Goalkeeper Brice Samba says his confidence has always remained high, even when he had a dip in form for Nottingham Forest.
The 27-year-old has been back to his best in recent games, including putting in a standout performance against Luton Town last week.
But that hasn’t always been the case this season. Samba admits he had a tough start to the campaign - one which saw him dropped for what proved to be former boss Chris Hughton’s final game in charge.
He was relegated to the bench on that occasion as Ethan Horvath was handed his Championship debut for a 2-0 defeat at home to Middlesbrough.
The shot-stopper’s belief never wavered, though, and he has again established himself as first-choice under Steve Cooper.
“That’s how football is, when you’re not playing well you can end up on the bench,” he said.
“I wasn’t happy about it, but it is normal when you are not playing well.
“Ethan got his chance in that game. He was unlucky against Boro.
“I just try to do my best and keep my place.
“I’m a guy who believes a lot in myself. You can see that with how I play - I sometimes take risks, I know that. That is just how I am, I can’t change that.
“I still had confidence. I still kept my confidence high.”
He added: “The start of the season didn’t start well for me, but now it is better. I have a new goalkeeping coach (Danny Alcock), and I try to speak about what I can do better.
“That’s how football is. Sometimes your form can be good, and other times it can drop.
“It’s not easy. When you are not in good form, people talk about you. That’s just football, you have to keep going.”
Horvath finds himself once more waiting patiently in the wings as back-up, while Reds academy graduate Jordan Smith is the third senior keeper on the books.
“It’s a very good relationship between us all. We are all very good mates,” said Samba.
“Ethan and Jordan are good guys. We talk every day about situations in games.
“Our goalkeeping coach, Dan, is good with us.”
Samba says he is also benefitting from playing behind a pretty settled defence.
Other than switching between a back three and four, Cooper hasn’t made too many changes to his XI week to week. Joe Worrall, Scott McKenna and Tobias Figueiredo have all been regulars, while, when fit and available, Djed Spence and Max Lowe have filled the wing-back spots.
“It is better to have a settled defence - you can create some important relationships,” said the former Caen man.
“We have to work together. It isn’t just about me or the defenders, it’s about us as an XI. We have to work together to be strong behind the ball.
“The manager is clear with everyone about what he wants. We all know what he wants us to do on the pitch. You can see we are enjoying it on the pitch.”
