Ipswich winger or midfielder Lee Martin has praised new team-mate Danny Higginbotham’s influence since his arrival on loan from Stoke.
Defender Higginbotham, 33, made a cameo appearance near the end of Town’s home defeat by Charlton before being named in Paul Jewell’s starting line-up for Saturday’s 1-1 draw at Barnsley that followed a run of five Championship games without a win.
Martin said: "I worked with Danny at Stoke [during a loan spell in 2007]. I was a youngster then and he was brilliant around the place. When he signed for us I certainly knew what he would bring in.
"I think you saw on Saturday that he’s a leader and very experienced. I’ve been at clubs before when it’s been like this and the thing is not to get too disheartened and keep working hard.
"There are loads of games and lots of points still to play for. The key thing is stopping the rot and taking every game as it comes.
"I know everyone looks at it and says ‘We’ll need to get a point here and a point there’ but sometimes it doesn’t work like that.
"I think sometimes you just have to go into every game single-minded and properly focused then take it from there.”
Martin, like Jewell, was pleased to return from Oakwell with a point, although he isn’t kidding himself that Town’s problems have suddenly become a thing of the past.
He added: "It helped to stop the rot but I think everyone would agree that we got outplayed. We looked a lot more secure at the back so I suppose you take the positives out of it.
"It’s all about confidence and you can tell it’s a bit low at the moment regarding keeping the ball, but hopefully that will come.
"If we’d got a win on Saturday I’m sure we would have gone into the next one full of confidence. That’s what happens when you go on these little runs and you have to be brave when you get on the ball.”
Martin does not disagree that defeats by Blackpool, Middlesbrough, Wolves and Charlton, together with a home draw against Huddersfield, have affected team morale.
He said: "It has a little bit, obviously. That’s what comes with losing games and being down there but the boys are still together and it’s only a matter of time before we get a win and start to pick up.”
Meanwhile, former Blue Jimmy Bullard, who announced his retirement from professional football yesterday, has joined Essex non-league side Holland FC, according to their website [Bullard has subsequently said that this was a wind-up].