'We have the quality now we must believe in one another', say Skipper

Mario Melchiot returns to his former club this weekend as Latics take on Birmingham City, and the defender drew on the atmosphere at St Andrews as one of the key factors behind the Blues' good form.

For Latics it's a chance to break into a run of good form and move clear of their current position, and the skipper is hoping to use all his past experiences to lead his side to a win.

"We've had some tough results lately but you've got to keep looking towards the next game and now we have a trip to Birmingham this weekend which is going to be a tough one," said Melchiot.

"I enjoyed my two years at the Birmingham, St Andrews was always a good environment to play in with the fans getting behind their team really well.

"They may not be one of the big-four but it'll still be an exciting game with the atmosphere you get there and the noise from the fans.

"As a player you draw on all your experiences to improve yourself. That's the way I've always approached football and I'm learning new things every day from being that way."

So with the know-how and the situations Melchiot has found himself in during his career, what does he believe is key in pulling Latics through this difficult spell?

He said: "The key to pulling through this situation is never giving up. For everyone watching it's exciting seeing how things unfold but as players you have to stay focused and have to want to be a part of it all.

"It's not as though we don't have the players or the quality to come through, that side of things has never been questioned which is important.

"For me the important thing is that now we have the ability and the players we all have to pull together and believe in one another. Once you have that everything starts to improve, but without it you start to get problems.

"The key to this season has always been sticking together as a team; players, staff and supporters alike. As long as everyone is getting behind the team then there shouldn't be any worries.