Richard O’Donnell says he and the rest of the squad know the importance of Saturday’s game against Gillingham.
Six points separate the two sides, with Dale needing results to stay in touch with those teams above them.
The goalkeeper insists the squad are aware and are hurting at the position the club are in.
“We all know it’s a massive game, of course we do,” said O’Donnell.
“Gillingham are in a good vein of form at the minute. They’ve picked up a few good results, but we are capable and confident that we can go and get a win.
“There’s no point in being down about the situation we’re in, we have to look forward and we have to look at this game as one we want to go and win.
“In the last two games, for a game and a half, we’ve played well. That’s what we’ve got to take into Saturday.
“Certainly everyone in the changing room knows it’s a big game for the club and we’ll be going out there to win.
“It hurts [the position we’re in], it really does. Not one person in the dressing room likes the position that we’re in.
“Even going away to top of the league on Tuesday night, coming away with nothing, it hurts.
“But we have to come in after the game willing to work, roll our sleeves up and go again. That’s been the attitude throughout the season.
“Unfortunately, results haven’t gone the way we wanted and no one wants that. We all want to go and win games, we all want to be successful.
“It might sound like a cliché but we’ve just go to get on with the next game and go for it. It’s a big game and we’re going to give everything to try and win it.”
Dale faced Gills in the reverse fixture in what was just the second game of the season, falling to a 1-0 defeat.
A lot has changed since then, in terms of both management and players, and O’Donnell says Dale must rise to the challenge.
“I think it’s going to be a physical battle, to be fair. They’ve signed some very good, experienced players in the window.
“Players who know the level, who know how to win games of football, so it’s going to be a battle out there.
“We need to rise to that and show that we’re capable with the ball as well. We know it will be tough, but we’ve signed some good players in January as well, and we know we’re capable of performing, so that’s what we’re focusing on.”
Watch the full pre-match interview with O’Donnell below via our YouTube channel, where he discusses Tuesday’s game at Leyton Orient, healthy competition with Jake Eastwood, and remaining positive.