Sunderland manager David Moyes has claimed that the club's fans do not want to see him sacked despite their perilous league position.
The Black Cats have won just one of their last 11 Premier League games to sink to the bottom of the table, now seven points from safety.
Sunderland have often relied on a new manager to lead them to survival in the closing stages of recent seasons, while this term the likes of Leicester City, Swansea City, Hull City and Crystal Palace have enjoyed improvement after bringing a new man in, but Moyes believes that stability is the most important thing.
"I think Sunderland supporters have been through it all before, and they would turn around and tell you that changing manager is not the right way – the club has tried that," he is quoted as saying by the Sunderland Echo.
"I think they have seen that it has not worked, and the club has had to look to try something else. But when you're not winning, you get the criticism that goes with it.
"My comments in the first couple of weeks of the season did not go down well, but I was being honest because I didn't think we had enough to get us away from where we were in terms of relegation battles. The supporters have been great, but if they weren't then I would totally understand. I think they understand that there has to be more stability."
Sunderland, who have failed to even score in their last four outings, will take on Watford at Vicarage Road on Saturday.
Barney Corkhill
