IPSWICH Town boss Paul Jewell insists he has learned from his tactical mistakes earlier in the season.

Town looked like serious promotion candidates during an impressive six-game unbeaten run towards the start of the campaign, but opponents soon worked out how to counteract their diamond formation and a seven-game losing streak ensued as the Blues boss stuck stubbornly to his system.

Jewell has recently got his side out of that severe rut by finding a new winning formula in the form of a 4-2-3-1 system, with a host of youngsters and ex-fringe players keeping former starters such as Jimmy Bullard and Grant Leadbitter on the sidelines.

And this time the Blues boss says he is ready to adapt should things take another turn for the worse.

“We always have to be one step ahead and have a plan B,” said Jewell, whose side are chasing a fifth straight Championship victory at Brighton tomorrow.

“I think when people worked out the diamond we probably didn’t have that, but maybe we’ve got a bit more flexibility about us now.

“We’ve got to be able to change our shape during games, whether that’s with the players on the pitch or with a change in personnel. We’ve been working on things in training.”

With last weekend’s 3-0 home win over high-flying Cardiff City elevating the Blues to within 13 points of the play-off places, Jewell said: “I’m not looking up the table or down it. I know that’s a bit of cliche and not a headline comment, but it’s true. We’re just taking each game as it comes.”

– For full match preview, see today’s Ipswich Star and tomorrow’s EADT