DAVID Flitcroft will draw on his previous ‘tough’ managerial experiences as he tries to drag Swindon Town out of their current rut and back into the thick of the League Two promotion race.

As 2017 draws to a close, Town are in the midst of a miserable run of form, having won just once in seven league and cup matches since the middle of November and with second-placed Notts County arriving on Saturday to further test their brittle confidence at home.

With his side’s total number of league defeats already into double figures - seven of those at the County Ground - this season, Flitcroft’s men really have to keep future losses to a minimum if the goal of an immediate return to League One football is to be realised this term.

But having tasted such poor runs of form in his previous roles, Flitcroft rejects the notion that the current malaise adds up to his most difficult time as a manager.

Two wins in 17 games saw his time at Barnsley brought to an end in November 2013, having guided the Tykes to safety in the previous campaign after being handed the reins, while his tenure at Bury closed just over a year ago after no wins in 11 prior matches.

“It was tough at times at Barnsley, it was tough at times at Bury and it is tough at times here,’’ said Flitcroft, when asked about Town’s current struggles.

“You get (those) spells and it is how you come through it and how everyone stays together.

“You see who is with you and who is not. When you are winning games it is easy as everyone wants to be on that page so I have got to make sure we know who is with me and then we will take that forward.’’

Town’s much-discussed home woes have left supporters and players baffled at time this season, but the manager is convinced he has the diagnosis, if not yet the cure.

“It’s definitely a mental problem, one million per cent,’’ he added.

“That’s what we have said to the players and we will make sure we regroup and decide who is definitely coming forward on the journey and who is not.

“It is something we have been looked at and something we have tried to work on.

“We have come up against a fantastic team in Luton, they don’t need a hand-up but we did.

“The first half, everyone was together and on the same page and we started really bright(ly) in the second half and forced a couple of corners but the first goal should not lead to the capitulation that happened over 45 minutes.’’