Doncaster Rovers man in defiant mood as he prepares for Northampton Town reunion
Glenn Middleton insists that Doncaster Rovers' current run is merely "a blip" as they look to finally get back on track this weekend.
Rovers are winless in their last five League One outings and welcome Northampton Town to the Eco-Power Stadium on Saturday (3pm). The Scot, who will be hoping to earn a starting recall, believes the changing room mentality means they'll soon be back up-and-running once more as they bid to climb up the table.
"The characters that we have, not just on the pitch, puts us in a real strong position to move on from this (run)," he said.
"Moments we've had these last few weeks have tested and pushed us as a group, but it's made us stronger in terms of what we're asking of each other on a daily basis. I think you're always going to go through tough phases and I know that's the easy answer to trot out, but it's true. Teams rarely go through seasons without sticky spells.
"It's pointless dwelling on it and it doesn't mean we've lost all hope or belief in each other. We need to make sure it's just a blip. It's such a strong group in that changing room and we have to move forward now."
Saturday's opponents hold a special place in Middleton's heart, given he played for the Cobblers as a teenager and lived in the town after him and his family moved down from Scotland.
He told the Free Press: "Yeah, I moved there when I was six or seven and my family lived there until I was about 16, so Northampton was the first club that I played for.
"I was there about a year-and-a-half but obviously lived in the town for about ten years. There was so much going on. There was the athletics at Sixfields, before they got rid of it to build the stand. It was a great area to live in."