The Toon goalkeeper believes there is more fight in the team now than what we had in that horror season.
Steve Harper: “The players are disappointed with the results, but the dressing room’s fine.
“There are no splits in the camp.
"We all know that we’re a result away from getting the feelgood factor. But the longer it goes without a win, the harder it will get given the fixtures coming up.
“We have a long way to go, and we need to improve. We all know that.
“The players know the situation.
“They’re in and around the place, and can feel the disappointment of the fans.
“We’ve all seen the highs at this club. If you’re winning, you’re heading to the Champions League, and if you’re losing, the doom and gloom sets in.
“Nobody has been more disappointed than the lads over the results.
“But I think there were a lot of positives to take from Stoke. Ultimately, in the last 10 minutes it was devastating.
“I’ve seen a real response from the lads when they’ve come back.
“There was an atmosphere there, and there was a lot of positives to take from that game.
“The big thing was getting the first goal. You could see a lot of confidence coming back.
“We started to pass it around more than we have done.
“The goals at Stoke were disappointing, but we’ll work on it. Wigan will come and play – we know that.
“They have a tough system and they hurt us last year.
“The big thing tonight is we have to start well.
“The fans have been flat and disappointed with what they’ve seen and rightly so. They will demand a response, and we must give them one.
“It’s important that we use them, but they can only react to what they see on the pitch. The first 10 minutes are vital.
“It is just a confidence thing. When you struggle for confidence, players don’t want to get on the ball as much as they should.
“The manager has instilled that back into the players – don’t be scared to get on the ball.
“We have to earn the right to play tonight with a quick positive start. The first goal is vital.
“The players must go out and show what the club means.
“The table will look a hell of a lot better once we’ve got three points on the board.”