Sunderland manager David Moyes has admitted that his side are "getting close to desperation" as they continue to run out of time to launch another great escape.
Tuesday's 2-0 defeat at the hands of Leicester City plunged the Black Cats into even more trouble, with 10 points now separating them from safety and just eight games of the season remaining.
Sunderland welcome Manchester United to the Stadium of Light on Sunday, and Moyes acknowledged that his side must end the visitors' 20-match unbeaten streak if they are to keep their fading survival hopes alive.
"Look, we're not kidding on, we're getting close to desperation. We have to win. I have been saying that for the last... I was probably saying it before Christmas time. In fact, I've been saying it since probably day one of the season if you want to be truthful, that we had to win," he told reporters.
"I don't think my message has changed from then to what it is now, that we have to try to win the games. We are certainly not giving up. We have got chances. The club has done it [in the past]. If we won the remaining games, we would stay up. That's the answer, win the remaining games.
"You know, all the jobs are tough. The toughest thing about this is I'm bottom of the league, that's the hardest thing. But all jobs carry tough challenges. Wherever you go, everybody gets a tough challenge for different reasons. This one is because we have not been able to win enough games and we are bottom of the league at the moment. That's the real toughness."
Sunderland, who still have the likes of Arsenal and Chelsea to face this season, have failed to even score in their last six outings.
