Boss Paul Lambert believes one win could kickstart a Town return to the early season form which saw them top League One and has no doubt that the squad will bounce back from their current run.

The Blues, beaten 5-3 at Lincoln yesterday, won eight of their first 11 League One matches in an unbeaten start which saw them to the top of the table, then following their first two defeats of the campaign won twice more.

However, since that last league victory, at Rochdale on November 5th, Town have gone seven league games without a win, while in all competitions they have failed to win any of their last 10 over 90 minutes. Yesterday's loss to the Imps saw them drop to fourth in the table.

In a lengthy post-match press conference at Sincil Bank after the players and staff had talked for around an hour in the dressing room, Lambert was asked whether one win might kickstart his team’s faltering season.

“It definitely could,” he said. “We have to get back to that feeling where they’re just playing with the freedom of the first 15 games where they were blitzing everything in sight.

“They were great, no problem, nothing’s changed for us, for the staff or anything. But as a group, as a team, we have to come out of the traps again.”

Is intensity the difference between the first 15 games and later performances, Lambert was asked, having previously spoken about graft, fight and desire. Is it as simple as that, wanting it a bit more?

“Absolutely, 100 per cent,” he added. “We had a good chat in there - ‘Tell me what you think’. A lot of things were said, which is really good, and hopefully they stop the [downturn].

“And the thing is that they’re well in the mix. It’s not as if we’re sitting 18th or 19th, they sit in a really good position.

“OK, we’re disappointed we’ve not won in some games, but you don’t capitulate, you do something about it and the great thing is there’s so much time to do something about it.”

Lambert says the squad were demanding more of one another in their post-match meeting and that everyone at the club is hurting due to the situation.

“Absolutely, everybody is,” he added. “The staff, people who work at the training ground, the kit men, physios, the girls that clean the dressing rooms, everybody that works at the football club. Everybody hurts.

“And we want everybody to be part of something. If we can get success we’re part of it because without these people the club doesn’t go on.

“It’s the same with the supporters. We want everybody to be together and to go through it.

“Part and parcel of losing in any competition is that you have to accept that that’s going to happen at times, but you’ve also got a great opportunity to really kick on again.”

Looking ahead to the New Year's Day trip to leaders Wycombe, a game which is live on Sky, he added: “We’ll go there, we’ve had a good chat and if they perform the way they’re speaking then hopefully we’ll get a different outcome.”

Asked whether one of the more frustrating things at Lincoln was that twice his team had equalised and had got on top before letting the Imps take charge once again, he said: “I think we only started when we lost the first goal and then we started to look good, started to get in good positions, started to pick up a lot of balls and at 1-1 at half-time I thought maybe [was fair].

“Then when the second goal goes in if gives them a little bit of a lift. Then we get the equaliser then and then I think it can go either way from there.

“And then the third goal we should have done better with the throw-in. A simple thing like a throw-in can cost you at certain times.

“When it was 4-3 I thought maybe something might happen. We tried to push everybody forward and then we got caught which can happen.”

Is a lack of self-belief behind why his team isn’t taking things on in those circumstances? “There shouldn’t be that because you never win anything in December or any time like that, you never do it.

“Normally you think the edginess would come in in March, April, May time. But that should never happen this time.”

Reflecting further on the disparity between the early run of form and the current winless streak, he added: “It’s something we have to get back to, we have to get back to that.

"In saying that, we have to concentrate on what we’ve done well because you can’t go away from what you’ve done good because the first 15 games were relentless, so you can’t go away from what you were doing good.

“If you keep going negative, negative, negative it’s just going to eat away at you and then you become so down. So we have to concentrate on the other good things.”

He admits he’s not known a situation where such positive form has slipped so dramatically at the previous clubs he has managed.

“No, but I’ve had some horrendous runs that you never come out of,” he recalled.

“But other teams I’ve had have always bounced back. These will bounce back, I’ve got no doubt these will bounce back.”

Photo: TWTD

Linkboy13 added 22:06 - Dec 30 Sorry can't agree with the selection of Huws Heathen 66 still doesn't look fit to me he's had plenty of time to get fit looks very slow not the player he was can't pick players on past glories.
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karl1426 added 01:39 - Dec 31 Yes, but when?
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bobble added 08:15 - Dec 31 tommy smith back as captain and burley/butcher in charge....
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norfolkbluey added 10:00 - Dec 31 Let's face it, Wednesday is going to be our toughest task to date. There is a chink of light in that they have been having problems too over the last two weeks! We must take this game by the scruff of the neck and not be worried about their players who are as fallible as any in this league. I would be more concerned if we were playing a championship team but we are not so COYB's! Play like your life depends on it and dominate by playing the ball on the pitch!

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dirtydingusmagee added 10:10 - Dec 31 Try one KICK may start WIN revival Paul, kick a few a###s , and the get someone to kick yours !
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heathen66 added 11:03 - Dec 31 Linkboy13 I am unsure what chance Huws has had tbh. Played really well in the EFL Trophy and then in the cups but as soon as it is a league game he is dropped for the even slower and one paced Skuse. He needs to be given a prolonged run in the side not a game here and a game there. There are many other under performing players who get chance after chance after chance,where Huws has not.

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TimmyH added 12:08 - Dec 31 Another loss and there could be mutiny on the bounty (if there isn't already)...
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Robert_Garrett added 15:11 - Dec 31 Dirty, mucky horrible 1-0 in Wycombe will kick start the new year in good stead. The vibes are in the pipeline to will its wisp and win!
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