Sunderland boss Gus Poyet admits they need something out of the ordinary to beat the drop.

Poyet knows from experience that strange things happen as seasons draw to a close, and he is hoping that will be the case for his struggling team.

Asked if they may have to do something unexpected to survive, Poyet said: "Yes, yes - but I think it is possible.

"I remember clubs in the past - I am not going to talk about names - they have played five or six games at the end of the season against teams who were playing for nothing and they won four or five.

"People say it's incredible, a miracle, but it depends what the there teams put on the pitch and what you do. But it can happen.

"I suppose I would try as a professional not to alter the end of the season, but if a team goes down early and they make seven changes to try things for the following year, I wouldn't blame them because they are trying for themselves.

"Now that can affect the result of that game and then everybody is blaming somebody else. But at the end of the day, you have got 38 games, it's you."