IPSWICH Town assistant manager John Gorman today predicted that Norwich City will bring the best out of the Blues in Sunday's East Anglian derby at Portman Road.

Elvin King

IPSWICH Town assistant manager John Gorman today predicted that Norwich City will bring the best out of the Blues in Sunday's East Anglian derby at Portman Road.

And the 59-year-old former England coach called on Town fans to get behind their team and help them to three Coca-Cola Championship points.

Town have only won one of their last ten home league matches, but Gorman says that a deserved draw at Bristol City on Monday has lifted spirits.

And he added: “Norwich have everything to play for, and it will bring out the best from our lads.

“There has already been what you could call fighting talk from the Norwich end about their hopes to gain points at Portman Road to improve their plight.

“From our point of view we owe our fans a good home display, and there will be no better time than Sunday.”

George Burley warned Gorman of the intensity of East Anglian derbies when he was assisting the former Town boss in the late nineties.

“And I was not let down,” said Gorman, who was involved in one game at Carrow Road during his previous time with Ipswich.

“The atmosphere was tremendous, but the game was like many derbies - a bit of a let down - with our goalkeeping coach at the time, Malcolm Webster, the happiest man afterwards as goalkeepers Andy Marshall and Richard Wright both kept clean sheets.

“Malcolm had been working at Norwich with Andy before joining Ipswich.”

Gorman is sure Ipswich fans will get right behind the team - and manager Jim Magilton.

He explained: “They always want their team to win, and this will be particularly so against Norwich.

“And they can help the lads achieve this with their backing for the players and the manager.

“We got last Saturday's home defeat to Doncaster out of our system at Bristol City on Monday and we have a habit of doing well in adversity.

“We lost at home to Southampton and then followed that with two great performances at Wolverhampton and Reading. I don't think the manager or team got the credit they deserved for that.”

Gorman is a veteran of a number of different derbies, having played for Celtic against Rangers - at reserve level - and been working for Tottenham against Arsenal and Bristol City against Bristol Rovers, and also Swindon against Oxford and Reading.

“They are all accompanied by hype, but we all know how important these matches are for the fans,” said Gorman.

Jon Walters and David Wright are big doubts for the game, while skipper Gareth McAuley is rated 50-50. Leading scorer Jon Stead will be available after a back problem.

n Goalkeeper Shane Supple is back at Portman Road for treatment after sustaining a knee injury playing for Oldham last Friday.

The Republic of Ireland Under-21 international missed Oldham's home game against Crewe on Easter Monday.

He joined Joe Royle's side on loan until the end of the season.