Optimism was, generally, at its highest for many a year ahead of the 2013-14 season among Ipswich Town fans.
They had produced playoff form since Mick McCarthy took over from Paul Jewell in the previous season, finishing 14th when McCarthy inherited the Blues in bottom.
Over the summer, McCarthy got rid of high earners Michael Chopra and Jay Emmanuel-Thomas and added numerous players that would become vital for Ipswich on free transfers such as goalkeeper Dean Gerken, defender Christophe Berra, midfielder Cole Skuse and striker David McGoldrick. Manchester United's Ryan Tunnicliffe also joined on loan until January.
As 2014 begins, Ipswich are winning an extremely tight battle for the final playoff place thanks to an unbeaten run of form to end 2013.
Here, Sports Mole remembers a solid, if unspectacular first half of the season for the Tractor Boys.
August
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It was a daunting start for Ipswich on the opening day as they travelled to recently-relegated Reading. Former Royal Jay Tabb gave the Blues a dream start but Ipswich would surrender the lead as the home side fought back to win.
Things went from bad to worse for the Blues as League One side Stevenage knocked them out in the first round of the League Cup, making the home game against Millwall a few days later already feel like a must-win encounter.
The Blues would prevail comfortably against the Lions, who helped them with a couple of own goals in a 3-0 victory.
Ipswich wouldn't win again in August as they fell to Queens Park Rangers and Leeds United before a draw at Birmingham saw the Tractor Boys head into September just a point outside the bottom three.
There were no late transfer dealings for the Blues but they did manage to hold on to highly rated left-back Aaron Cresswell, who would go on to lead the Championship's assist table for much of the first half of the season.
September
The second month of the season was a much better one for McCarthy's men as they won all three home games to collect nine of a possible 12 points and surge into the top half of the table.
First, Middlesbrough and Yeovil Town fell at Portman Road before Town's away struggles continued by losing at Wigan Athletic.
In the final game of the month, Brighton & Hove Albion saw their six-game unbeaten run ended as Ipswich came past them 2-0 in Suffolk.
McGoldrick scored match-winning braces in the wins over Middlesbrough and Brighton and those performances would earn him the division's Player of the Month for September.
October
September may have been impressive, but October was not a strong month for the Tractor Boys as they failed to pick up a win and also had speculation looming over them that McCarthy would leave them to become Republic of Ireland manager for a second time.
His odds tumbled to as low as evens and he had the backing of many to replace Giovanni Trappattoni and coach the boys in green.
The Irish FA were taking their time and McCarthy refused to rule himself out of the running and this may have caused a sluggish month for the Blues.
It all began with an incredible match at Derby County. Ipswich held a 4-1 lead at half time but Derby came back to earn a memorable point and revealed afterwards that new manager Steve McClaren, who was just watching in the stands, came down at the break to inspire their fightback.
Two further draws at Sheffield Wednesday and Bolton Wanderers came either side of a home defeat to high-flying Burnley at Portman Road, putting Ipswich back into the bottom half.
November
November brought with it an improved set of results and also the news that Blues fans desperately wanted to hear, as Martin O'Neill and Roy Keane were announced as the new coaching duo with Ireland.
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McCarthy stayed and managed to bring in Stephen Hunt, whom he worked with at previous club Wolverhampton Wanderers, on a short-term deal. Although the month began with a limp home draw against struggling Barnsley, Ipswich would earn their first away win of the season and just their second of 2013 at Blackpool.
It was some game at Bloomfield Road as Paul Taylor scored his first goal for Town to put them 2-1 ahead late on before Steven Davies equalised for Blackpool after the 90-minute mark. Ipswich weren't done though and won a corner up the other end that Daryl Murphy headed home to win the game.
Top-two side Leicester visited Portman Road next and left with the points thanks to Ipswich nemesis David Nugent, who has scored 13 goals in 12 games against the Tractor Boys. That would be Ipswich's last defeat of first half of the season.
They ended November with a narrow victory at Charlton to climb back into the top half and just four points off the top six.
December
It was three wins on the spin for Ipswich as they began December with home victories over Blackburn Rovers and Huddersfield Town. Things were also going well off the pitch as Cresswell signed a new three-and-a-half-year contract and McCarthy, sporting a new beard, managed to win the race to sign free-agent striker Sylvan Ebanks-Blake, another one of his former pupils at Wolves.
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The Blues next held on for a draw against Nottingham Forest and had Gerken to thank for some stunning saves before Watford grabbed a point at Portman Road.
Boxing Day saw Ipswich ease past Doncaster Rovers, with McGoldrick scoring twice to take his league tally into double figures for the season.
A 1-1 draw in the final game of the year at Bournemouth was enough for Ipswich to squeeze into the top six at the halfway stage thanks to their goal difference.
They began 2014 with another point as Charlton snatched a last-gasp equaliser on New Year's Day. Despite conceding late, Ipswich are still sixth as teams around them also faltered on the first day of the year.
As mentioned at the start, Ipswich fans felt cautiously optimistic ahead of the season and their position at the halfway mark will only back up their hope for a run at the playoffs. Defensively they are resilient but just need to hold on to leads better. One of the more interesting stories of the second half of the season could be how Ebanks-Blake performs after many months out injured.
McCarthy may have grown his beard for festive reasons or perhaps he won't shave it off until Ipswich suffer defeat again. If it's the latter, Blues fans will be hoping he looks even more like Father Christmas as 2014 continues.
Pascal Lemesre
