Crystal Palace manager Tony Pulis has insisted that the London side can stay in the Premier League this season, despite their tricky run-in over their last 11 games.
Pulis, whose side are currently 16th in the table, said that the breathing room that their current position outside the top three provides could prove vital come the end of the season.
"We know how tough this run is for us," he told Sky Sports News. "We have got it as tough as anybody in the bottom 10 but we will get our heads down and work as hard as we can.
"There are 10 or 11 teams still fighting for their lives and we are ahead of the game in a lot of respects because we are still in with a chance and nobody gave us that chance a short time ago.
"It is very difficult to stop the players looking at things. You can get so confused and uptight and lose a lot of energy worrying about things you can't affect."
Palace take on Southampton at home on Saturday.
Matt Domm
