Juke demands more as Blues face crunch week
LUKAS Jutkiewicz has called on Birmingham City to repeat the performance which saw them end their losing streak last time out.
Blues resume their scramble for Championship safety at home to Ipswich on Saturday buoyed by result and the nature of their 3-0 victory over Hull City.
However, the 28-yearold knows Blues need to replicate that display, not just against Ipswich but against Bolton and Burton – indeed, right through to the end of the season.
“It was a good performance. It is a start,” the striker said.
“That is the standard we need to set ourselves because, ultimately, we are going to need a fair few of those performances between now and the end of the season.
“There’s no point getting carried away. One win is good because it keeps us in the fight but we’ll certainly need a lot more.
“I’ve seen this league for a number of years and every game is the same. You have to bring the fight to every single game.
“Of course, the teams at the top of the table are going to have that bit more quality but, in general, teams take points off each other wherever you are in the table, so you have to look at each and every game as a chance to pick up three points.”
The win over Nigel Adkins’ Tigers two weeks ago was the perfect note on which to go into the international break.
Blues were in over the weekend as new manager Garry Monk continues to implement his methods.
The team then face a potentially pivotal week with games against the Tractor Boys, the trip to Bolton and the visit from relegation rivals Burton.
“We’re pleased to get back to winning games,” Jutkiewicz added. “We knew Hull was a huge game, especially with what had happened earlier in the day with Millwall winning at Barnsley.
“It was a big day for us, we needed everyone to turn up and they did. It’s really important with any team, but particularly with us with the season as it’s gone, to score first. We did that and I thought we really took the fight to them.
“There are eight games left and that’s a heck of a lot of points to play for.
“We need to give ourselves as best chance as possible in each and every game.”