'I've just been completely average' - Town star Woolfenden on his season and Town's struggles

The laid-back and likeable 22-year-old came into the campaign as one of Town's crown jewels - ex-boss Paul Lambert even suggesting he could be a £10m player - but, like the team, has struggled to impress.

He's been in and out of the side, making 22 appearances in all, scoring once, as Town have laboured to ninth place in the League One table.

Luke Woolfenden has been in and out of the side this season (Image: Steve Waller)

"I think I've had a completely average season," he said. "Coming off last season, I had a very good one and haven't lived up to the standards of what I set last year.

"I've just been completely average, and that's not good enough for this club.

"Hopefully now that I'm back in the team I can start enjoying football again and when you start enjoying it is when your best football comes."

Town's struggles as a team were encapsulated in a miserable 3-0 defeat at AFC Wimbledon on Tuesday night, a game that boss Paul Cook had branded 'season-defining' before kick-off.

Woolfenden said: "They're always the tough ones. You go into it and everyone's expecting you to win and to be fair, up until the first goal, it's probably the brightest we've looked going forward in a few games.

"Once they scored it just completely knocked us. It's not good enough, as a group of players we need to recover from setbacks better than we do, as oppose to just laying down and taking it.

"It must be a mental thing. I don't think there's a lack of effort on the pitch, so it must be a lack of belief. I'm not sure, it's hard to put my finger on what it is. Whatever it is, we need to improve - and we all know that. As a group of players, we're not stupid."

Cook made it very clear in his press conference this morning that a painful summer of change is on the way at Town, with Alan Judge having already been told he won't play for the club again.

And Woolfenden said his boss has been just as blunt with his players as he was with the media.

"What he says to you is the same as what he says to us," he explained. "To be fair, we all know as players that our performances this season haven't been good enough.

"Whether that needs to be carried on being said or not, as players we all know it. It's just a matter of us going out on the pitch and proving that we're good players.

"You're playing for Ipswich Town, we've been relegated a couple of seasons ago. We shouldn't be in this league, we should be able to deal with the pressure - it's a big club and if you can't deal with the pressure, like the gaffer said, there's going to be a lot of changes."

Luke Woolfenden is one of Town's best young players (Image: Archant)

Asked about fans' criticism of players, Woolfenden added: "They've (the fans) got every right. It's been ages since the fans have had something to shout about, probably since Mick got us in the play-offs.

"It's not coming from a place where they want to batter us for the sake of battering us. We've not performed and we all know that."

He added: "Not getting promoted would just be deeply disappointing for everyone. There's six games left, and we've just got to try our bollocks off for every single one.

"We need to win every single one if we're realistically going to get into the play-offs."

Of his own future, Woolfenden said: "I've had a few chats (with Cook) here and there. His future plans are linked to what you're putting out on the pitch.

"If you're playing well then you'll be in his future plans. If you're not, you won't be.

"Job security isn't something you have in football, but I'm confident in my own ability.

"Whether it's here or I get moved on, as long as I'm enjoying football that's the main thing."