Ipswich Town: Darnell Furlong expects Blues to bounce back and kick on

For Darnell Furlong, the focus is firmly on resilience — both personally and as part of an Ipswich Town side eager to respond following their 3-1 defeat away at Leicester City.

That setback came after back-to-back victories over Coventry City and Stoke City, having previously endured a frustrating period that included a loss at Oxford United and a below-par showing at Blackburn Rovers.

Ipswich’s season has been marked by inconsistency at times, but they have repeatedly shown an ability to regroup and bounce back. That mentality will be crucial as they head into a busy festive schedule.

Reflecting on recent results, Furlong said: “We went through a tricky spell with Oxford and Blackburn, but then responded with some really good wins against strong teams. We’ve shown what we can do, and now it’s about putting this one behind us and focusing on Saturday against Sheffield Wednesday.”

The defeat at the King Power Stadium saw Town slip to fifth in the Championship table, with Coventry City, Middlesbrough, Preston North End and Millwall now sitting above them. A tightly packed chasing group — including Hull City, Stoke City, Leicester City, QPR and Southampton — ensures the margins remain fine.

Despite the congested standings, Furlong remains confident Ipswich will be challenging at the right end of the table come the season’s conclusion.

“This squad is definitely good enough,” he insisted. “It’s about finding consistency and putting everything together.

“We’re still a relatively new group, learning about each other and how we want to play, but I’ve got no doubts that we’ll be right up there at the end of the season. We’re too strong not to be.”

When asked what Ipswich must do to put together a sustained run of form and push towards the top of the division, Furlong was clear in his response.

“It’s about approaching games the way we did against Stoke and Coventry — taking it one match at a time,” he explained. “We weren’t thinking ahead, just focusing on the task in front of us.

“Wins give you confidence, of course, but our only focus right now is Sheffield Wednesday. Once that’s done, we’ll move on to the next one. It’s about cracking on.”

On a personal level, Furlong is determined to maintain momentum and establish himself as the first-choice right-back, ahead of competition from Ashley Young, Ben Johnson and Harry Clarke.

“I’m enjoying it,” he added. “I just want to keep playing and find a rhythm.

“The Championship is relentless, so the aim is to keep turning out week after week and doing everything I can to help the team.”