|
"We've had a bit of a poor patch as far as wins are concerned. However, this is the group of lads that gave us so much fun last year and the year before that. Maybe we were due a blip. We didn't want to have one but we can recover and will do.
"Now's the time to support the team and lately we've had some bad luck with decisions that have gone against us and hopefully that will change.
"You can't say that we've progressed necessarily but I think we have as a football club. We should be a little further up the table, a little closer to the play off zone. There are two stats to look at. You can say we've only lost six games, but you can also say we've only won six in 23. We have to turn our draws one way, and that's in to wins."
Owen Coyle took the opportunity to praise his players ahead of the trip to Bristol. He said: "When people have missed out, the players who have come in have played to the same standard, and sometimes even better, which is all credit to them.
"They all want to be involved and be part of it, which is a great thing. Each and every one of them wants to start games, and I love that about them.
"My door is always open to come and chat if they feel they should be playing, and it has been knocked on a couple of times, which I also love. It shows me they want to be involved, they've got the heart for the fight, and want to be playing."
He added: "You don't seek confrontation but if that comes about you deal with it accordingly. Where I grew up, that's never going to be a problem anyway. I want and encourage players to have their opinion, but they know ultimately I will do what I decide.
"I would rather they came in and had their opinion on it, and we'll chat and decide from there. I don't want mice in my team. I want men who will stand up. They obviously know where that line is and know not to cross it, and that's important.
"You want characters in your team, people who want to stand up and be counted, and you can hang your hat on them. I think we have a number of characters in our dressing room, and that's the type of players I want at this football club."
Coyle said his players would be ready for the Christmas programme that sees us play four times in a fortnight. "The only difference from the usual schedule of Saturday, Tuesday is it's the 26th and 28th, but that happened before with Doncaster and Barnsley," he said.
"We just need to make sure we're ready for it because the games are so close together, and if you get any knocks and injuries it's a burden. You don't really have time to recover so that;s the biggest thing about it.
"Everybody is in the same boat though, and we just have to get on with it."