Mark Hughes insists he still has “plenty” of belief Carlisle United can stay up – despite their gloomy position.
The Blues are nine points from safety with six games to play as they host Newport County on Saturday (Brunton Park, 3pm).
United appear destined for the drop and have been priced 1/500 by bookmakers to sink into the National League.
League Two’s bottom club must win most if not all of their remaining games to stand any realistic chance of pulling out of the mire.
Head coach Hughes is remaining defiant about their prospects despite that unlikely scenario.
Asked about how much belief he still had about the task, he said: “I've got plenty. I look at the fixtures and I think they're all winnable, that's where I'm sitting.
“Are we able to do that? The season suggests that we can't because we haven't had anything like that kind of run to be able to say it with certainty.
“But certainly on paper we have the capacity to be able to do it, so while that feeling is there and that reality is there, then I've got plenty of hope.”
United must defeat 17th-placed Newport and hope sides above them, such as third-bottom Tranmere Rovers who face Chesterfield in an early kick-off, slip up.
Even then, Carlisle would be heavily odds-on to go down – while a bad afternoon could put them at risk of relegation being confirmed as early as next weekend.
Asked by the News & Star if he has found the challenge harder than he expected when appointed in February, Hughes said: “No – it was always going to be difficult.
Stephen Wearne, right, could return today for what could be United's third-last home game before losing their EFL status - but Sam Lavelle, left, is likely to miss out (Image: Ben Holmes)
“I came in at a time where obviously you couldn't affect the group in terms of bringing any more players in, so I was fully aware of that.
“I felt there was enough in the building to mould a team that would win more games if I'm honest.
“But it hasn't quite worked that way.
“I'd like to think we've seen a change in performance in terms of what we've produced, and the style of play that when it does work looks more attractive, but along with that you need the results as well.
“We're still striving for that ability to put teams away. There have not been enough occasions where we've scored first, which makes a huge difference to everybody's mindset.
“That's something that we can still address from now to the end of the season so let's hope that occurs.”
Hughes will be without the suspended Elliot Embleton against Newport, with Sam Lavelle likely to miss out and Matt Dennis doubtful, but Stephen Wearne and Aaron Hayden could return.
Barring an unlikely revival, Saturday will see the third-last game at Brunton Park before Carlisle lose their EFL status.
On the backing from supporters, Hughes said: “I can't speak highly enough of them, I think they've been absolutely marvellous.
“They haven't had a great spell being a Carlisle supporter in the last 18 or so months so from my point of view I think they've been exceptional.
“But we realise that we still have to get out there and give them something to get behind.
"Whenever we do that – and we've done that in the last two home games – they've been great so we need to do that again.”
