Welcome back to Portman Road for this afternoon's game against Blackpool, a club like our opponents in midweek, Birmingham, who were in the Premier League last season.
We know we will be in for a very difficult 90 minutes but if the players put in a display like they showed at St Andrew's then I'll be happy enough - and we'll have a chance of taking the three points.
There were a lot of positives to take from the Birmingham game. We got ourselves into a lot of good positions. We defended resolutely. I couldn't fault the players for their efforts but once again we paid the price for two bad goals.
That - and the fact that we keep giving teams a goal start, a two goal start, a three goal start - has proved to be our Achilles heel this season. I don't think I have known a season when we have gone in at half-time on some many occasions with a mountain to climb. You can't keep climbing mountains and that's why we are where we are.
There's no doubt that we deserved at least a draw at Birmingham and we should have had a penalty when Lee Martin was fouled in the box with the score at 1-1.
I don't want to dwell on my comments after the game which were disappointingly portrayed by some sections of the media as being sexist towards assistant referee Amy Fearn. They weren't.
What's important is that we start climbing up the table. Our results have not been good enough and I'm the first to accept that. I've made mistakes. I'm the first to accept that.
I'm the manager and I have to accept the responsibility for the position we are in. I look at the decisions I have made every day but I have been a manager for 14 years and I know I can do this job and be successful.
It's a tough job and there have been some dark days, certainly recently, but the first thing that I learnt as a manager is that the most important relationship at a football club is the one between the manager and the owner - or chairman as it used to be.
In Marcus Evans, I couldn't have a better owner to work with. We have a great relationship and he has kept me going at times. I want to reward him for the support he has shown me.
He's a very private man and doesn't do interviews [well apart from in today's programme!] but people can mistake that for a lack of passion. That is a big mistake to make because he is fiercely ambitious for Ipswich Town Football Club.
He has big plans here. He has a huge vision for the Club and he has been absolutely brilliant for me.
He has backed me when we have gone into the transfer market, whether that be loans or permanent deals and he has done that again with us bringing Alex McCarthy here from Reading.
I first saw Alex when he was on loan at Yeovil and he caught my eye then. He was in goal for Reading when they were here last season and he looked very composed for a lad of just 21.
We tried to sign him in the summer but Reading were not for selling. We tried to get him again before he went to Leeds on loan but that deal was already done but I spoke to Brian McDermott [Reading boss] and he said that although there was no chance of signing him permanently, they would look at him going out on loan again - when that chance came, we made our move and I'm delighted we have him here for what we hope will be for three months.
On the treatment front Jimmy Bullard is on the mend after a nasty virus that really laid him low for a few weeks. He came in last weekend and we sent him home again, then he was in on the Monday but within five minutes of doing some running, he was being sick.
He's been back with us over the last few days and back on the training field and that's encouraging.
Finally, I'd like to welcome Ian Holloway, his staff and the Blackpool players to Portman Road. They picked up a lot of friends for their displays in the Premier League last season and were unfortunate to go down. Their aim will be to make an immediate return. For us it's about moving up the table as quickly as possible.
