Premiership: Holland sets sights on double century

In the frenzied world of modern football Matt Holland is something of a freak.

Tomorrow night the Ipswich captain plays his 200th consecutive league game in the Premiership clash with Fulham at Portman Road.

Given the frantic pace of English football, the toil it takes on the body, the implementation of squad rotation and a liberal use of yellow and red cards by over-officious officials, it is some feat.

Holland, who has started every Ipswich league encounter since his £800,000 move from Bournemouth in the summer of 1997, has made injury and suspension taboo words.

‘‘I suppose it is an unusual record in this day and age and I have been very lucky as far as injury and suspension go,’’ said the Republic of Ireland midfielder.

‘‘But I have done it and it’s something of which I am very proud.

‘‘It comes from a desire to play - I hate missing games.’’

So much so that he was disappointed to be given a breather by manager George Burley against Millwall in the Worthington Cup last season when he had a sore ankle, although he did make an entry as a second-half substitute.

At Bournemouth, he even played with a cast on a broken arm, which had previously meant missing a couple of matches.

His string of 221 consecutive appearances in all competitions came to an end this season in the Worthington Cup at Crewe when Burley rested all his internationals.

Meanwhile, Holland is confident of a positive reaction to the 4-1 FA Cup drubbing at home to Manchester City on Sunday.

Ipswich went into that contest on the back of six wins in seven matches but were exposed by the First Division leaders after missing a spate of first-half chances.

‘‘We would’ve liked to have had a good run in the cup and it might have been a lot different if we had put just one of those chances away,’’ Holland said.

‘‘But the Premiership is our bread and butter as it were and on current form we are second only to Manchester United.

‘‘We will have to use the momentum of our results in the league recently as we need the three points against Fulham.’’

Jean Tigana’s side have lost only five times in the Premiership, however, a record bettered only by Arsenal, Leeds and Chelsea.

Last season’s Nationwide League champions are currently in mid-table and have coped with the transition admirably, helped in no small part by a sizeable chest of transfer cash.

Ipswich, of course, finished fifth on their return to the top flight and Holland believes the Blues’ escapades, that led to this season’s UEFA Cup campaign, provided hope for the newcomers.

‘‘Fulham are a very good team, that plays good football,’’ he said.

‘‘I think they probably have taken heart from us. In fact, all three of the promoted sides this season started off very well.

‘‘Fulham like to build from the back, like we do, and their only problem seems to be that they have drawn too many games.

‘‘People were talking about them getting into Europe and Mohammed Al Fayed was on about them winning the Premiership within two or three years.

‘‘That is a bit optimistic, but I thought they would do well this season and I am not surprised at all that they are.’’

Ipswich’s recent resurgence has made a mockery of their four-month wait for a league victory between August and December.

Holland, though, is keen for them to get at least 18 more points in their quest to avoid the drop.

‘‘History has shown that 40 points is normally good enough to stay in the Premiership but this is no ordinary season,’’ he said.

‘‘It could be that we need more than that to stay up this time and, while we have no direct target in mind other than survival, I would like to think that if we can win six of our remaining 15 league games, that would be enough to keep us up.’’

On the injury front, Mark Venus has recovered from a knee injury that ruled him out of the City match on Sunday and should return.