AS Jim Magilton faces a battle to keep his job, supporters calling for his head are being urged to call a truce when the old enemy march on Portman Road this weekend.

AS Jim Magilton faces a battle to keep his job, supporters calling for his head are being urged to call a truce when the old enemy march on Portman Road this weekend.

There has been growing discontent in the ranks and sections of the Blue Army have been gunning for Magilton after a series of poor results left his troops stranded in the No Man's Land of mid table in The Championship.

The bedraggled Blues finally failed to secure their main objective of a place in the play-offs with a shock 3-1 defeat at home to Doncaster Rovers last Saturday.

A barrage of boos greeted Magilton as he left the pitch, and calls for him to beat a retreat from the manager's chair he has occupied for three seasons intensified.

But now fans are being urged to regroup behind the Irishman for at least 90 minutes to form a united front against Norwich City.

Phil Ham editor, of the Ipswich fanzine Those Were The Days believes the fans should put their feelings about Magilton aside for the duration of the big derby battle.

He said: “The fans need to go into the game thinking the priority is beating Norwich, there is no point helping the old enemy”.

He also stressed how important it was for supporters to get behind the manager and the team from the start.

He said: “At the moment there is a nervousness on the terraces which moves onto the players, a good atmosphere at Portman Road will have a significant affect.

“The three points are irrelevant it has been a long haul of a season and the supporters deserve something”.

A win for The Blues would please many supporters as it would put their East Anglian rivals in deeper relegation trouble and would also drastically improve the gloomy mood that has been hanging over Portman Road for some weeks now.

For Bryan Gunn and his Norwich side a victory is a must if his team are going to pull away from the relegation zone, but for Ipswich Town Supporters Trust Chairman Carl Day the game is just as relevant to Blues fans.

He said: “It is the most important game of the season, Norwich have a lot to play for but for us it's about honour and respect.

“It is important fans rally together; previous experience has shown an electric atmosphere lifts the team as the players can sense it”, he added.

Liz Edwards of the Ipswich Town Supporters Club added come Sunday everyone needs to be pulling in same direction and it was the chance for fans to show loyalty to the club.

She also highlighted the importance of refraining from the booing that was heard towards the end of the home match: She said: “There is no point in booing the first misplaced pass, or even an early conceded goal. The fans can have a huge impact on the result”.