Jordan Roberts has a good feeling about Town’s trip to Sheffield Wednesday on Saturday and believes it could signal the club’s first league win in five attempts under new manager Paul Hurst.
Home draws with Blackburn and Aston Villa, together with away defeats at Rotherham and Derby, have seen Town bank two points from a possible 12 but victory at Hillsborough would lift them several places up the Championship table and provide a much-needed morale boost at the same time.
Roberts said: "We all know we need a win sooner rather later and it’s down to us to go out there and do it.
"We’ve shown glimpses in games of how good we can be but there’s still so much more for the boys to give.
"I think it’s just a matter of time before we do that and I think Saturday could be the game for us.
"The mood in the camp is still positive. No one’s got their heads down and everyone’s ready to work.
"The boys are tightly knitted and that’s a positive thing for me. We all know we can look around and there are people we can rely on to lift others who might be feeling a bit down.
"There’s no time for that, we’ve all got to be ready for Saturday and when called upon we’ve got to do our jobs.
"The league’s tough and there are no easy teams. You have to go into every game with a positive mindset ready to work hard because you know the opposition are not going to be a pushover.
"The lads know what they need to do and while it’s not going to be easy it’s a good challenge for us.”
Roberts’s contribution since arriving on a free transfer in the summer, his contract at Crawley having expired and their fresh offer rejected, has been restricted to two substitute appearances, firstly at Rotherham, when he replaced Gwion Edwards eight minutes from the end, and then at Derby in midweek when he was introduced in the 75th minute for the same colleague.
He added: "No matter how many minutes I get, when I get on the pitch I am going to try to give it my all, do my best and bring what I can to the team. You might only have a minute, or it could be half an hour, but the important thing is that you are ready when called upon.
"When I come on in games I will always be looking to add something with crosses and shots, and hopefully I’m a good influence.”
Asked if he was frustrated at the lack of first team opportunities on offer so far, Roberts responded: "No, not really. I come in every day and give it my all. When I get an opportunity I’ve really got to take it, but this is a strong squad with a good competitive edge and it’s not going to be easy breaking into the team. When you get your chance you’ve got to take it.
"My job is to come in every day and there are players in my position who I am up against, which means I have to bring something a bit different to the table.
"Like I’ve said, it’s all about getting my chance and, when it comes, trying to make sure I make the most of it.
"I don’t have any fears about the Championship, whether I’m starting or coming off the bench, because I know my job, which is to have an impact on the game.
"I thought I did well in pre-season and I’ve got to build on my fitness so that when I get my chance I take it.
"The boys in the dressing room know that we’ve got to start taking more shots because obviously goals win games.
"We’re all ready for the challenge and that will carry on throughout the training sessions we have before we take it into games.
"The main difference between this level and where I was at Crawley is that it’s much quicker and there is more intensity to the games. You’ve got less time to think and when you make your decisions you’ve got to make the right ones and hope they pay off.”