Forget the play-offs, Ipswich Town will be looking to go one better next season.

As the dust begins to settle on a memorable campaign that ultimately ended in failure, the next week or so will be dominated by ‘what ifs’ and ‘if onlys’.

For the likes of the Hunt brothers (Stephen and Noel) and Paul Anderson, there is a good chance that they will not have a chance to reverse the pain suffered at Carrow Road, having yet to be offered new deals at Portman Road.

Football can be a fickle game, but has to be if clubs like Ipswich are to rebuild successfully and achieve their Premier League dream, and Chambers believes the foundations are in place for the club to make the top flight next season.

“We will see each other on Monday and get some closure to the season,” said Chambers speaking after the game on Saturday.

“Players will come and go and it is going to be an interesting summer.

“We have got the core of the group contracted for next season and we will only get stronger. Teams will not want to play us, at Portman Road especially.

“No-one gave us a chance in the summer and by the halfway stage of the season we were in second place.

“We will be aiming for the play-offs again next season, if not trying to go one better.”

Chambers made 50 appearances for the club this season and was part of a core of players, including Tyrone Mings, Christophe Berra, Tommy Smith, Cole Skuse and Daryl Murphy that gave Town fans so many highs.

Saturday’s loss proved to be his sixth play-off semi-final defeat, having lost three times with Nottingham Forest and twice with Northampton, but Chambers remains upbeat.

“I can say from the bottom of my heart that it’s been an absolute pleasure to play with every single one of the players this season, while the fans have been brilliant” added Chambers.

“Everyone that come in has contributed to the group and taken on the ideas we have implemented, whether that was in mid-season, on-loan or at the start of the season, and that won’t change.”

The Championship is likely to be just as competitive next season, with promoted Bristol City and MK Dons free-scorers in League One and on the crest of a wave and Burnley, in particular, coming down from the Premier League still in decent shape.

That should not worry Town though, provided the manager is backed, according to the skipper.

“We are only going to improve under the manager, He has experience in this division, knows how to set teams up and has galvanised the whole club and brought everyone together,” he explained.

“The fans have come back and believe in the team.”

“We will only get stronger with the gaffer at the helm, so if he’s backed a little bit, which I am sure he will and he has, we will only get stronger.”