Former Manchester United and England defender Phil Jones believes Ipswich Town can avoid Premier League relegation if they continue to make Portman Road a fortress.

The Blues drew 2-2 against Champions League outfit Aston Villa yesterday to make it four games unbeaten in the top-flight.

Having started the season with defeats to Liverpool (2-0 home) and Man City (4-1 away), Kieran McKenna's men have had four successive stalemates, previously drawing against Fulham (1-1 at home), Brighton (0-0 away) and Southampton (1-1 away).

At a raucous and packed Portman Road, Town had Liverpool on the back foot in the first half on the opening day and were pressing for the win against both Fulham and Villa. They've now lost just three of their last 51 home league games on Suffolk soil.  

Jones, who worked under Kieran McKenna when the latter was Manchester United assistant manager, enthused on MOTD2: "He's terrific. His range of knowledge and understand of the game is second to none.

"He was really good at United. You could see from the sessions he took there what an influence he had on that side. He's obviously gone to Ipswich and taken them from league One to the Championship and now to the Premier League. 

"He's done a terrific job. He's got a mammoth task this year trying to keep them in the league, but if they keep picking up points like that and make Portman Road a fortress and a really tough ground to go to then they've got a great chance of staying in the league."

Town, currently 15th in the table, are one of five teams yet to win a Premier League game yet this season - the others being Wolves, Southampton, Crystal Palace and Leicester.

McKenna's men go to West Ham on Saturday then, following an international break, face Everton (h), Brentford (a) and Leicester (h).