Ipswich Town boss Mick McCarthy says his team are still not safe from relegation following last night’s drab goalless home draw with lowly Wolves.

The Blues are unbeaten in seven games now, but have drawn six of them and are 16th in the Championship table – nine points above the drop zone – with 10 games left to play.

Positive home displays against Reading and Leeds lifted the mood following a dire start to 2017, but two typically stale encounters on Suffolk soil in the space of four days has done little to inspire supporters ahead of season ticket renewal time.

McCarthy, whose unbeaten record against his former club now stands at seven matches, said: “They’ve had the better of the second half, just like Brentford did on Saturday. Why that is I don’t know. Actually it might be because they’ve got good players and are quite a good team, despite their position. I have no idea why they are there (a point above the bottom three).

“Look at that players they’ve got with (Ben) Marshall and (Jon Dadi) Bodvarsson. They’ve got a £13m player on the bench (Helder Costa). (Andreas) Weimann costs a chunk of money and was a Premier League player.

“The only positive I’ve got is that we didn’t get beat and we got a clean sheet.”

Asked how he reflected on Town’s seven-game unbeaten run in general, McCarthy replied: “Thank goodness.

“If I look back everybody was looking upon things with increased trepidation and fear. I said at the time we’d probably go and play well in those games and we’ve picked up some good points. It’s just as well we have.

“That’s another point in what’s been a bloody tough season.”

He continued: “I asked the players after the game, and it was a rhetorical question, whether anybody did not try as hard as they should tonight? I know full well they do every week.

“We played against a good side and have to give them a bit of credit. I’m not going to giving my lads stick. Other people do that better than I do.”

Asked if his team were safe from relegation, he said: “No, I think we’ve still got a bit to do. I think we’ve got to scrap it out. We’ve got 10 games to play – we’ve got to play better than that.”

With the full-time whistle greeted by boos, he said: “I just think that’s going to be the case for me now. If we don’t play well and get beat then I’m going to get it in my earhole. So be it.”