David McGoldrick believes Ipswich Town have what it takes to stay in the Championship top six spots.

The Blues have claimed 15 points from a possible 21 games to occupy fifth place, with a game in hand, heading into Saturday’s match against table-topping Leeds United at Elland Road.

Four of the five teams they have beaten are 20th or below though, Town have faced more than double the amount of shots they have produced so far and played in front of their lowest league crowd in 19 years last weekend (14,164),

“Fans are never happy are they?” said McGoldrick. “If we were entertaining and losing I’d like to see what the reaction was then.

“With the way last season was we needed this season to start well and we’ve done that, we’ve got results, even with a lot of injuries, and it’s only been the Fulham game where we looked like a team with square pegs in round holes.

“We’ve stood up to tests and it’s credit to the boys the way we’ve dug things out with things going against us.”

He continued: “Why can’t we stay up there? Every year we all say ‘the Championship is harder’ and talk about this team and that team, but I don’t think there is a stand out team to be scared of.

“Middlesbrough have spent big money, but there’s not a team like Newcastle last year where you thought they could blow anyone away and really run away with the league.

“In the Championship anyone can beat anyone. We got proper beaten by Fulham, they were really good on the day, then they go to Burton and lose 2-1. The league is crazy. It’s really open and there might be a few surprises up there this season.

“If we stay injury free and if we stay together we’ve got a really good chance of being up there because we have one of the best managers in the league.”

He added: “Mick (McCarthy) is the same every day – even when it was going bad last season he never came in with a face where you though ‘better stay away from him’.

“He hasn’t changed his principles this year, it’s just been more effective. When we were in the play-offs we were playing the same way we play now.

“We’ve just got to get back to certain basics. We might have the lowest shots, but it’s the results that matter most. Results win people back. If we stay up there I’m sure they’ll be back.”