Skipper Luke Chambers says he and his team-mates have let boss Mick McCarthy down with their recent performances, admitting that confidence is low at present. The Blues were beaten 2-0 at Huddersfield on Saturday at the end of a week in which they were knocked out of the FA Cup by Vanarama National League leaders Lincoln.
"When things aren’t going well there is always going to be a lack of confidence but it’s all in the head,” Chambers said.
"You’ve got to take the opportunity when it comes, you’ve got to make the right decision on the pitch and off the pitch.
"We are paid to play football and we should take the rough with the smooth and we've just got to learn we are all very good footballers or else we wouldn’t be playing at this level.
"It is a lot in the mind at the moment and when things are tough that is when you see people’s true character and we need to show a bit more at the moment.”
Chambers, 31, admits the players need to put in improved displays to reduce the pressure on manager Mick McCarthy.
"We all want what is best for the football club so the boys are doing everything effort-wise but the quality has not been there,” he added.
"We are letting him down at the moment in terms of the performances we are giving in a 90-minute spell, so we need to be doing more for him.
"It is difficult when things aren’t going well but we’ve got another game coming round in a week’s time, we’ve got work ourselves on the training pitch and start believing in each other and each other’s ability.
"He’s not the only manager in the division where things are tough at the moment, teams are going through tough, tough runs and we are involved in probably the bottom 10 at the minute who are not playing well, not having the rub of the green or not playing well and are lacking that bit of quality.”
Town, who are 14th, nine points off the bottom three, are next in action on Saturday at Preston, who are 10th with 40 points, six more than the Blues.