Premiership: Holland wants six of the best

Ipswich captain Matt Holland has set his side a target of six more Premiership wins in their bid to beat the drop.

Holland, who plays his 200th consecutive league game against Fulham at Portman Road tonight, believes it will take a larger points tally than usual to guarantee safety this season.

Ipswich have 24 points from 23 matches, thanks largely to five wins in their last six.

That recent resurgence has revitalised their season and 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 an extremely congested top tier.

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

‘‘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 if we can win six of our remaining 15 league games, that would be enough to keep us up,’’ Holland said.

Holland, who has started every Ipswich league encounter since his £800,000 move from Bournemouth in the summer of 1997, is confident George Burley’s side will show a positive reaction to the 4-1 FA Cup drubbing by Manchester City.

‘‘We would have 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 a number of first-half chances away,’’ Holland said.

‘‘But the Premiership is our bread and butter 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 year’s UEFA Cup campaign, provided hope for the newcomers.

‘‘Fulham are a very good team, who play good football,’’ he said. ‘‘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 they have drawn too many games.

‘‘People were talking about them getting into Europe and Mohamed 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.’’

Centre-back Mark Venus is available again for Town after missing the cup defeat with a knee injury but Jermaine Wright picked up a knock in that match and is struggling to be fit.