Ipswich Town defender Dara O’Shea has stressed that his side need to handle the pressure as their wait for a first Premier League win goes on.

The Blues currently have four points from their first eight games of the season, all of which have come from draws.

That leaves them with a better record than Southampton, Wolves and Crystal Palace, although it’s clear that they need to start winning games to maintain a gap on the bottom three.

It’s been easier said than done for Town, who’ve lost their last two games against West Ham and Everton.

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When asked whether such results can play on your mind, O’Shea admitted: “It can do, of course. Football is a tough sport mentally, and when you’re down the wrong end of the table, you want to win games. That’s where your focus is.

“The longer it goes, the more pressure gets put on us as players. We’ve got to handle that.

“I understand that myself, I’ve been in that position before. I know what it takes, and when the pressure comes, you’ve got to deal with that in the right way.”

One aspect of Ipswich’s approach that’s been highlighted is their style of play, one which is hard for newly-promoted sides to adopt in the Premier League.

However, O’Shea is adamant that it’ll soon start to click, revealing that Kieran McKenna is keen to stick with the approach.

“Last season compared to this season, it’s totally different,” the 25-year-old explained. “Although it’s two footballing sides, we’re a lot more aware of the game and the challenges that teams face.

O'Shea believes that the Blues need to stick to their current style of playO'Shea believes that the Blues need to stick to their current style of play (Image: Ross Halls)

“We’re not going to play Total Football when we can’t, we’re going to play when we can. That’s the main thing.

“The gaffer, one of his important messages in there after the game was that we need to keep playing the way that we’re playing. We’re not losing games because of that, it’s definitely not because of that.

“We need to keep going.”

Above all, Ipswich have been made to pay for their errors and being sloppy in possession, presenting elite players with clear-cut chances that they’re always going to score.

O’Shea is aware that they need to be sharper on the ball, but believes that his side needs to be more clinical in front of goal too.

“It’s the defensive errors, then it’s obviously about being clinical too,” he argued. “It’s both sides.

“To win games, you’ve got to keep the ball out and you’ve got to score goals. That’s football, if you simplify it like that, that’s what we’ve got to do.

“I think everyone’s got to be – not relaxed – but focused on what we’ve got to do. You can never be relaxed in the Premier League.

“You look towards the next game and it’s always going to be a tough test. You’ve just got to be confident and focused.”