KARL Robinson feels his first full season in charge of Oxford United is helping him stay calm at a tough time.

The U’s were second-bottom of Sky Bet League One 13 games into the 2018/19 campaign, having propped up the table after 12 matches before a 2-0 victory over Plymouth Argyle saw them leapfrog their opponents.

At the same point of the current season United are just four points better off and only above the drop zone on goal difference.

Karl Robinson: we know how important it is to bounce back from derby defeat

Two campaigns ago the U's ended up finishing 12th and Robinson believes his experiences then will stand the club in good stead this time around.

He said: “We found ourselves in a similar situation two years ago.

“We’re the type of football club that goes in cycles and some negative results can have the effect that makes that confidence hard to find.”

The head coach added: “We understood some of the mistakes that were getting made and fixed that in January.

“We stuck with the players who we knew were for the future.

“We weren’t panicking back then and we feel we’ve got the players now to not panic again.”

United’s bid to turn their form around starts at home to Ipswich Town tonight, before the visit of Hull City – another side in the promotion picture – on Saturday.

Robinson knows the importance of keeping a cool head in games where his side will have to be disciplined.

He said: “We can’t afford to lose our emotions over the next two games.”