There’s a scene in the 1999 movie The Matrix where the film's hero, Neo, decides to fight the far superior Agent Smith.

“He’s beginning to believe,” says his mentor, Morpheus, when Neo’s ally, Trinity, asks why he isn’t trying to escape.

It's a key moment: Neo recognises he can compete with Smith, and maybe beat him, rather than run and hide.

And despite Ipswich Town's 3-2 defeat to Manchester City at the weekend, I have had my ‘believe’ moment.

Managing expectations is important for football fans. It is a form of preservation and self-protection.

Nevertheless, after seeing Town’s tactical shape, defenders flying into tackles, moments of quality up front, and yet another late Blues goal, I now believe the Tractor Boys should not just be aiming for a 17th-placed survival this season.

Gary O’Neil and his squad continue to show that they can be competitive with the best. The gaffer adapted the formation to cope with City’s deadly forward line, but Town still caused the Cityzens problems too.

I was delighted for Daizen Maeda, who seems to have underwhelmed some parts of the fanbase.

However, his defensive ability and movement in transition could be crucial in games where Town have limited possession. His finish, meanwhile, showed real composure.

And watching Jack Clarke making a crucial tackle on Erling Haaland typified how hard the whole squad is working at both ends of the pitch.

The squad’s strength in depth and ability to adapt to different systems gives me a lot of confidence.

Another day, with that performance, Ipswich may have left with a point.

On Friday, Nottingham Forest come to Portman Road, with Liam Delap likely to lead their forward line. Forest have lost three games in a row, and Town should be aiming to make it four.

I’m sure Delap will get a good reception, but I hope he leaves his shooting boots at home.