JETS journeyman Nick Fitzgerald has learnt that things can change very quickly in the A-League.
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At his fifth club and a veteran of 172 games, Fitzgerald has ridden the ups and downs in a career that has yielded two championships.
The key, he says, when results aren't flowing is to work hard and stay positive.
Although far from a disaster, the Jets are still searching for their first win when they host Perth Glory at McDonald Jones Stadium on Saturday.
After encouraging, albeit unrewarded, efforts against the Mariners (1-all draw) and Adelaide (2-1), the Jets were pumped 4-1 by Sydney FC last round - their equal-worst losing margin in three seasons under Ernie Merrick.
"In my time in the A-League, you can tell when a team is down and has given up," " said Fitzgerald, who played off the bench against Sydney.
"We were 4-1 down and the game was probably over and boys were still working hard - winning tackles, trying to get forward, trying to attack. That is the pleasing thing for me.
"We have so much time to turn it around. If you are going to have a bit of a form slump, it's probably better to have it earlier in the season. Perth are a strong opposition, but if we play the style of football we know we can play, we can get a result."
Under Merrick, the Jets have stayed positive regardless of the magnitude of a loss, and more times than not have rebounded.
Last season, they lost four games by two-goals or more and each time they bounced back to win the next week.
In round six, they were pummelled 3-0 by Melbourne City and came out and beat Brisbane 2-0 at home a week later.
Defeats to Perth (2-0 twice) and Wellington (4-1) were followed by wins against the Mariners (2-1), Wanderers (5-1) and Wanderers (3-2) a second time.
"We know we can do it," Fitzgerald said. "We have been playing some great football but it doesn't count for anything if you don't get the results. The first two games, we were quite clearly the better team, but the finished product wasn't there.
"In the pre-season we played some good teams and got some good results. The performances are there and the football is there as well. If we can get a win on the board, the confidence can rise from there and we can go on a bit of a run."
One of the pre-season results was a win over Perth on penalties in a friendly tournament on the Gold Coast.
"They are quite similar to the way they played last season, but obviously some different personnel," Fitzgerald said. "They have a back-three and play with the two wingbacks who like to go high, which is a style we can counteract with our attacking football. When their fullbacks go forward, we can try to use that space to get in behind."
Fitzgerald is likely to be reinstalled on the left of the Jets' front three to exploit any vacant territory.
"If we can get our football right and combinations right, we don't need to look into the opposition too much."
"Perth had a great season last year and have one of, if not the, best coaches in the league in Tony Popovic. We have to ride on the energy of being at home and having that crowd. They might be little flat in the opening minutes of the game and that is where we have to stamp our authority and let them know they are coming to a big stadium with a vocal crowd that likes to get behind us.
"We have to ride on the energy of being at home and having that crowd. They have a long trip and we need to get stuck into players like Castro early and let him know he is not going to have any space. Make him work for it.
"In attack we need to be a bit more desperate as well. We need to start getting a lot of numbers in the box and do whatever we have to do to get a goal. If you have to throw your body at it, we have to be a bit more desperate."
