Saints take on the high flying Tractor Boys in a game that they need to win to avoid being cast adrift from the top three, but can they shore up the defence after conceding 9 goals in the last two games.
Something has to change for Southampton on Tuesday evening at St Mary's or they are doomed to yet another defeat and a potential heavy one at that.
But what can Russell Martin do to stop the rot, can he find a leader in the side or at least someone who can organise a back four and hold the line without those around him charging forward as if they are attacking the Russian guns in the Valley of Death.
The good news is that he will have the recently reprieved Kamaldeed Sulemana available and potentially Jan Bednarek back from injury in his matchday squad.
But having a big squad full of quality is no good if it isn't organised and this is where Russell Martin is about to have to pass his first biggest teat since he arrived at St Mary's.
Can he arrest the slide and put out a side that will not leak soft goals all over the place.
Step one will be to not concede in the first minute of the game as they did in the last two games and then they have to build the confidence up, the trouble is Russell Martin's side only have one pace and that is 100 miles an hour piling forward.
They have to learn to vary the tempo, that means not allowing ourself to get caught napping early doors, we should get the ball and keep it and dictate the pace of the game rather than be like a bull at a gate,
In the games against Leicester & Sunderland for most of the game we kept the ball and held our shape, but both of these sides had caught us early and then bided their time waiting for us to over commit in attack leaving us ripe to be counter attacked.
I have said more than once that I don't believe Russell Martin sends his team out with the instructions ringing in their ears to "charge forward and don't leave anyone at the back and whilst you are at it don't forget to leave people unmarked at set pieces."
But now Martin has to prove that indeed that these are not his instructions and more to the point he is not going to tolerate his team playing like this anymore.
Ipswich come with confidence and that might be their undoing, I am sure that they too might be looking to catch us from the off, but we have to keep it tight and be patient, earn the right to play and show the crowd we have regained our discipline from the early fixtures.
The team need to win the crowd back and show they are in the mood to win a game, conceding another early goal will make things doubly hard with the crowd on the teams back.
This season has a long way to go yet and will not be decided either way by this match, however by the end of it we do not want to be cast adrift from the top positions, it is safety first in this game and having won back the crowd and earned the right to play, we can start to show we are still going to have a big say at the top of the League.