IPSWICH Town manager Jim Magilton today called for a towering performance from his players at Blackpool tomorrow (kick off 3pm) in similar style to last week's 2-0 victory over QPR.

Elvin King

IPSWICH Town manager Jim Magilton today called for a towering performance from his players at Blackpool tomorrow (kick off 3pm) in similar style to last week's 2-0 victory over QPR.

The Blues' boss would then look for a victory that would keep the good run going and keep a positive feel around Portman Road.

Town have moved into eighth place in the Coca-Cola Championship on the back of one league defeat in 11 matches and eight points from their last four, and Magilton said that his players were in good heart before their flight later today from Cambridge airport to Blackpool.

But Magilton revealed that he knows only too well that his position, as of every manager, is precarious.

He said: “Aidy Boothroyd took Watford to promotion a couple of years or so back and was working on a new plan to get them restarted, yet he lost his job this week.

“This shows how much results mean in football and although we are progressing and I am sure we will still progress the knockers are waiting just around the corner if results do not go to plan.

“This is a precarious business to be in and a few poor results and we could well have the negative responses that we were listening to and reading about last month.

“Another result tomorrow will keep the self belief going and build it even more and if we can keep going collectively and with the same desire as we have shown this season then we will be ok.”

Magilton says that the Blues will have to show the same dedication and passion as they did against Rangers to get a result at Bloomfield Road.

He added: “We had to do the ugly things first last weekend, which we did well and the lads showed terrific character to then go on and gain three impressive points.

“If we don't work as hard or harder than Blackpool do tomorrow then we will lose the game.

“With stands only round three sides it can be a strange place to play and I know I didn't like playing at Portman Road when the North Stand had been knocked down and was being rebuilt because the open end seemed to vacate the atmosphere from the ground.

“We will have to overcome this, which I'm sure we will, and we will be travelling in good heart and will have no excuses if we lose as the preparation has been fine.”

Magilton confirmed that left back Ben Thatcher will not be in the party as he feels he will be best suited training back in Ipswich in an effort to recover match fitness, and there is a doubt about Danny Haynes as his abdominal strain is still causing problems and he will be assessed before the party leaves for the airport.

Pim Balkestein is in the party having impressed in the reserve game on Monday while the manager again backed Alex Bruce and said that with Moritz Volz just one booking away from a ban that Bruce remains very much in his thoughts.