Last updated on .From the section Ipswich

Paul Lambert (left) has been Ipswich manager since October 2018

Ipswich boss Paul Lambert says the "expectancy levels" at the club are a "big ask" for his squad after a sixth League One loss in eight matches.

Tuesday's home defeat by Fleetwood saw them fall six points adrift of the play-off places, in ninth place.

The Tractor Boys were top of the third tier as recently as 25 January.

"I never quit. I'm a fighter, everybody knows, and we continue to fight and try and get through," 50-year-old Lambert told BBC Radio Suffolk.

"Up until January we were at the top of the division - two months later you find yourselves mid-table and you think 'hang on a minute what's happened here'."

After an 11-game unbeaten run to start the season following their relegation from the Championship, Ipswich have won just four of their past 20 league games to leave them off the pace, having played more than all of their promotion rivals.

Asked about criticism he received after the 1-0 defeat to Fleetwood at Portman Road, former Norwich, Aston Villa, Blackburn, Wolves and Stoke boss Lambert said: "It's never nice - it's the same guys that were singing my name two months ago.

"We haven't changed anything with the guys, they give us everything.

"The only thing is the expectancy levels on their shoulders - it's the first time they're dealing with this sort of pressure, a lot of them, even the older guys.

"It's a big ask for them as well - it's a totally different pressure expecting to win things to staying in the division and relegation battles."