Ipswich Town boss Mick McCarthy says now is the time when his level-headed approach comes into its own.

The Blues have hit their first real sticky patch of his 14-and-a-half month reign, Saturday’s limp 1-0 defeat at Millwall following hot on the heels of losses to QPR and Preston.

Little more than a week ago Town were in the Championship play-off places and on a nine-game unbeaten run. All of a sudden they are out of the FA Cup, down to 10th, with just one win in nine matches the statistic which jumps off the page.

McCarthy was among the Championship manger-of-the-month nominees for December, but he always remained pragmatic about the task ahead and even warned supporters that ‘we could easily lose three in a row’.

Never too high after a good run, the Blues boss is now trying not to feel too low after a slight dip.

“That mentality will be tested now won’t it?” he said, with a rueful smile, having admitted Saturday’s defeat at The Den was his side’s flattest display of the campaign.

“I will, of course (stay level-headed). We got into the top six deservedly for how we’d played, now we’ve dropped out of it deservedly for the way we’ve played.”

The Blues boss described Millwall’s winning goal as both a ‘fluke’ and a ‘blooper’ after Ryan Frederick’s cross looped over keeper Dean Gerken and into the net.

Seven soft goals have now been conceded in three games, with Reading – 7-1 winners over Bolton at the weekend – the visitors to Portman Road on Saturday.