Ipswich Town midfielder Cole Skuse insists the players ‘genuinely can see the light at the end of the tunnel’.
The Blues lost 2-0 at high-flying Nottingham Forest on Saturday, a game in which the hosts hit the woodwork three times, and now find themselves seven points adrift of safety at the foot of the Championship table.
“A defeat’s never easy but we’re far from beating ourselves up,” said Skuse. “We’re not hiding away from the fact we’re bottom of the league, but we are taking loads more positives when losing games and from bad situations now.
MORE: Stuart Watson’s Sunday Verdict: Town hit by a brutal combo, but so was Tyson Fury...
“As a changing room and as a club we’re in much better place at the minute. There’s no panic buttons being pressed and there are plenty of games to play.”
Town have taken two points from Paul Lambert’s first five games in charge. They travel to Lambert’s former club Stoke on Saturday, then host Wigan and Sheffield United before Christmas.
MORE: Northstander: Please, please, I hope I’m wrong but as Private Frazer would say... ‘We’re doomed’!
“We’re putting in good performances,” said Skuse. “Without sounding like a broken record and like I’m just trying to smooth things over, we genuinely can see the light at the end of the tunnel.
“The games are ticking off quickly so we don’t have forever to turn this around, but one game will just turn for us and we can see ourselves picking up plenty more points.”
He continued: “Wednesday (3-2 home defeat to Bristol City) was disappointing. At home, against a team on a bad run, we were kicking ourselves that we should have beaten them.
“Confidence is definitely not an issue though. And I’m not saying that to try and put a gloss on anything.
MORE: Stu says: Five observations following Ipswich Town’s 2-0 defeat at Nottingham Forest
“We’re not in there flat and facing the floor. We’re in a real good place and we’re playing some good stuff – it’s only a matter of time before those turn into results.
Skuse added: “The fans travel in their thousands, are fantastic at home and it feels like everyone’s on side. Even walking round the town you can feel a much better atmosphere. That’s massively appreciated by the players and the staff.
MORE: ‘You never, ever give up’ – Lambert on defeat at Forest and relegation fight ahead
“We’re not hiding for the situation, but we’re also not worrying. The manager has instilled a mindset into the players that things will turn sooner rather than later.”
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here