - Nov 3 Karlosfangangal.... Now that is totally negativity! And i would agree with Garner if we were a team trying to establish ourselves in the division, facts are we are established, we hold the dam record . Truth is another season of nothingness looms once again, No cup, very little entertaining football and if we are lucky, we will end up mid table and avoid a relegation battle! Rensham, fans are not being negative, quite the opposite, fans are doing something positive for change and that staying away or making the displeasure Known! MM out !!!!!!!!

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