IPSWICH Town manager Jim Magilton today revealed that he had received a message of support from club owner Marcus Evans following the defeat at Carrow Road.

Elvin King

IPSWICH Town manager Jim Magilton today revealed that he had received a message of support from club owner Marcus Evans following the defeat at Carrow Road.

Magilton is currently under fire following the dreadful display in Sunday's 2-0 reverse at Norwich City, but he stresses that he has not lost any confidence in his own ability.

And he Ipswich entertain Bristol City in the Coca-Cola Championship tomorrow (kick off 7.45pm) and Magilton is looking for a reaction from his team to 'get Sunday out of our system'.

He said: “Unlike Roy Keane I am not going to walk away.

“I am here long term and have no intention of leaving.

“I have full confidence in my own ability and football is a results business and there is such a thin dividing line. If Jon Walters had scored at Norwich we would have won the game.

“I can understand the hurt that our fans our feeling and it is up to me and the players to put that right - with their help - tomorrow.

“I had a fantastic message of support from Marcus Evans after the defeat at Norwich and I am confident that I have the players behind me.

“There is nothing to suggest that they are not and the staff have been wonderful as they know how upset I get when we lose - particularly against Norwich. The chairman has been outstanding as well.

“We must look to get the best out of the Christmas period and give ourselves a springboard to move on for the rest of the season.

“We have to get Sunday out of our system with a quality performance against a Bristol side that will be expecting a backlash. We mustn't disappoint them.”

Ben Thatcher has returned to training after illness while Pablo Counago took a kick on the shin at Carrow Road but should be okay.

Jon Walters came through on Sunday with no ill effects but will still be looked at and he has struggled in midweek games because of his thigh injury in recent weeks.

Magilton added: “Our lads our hurting and I know when I lost in a derby match I set my stool out to put things right in the following game.

“We must do that on the pitch tomorrow and get the hurt out of our system.

“In this modern game results are everything and a matter of life or death.

“My life will not depend on whether we beat Bristol City and then Cardiff on Saturday in this job.

“I will give everything to get a result in both games and it could be a completely different picture for us on Saturday night.

“At the end of the day it is players that win you games and players that win you promotion. I have every faith in mine.”