Fulham boss Roy Hodgson refuses to publicly accept they're relegation-bound.

"We are playing at home and we must go and do everything we can to get the three points," said Hodgson. "I am not prepared to say it is over until is. We maintain we still have a good chance, we maintain that we can play well enough to get ourselves out of trouble and Saturday will be a great opportunity to show that.

"We have been written off for quite a long time now. The bookies have made us favourites to go down and the experts, or whatever you like to call them on television, say we are going down and speculate which team will join Fulham and Derby.

"I don't have to join that group of people - luckily I can maintain that there are enough games and points and if we take enough of those points, we can still survive.

"Why should I accept that just because we are some points behind safety that we have no chance of reaching our goal?

"I am not prepared to throw in any towels until such time as there is no option for me but to do so."

Hodgson is realistic enough to know, however, that his opinion is not widespread.

He continued: "I might be a lone voice among the people who are writing us off but I am certainly not a lone voice here among the people at this football club. It is quite the opposite - my voice is being strengthened by the people around me.

"I am not suggesting we are a top-four team, we are not, we are at the bottom. I can't expect us to play like a top-four team. We are playing to quite a high level and I am satisfied with the motivation, desire, the work rate and ethic of the players. We need luck and one or two bounces of the ball to go our way. Maybe there is a turning point around the corner. But I am fully aware that if we are going to do it, we will do it off our own back.

"We are fully aware we need a performance against a good Sunderland team who are playing with great confidence."