Charlton Athletic's experienced midfielder Matt Holland believes the lowly Addicks can still avoid the drop.
The Addicks have been in the drop zone for virtually the whole of the season and are currently in their third manager in Alan Pardew.
However, Charlton have taken four points from their last two away outings at Portsmouth and Bolton and Holland believes recent results have boosted confidence.
"The last two away games have given everyone hope," Holland told the Daily Telegraph. "There's been some real low points.
"Like coming off the pitch at Reading, when we were terrible, and then at home to Middlesbrough the other day.
"That's when you think, 'blimey, we need to start doing something here.' But I've never thought we were totally out of it, that we weren't going to survive.
"It's starting to look like three from four now. But look, Sheffield United, Fulham, Villa - they're not necessarily out of it. Every year you see someone drop down into trouble from a decent position."
Meanwhile, Holland believes Les Reed, who lasted just 41 days in charge following Iain Dowie's sacking, paid the price for being recruited within.
"Les probably paid the price for being involved in the previous regime," he added.
"If he'd come in fresh from the outside that maybe would have helped, but he had the stigma from before.
"Les had a good record in coaching, but there was always that thing about him not having been a manager.
"When he couldn't improve things, the pressure built up."