Livingston manager David Martindale has drawn on past memories for inspiration as he bids to lead his team away from danger.
The Lions are currently second-bottom of the cinch Premiership table with just 10 points from 12 matches after losing each of their last four against Kilmarnock, Dundee (twice) and Hearts.
However, Martindale is of no mind to panic as he remembers how they were in the same position at the start of December two seasons ago and ended up within seconds of making the top six before being denied by a stoppage-time equaliser from Motherwell’s Ricki Lamie.
“There’s no denying we’re in a wee bit of a rut right now, and it’s frustrating, but that’s all it is,” he stressed. “Frustrating and a wee bit of a rut.
“If you go over previous seasons, you’ll probably find that there’s been bigger ruts than what we’re going through at this point in time that we’ve managed to come out of.
“A couple of seasons ago we had frustrating form at the start of the season and had just 13 points from 16 games. We were in a bad rut but we missed out on the top six on matchday 33 with the last kick of the ball.
“For teams at our level, the most difficult thing to find is consistency. We will find it at some stage during the season but when we’ll find it is difficult because there are a lot of variables that can affect the outcome of a game.”
Livingston face a tough test as they bid to stop the rot, with their next two matches at home to Rangers on Sunday and then away to in-form St Mirren the following weekend.
“I’m under no illusions about how hard the next two games are going to be,” he said. “We’re playing second and third so that shows you how big the task ahead is.”
