Sunderland go into their Premier League match with Southampton at the Stadium of Light on Saturday occupying the final place in the relegation zone.
Former manager Gus Poyet has often been quoted citing the "miracle" that kept them up last season and, while things do not look as desperate this time around, the Black Cats need to start winning games quickly.
Sunderland
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The Wearside outfit fell into the drop zone courtesy of last weekend's results - the first time that they have been in the bottom three since November.
Connor Wickham gave them the lead inside 60 seconds at the Britannia Stadium before Charlie Adam secured Stoke City a 1-1 draw.
An away point at top-half opposition would usually be considered a good result, but draws are not what Sunderland are looking for now; they have had too many of them already.
Their 15 draws this season - at least four more than any other team in the division - is perhaps the main reason why they have not been able to put any great distance between themselves and the relegation zone all year.
Sunderland will likely require two wins from their final five matches, which include trips to Arsenal and Chelsea, to have any chance of maintaining their top-flight status. They have only tasted victory five times in the league all season.
The Black Cats have just one win to their name in their last 10 outings. Compare that to the teams that they are chasing - Hull City, Aston Villa and Leicester City - who all have four in that time period, and it is clear where Dick Advocaat's problem lies.
Sunderland's new Russian manager has yet to fully justify his first Premier League appointment, guiding the club to four points from his first four games. Victory over Southampton is essential in order to build momentum for a tough run-in.
Recent form: DLLWLD
Southampton
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Ronald Koeman felt hard done by that his side did not take all three points from their Europa League shootout with Tottenham Hotspur last weekend.
Graziano Pelle, who is back to form with three goals in two games, twice gave the Saints the lead at St Mary's Stadium, only for the hosts' usually reliable defending to let them down for Erik Lamela and Nacer Chadli's equalisers.
Nevertheless, Southampton continue to boast the best defensive record in the division, having conceded only 26 goals in their 34 matches. Ryan Bertrand's status as the only Saints player in the PFA Team of the Year was perhaps a surprising snub to these efforts.
Their 2-2 draw with Spurs kept Southampton one point and once place behind their opponents in the table. Liverpool only picked up one point from two winnable games this week and have been dragged back into the Europa League scrap.
While Tottenham and the Reds know fully the burdens that the competition can bring, the Saints will be eager to try it for themselves, but they must finish in the top six to guarantee the return of continental football after 11 years.
European qualification would be just rewards for the great work that Koeman and his team have done this campaign, and may help the South Coast club hang on to some of their sought-after players during what could be another tricky summer.
Recent form: DWLWLD
Team News
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Morgan Schneiderlin will not play again this season, or for Southampton again if some reports are to be believed. The midfielder picked up a knee ligament injury against Spurs, one of several clubs reportedly chasing him.
Dusan Tadic will also miss Southampton's run-in because of a groin complaint, but Koeman has Victor Wanyama back from suspension and James Ward-Prowse at his disposal to help plug the gaps left by the key pair.
England forward Jay Rodriguez returned to training this week after sitting out the entirety of the season with a serious knee injury, but is still a while away from being match fit. Fraser Forster, Filip Djuricic and Emmanuel Mayuka complete the visitors' injury list.
Advocaat has Sebastian Larsson available again after a ban and he could replace Will Buckley in the only change from the stalemate with Stoke.
An ankle problem sidelines Steven Fletcher, and Wes Brown is also in the treatment room alongside Ricky Alvarez and Emmanuele Giaccherini.
Adam Johnson, recently charged with sexual activity with a child under the age of 16, is available for the hosts but was not deemed in the right mindset to play last weekend.
Sunderland possible starting lineup:
Pantilimon; Jones, Coates, O'Shea, Van Aanholt; Larsson, Cattermole, Rodwell, Gomez; Wickham, Defoe
Southampton possible starting lineup:
Davis; Clyne, Fonte, Alderweireld, Yoshida, Betrand; Wanyama, Davis, Ward-Prowse; Mane, Pelle
Head To Head
Southampton inflicted a humiliating 8-0 defeat on the Black Cats in October's reverse fixture. Pelle scored twice but Sunderland did more of the damage with three own goals.
However, that was the Saints' first win over their red-and-white striped counterparts in eight matches - a run which stretched back to 2003 when James Beattie struck a second-half winner at the Stadium of Light.
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We say: Sunderland 0-1 Southampton
The Black Cats don't score many, and the Saints don't concede many, which points to an away win which could spell doom for Advocaat's men. The Russian has not exactly lit a fire under Sunderland since his arrival and Southampton perhaps have a psychological edge based on how their last meeting went.
Joe Fish
