John Sheridan believes Notts County can 'mix it' with the teams at the top - but knows results are what ultimately matter.
Sheridan has been satisfied with his side's displays against some of the league's stronger teams and, with title-chasing Carlisle United visiting Meadow Lane on New Year's Eve, he expects another competitive performance from his men.
He said: "If I'm looking back at games against Plymouth, Luton, Doncaster, Portsmouth, we've shown we can mix it with the so-called better teams. We know we can do it but our consistency over the season has just not been good enough.
"While we always felt our problem was conceding goals, we're now not scoring either. It's difficult - we've just got to stick together.
"Whoever is going out on the pitch has to want to get a result for the team and pick up the three points we desperately need.
"We can all get behind the players, as we do, but it's about them making the right decisions on the football pitch."
Supporters can watch the manager's full pre-match press conference on Magpie Player HD.
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