ALAN Quinn today likened Jim Magilton to Neil Warnock - a manager who he gained promotion to the Premier League under at Sheffield United.And the 26-year-old midfielder, who signed for the Blues in January for £400,000, is sure he will enjoy the same success under Magilton.

Elvin King

ALAN Quinn today likened Jim Magilton to Neil Warnock - a manager who he gained promotion to the Premier League under at Sheffield United.

And the 26-year-old midfielder, who signed for the Blues in January for £400,000, is sure he will enjoy the same success under Magilton.

Having witnessed Magilton's wrath for the first time after Tuesday's 4-1 defeat at Barnsley, Quinn had his opinion confirmed about his new manager's passion to succeed.

“Jim and I were together at Sheffield Wednesday, and I always knew he was destined to become a manager,” said Quinn today.

“He's a winner and as a player always wanted the best from the rest of his team mates.

“The same applies now he's my manager.

“The gaffer's so passionate and if you're doing well he'll tell you.

“Equally, if you're not doing well he'll come down on you hard - I like it that way.

“Neil Warnock was the same at Sheffield United.

“I didn't always like him as a person - he was a bit of a lunatic! - but as a manager that style is great.

“It suits me because you always know where you stand.

“Both Jim and Neil Warnock are very good at getting the best out of their players.

“The Barnsley game was the first time I've really seen Jim lose it. I've heard him have a go before but on Tuesday he was really disgusted.”

Quinn has high hopes that Ipswich can reach the Coca-Cola Championship play-offs, although if they don't he feels they can make it automatically next season - following the same pattern as Sheffield United.

“I narrowly missed out on the play-offs in my first season at Sheffield United,” added Quinn.

“We needed to win on the last day of the season at Wolves, but lost 4-2.

“It was a real sickener, and such an empty-feeling, because we'd been high in the table all season and then dropped away.

“We'd had a couple of cup runs, which had got in the way.

“Neil Warnock kept us in the dressing room for about an hour and a half after the Wolves game.

“Everyone was so disappointed. The only consolation was that we learnt from that experience and went up automatically in 2005/06.”

After suffering an ankle problem soon after his arrival at Portman Road, Quinn says that he is now fully fit.

He revealed: “The last thing I wanted was to be on the treatment table, but I feel better for missing a game and now I'm ready to kick-on.

“I love it here and I love the way we try and play football. It suits me.”

And Quinn, who was one of the better players at Oakwell on Tuesday, disagrees with those who rate the Championship as a poor quality division this term.

“The league is wide open - anyone can beat anyone - and there's bound to be lots of twists and turns before the end of the season,” he said.

“People say the Championship is a bad division but I disagree.

“There's some decent teams and that's highlighted by having three of our sides still in the FA Cup.”