Lee Johnson is convinced his Bristol City team can end a poor run of form when they face Nottingham Forest on Wednesday night.
The Robins’ hopes of gatecrashing the top six in the final stages of the season have been dealt a blow since the Championship’s restart.
City have lost both of their games this month, falling 3-1 at Blackburn Rovers and then being beaten 2-1 at home to Sheffield Wednesday at the weekend.
They sit in 12th, five points below the play-off places, while the Reds moved up to fourth with a 3-1 victory over Huddersfield Town at the City Ground.
Johnson’s men have not taken three points since February 12, when they edged Derby County 3-2 - a run of seven games without a win.
But the manager is hopeful of returning from Trentside with something to show for his side’s efforts in midweek.
Asked if the match against the Reds and a meeting with Cardiff City after that are crucial for closing the gap, Johnson said: “They are, and there’s no hiding from the fact that our form hasn’t been good enough.
“But I did see positives (on Saturday).
“And I do know my teams, and I do think we can go to Nottingham Forest and get a result, I really do.
“Of course, not if we don’t win the boxes. So we’ll have to win the boxes, but there was a lot more attitude to our game and forward thinking than there was in the previous game.”
