Ipswich Town have picked up five points from their last three league games with 22 remaining they are 11 points off of the play-off places.
Miles away from where they want to be and where the expectations were set for them at the start of the season, but the early signs under new manager Kieran McKenna have certainly been positive.
The limited availability every team in the EFL is currently experiencing due to the spread of coronavirus could see Ipswich's deep squad pay dividends in the second half of the season, and they are shaping up well for their trip to 23rd placed Gillingham on Saturday.
McKenna provided an update of the squad's fitness and availability when he spoke to Twtd.co.uk.
He said: "We’ve a few players back in training now recovering from illness and injury, so we’ve had a really big, large group available to train.
"I think Jon Nolan and (Hayden) Coulson are the only two absentees at the moment, and other than that we’ve had a really big group training and everyone fighting and competing to be involved in the game on Saturday."
It will be interesting to see if the Tractor Boys dip into the transfer market this month having bolstered their squad with 19 signings in the summer transfer window.
The Verdict
The club's hierarchy were ruthless in their sacking of Paul Cook, who it appeared had turned a corner after Ipswich struggled to get going at the beginning of the campaign. Given his background it seems like McKenna will get a little more patience, with the understanding from above that promotion is very unlikely this season.
There is usually at least one team who emerges from the chasing pack to crash into the top six in the closing exchanges of the campaign and the squad will be believing that with the talent at the club, they can put a run together to ruffle some feathers.
Jon Nolan has not managed a single minute yet this term, but with the likes of James Norwood being brought in from the cold by McKenna in the last month or so, every member of the squad will be sensing the opportunity to impress.