Departing Blackburn Rovers midfielder Brett Emerton says they're good enough to stay up this season.
Emerton ends an eight-year stay at Ewood Park to join Sydney FC in his native Australia.
"It's important to get off to a good start in the Premier League and we've been unable to do that, but there have been encouraging signs this week," Emerton said.
"We got a win (in the Carling Cup) against Sheffield Wednesday 3-1 in midweek and we controlled the game in the second half before their late penalty, which in my view was never a penalty.
"That's football. When you're having a bad run everything seems to go against you.
"As far as the performance is concerned I think we should have definitely got the three points but like I say things just didn't fall our way.
"The players have to take the positives from the game, keep their heads up and hopefully the points will come in the future.
"We have some players coming back now. Chris Samba and Gael Givet are back in defence and that they're more solid at the back - with them we have a team that will start winning Premier League games.
"I think we have a strong group of characters and they'll stick together. They can get themselves out of it."