This is about the time in the season where the phrase "six-pointer" starts being bandied about.
Wales may just be the venue for one when the Premier League's bottom two teams, Cardiff City and Fulham, clash on Saturday afternoon.
Each side has only one top-flight victory to their name throughout 2014 and have so far seen managerial changes - two in Fulham's case, designed to help them move clear of relegation trouble - backfire.
However, the latest Cottagers boss Felix Magath remains "convinced" that his side will avoid the drop, and he has shelved many of predecessor Rene Meulensteen's January signings to help them to do so.
Club-record buy Kostas Mitroglou may be in Magath's plans when he returns to fitness, but the £12m striker is likely to miss their crucial basement battle this weekend with a hamstring strain.
Darren Bent, who has scored six goals this season, may be maintained up front in his absence and Brede Hangeland is expected to recover from a head injury to partner Jonny Heitinga in central defence.
Magath may stick with the majority of the starting XI that held West London rivals Chelsea for 52 minutes last weekend before succumbing to an Andre Schurrle hat-trick, although Lewis Holtby could be recalled.
Cardiff chief Ole Gunnar Solskjaer insisted that his team showed a marked improvement in their 1-0 defeat to Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday and therefore should again go with a 5-3-2 formation.
That is unlikely to mean an unchanged starting XI, though, with Solskjaer still tinkering in a bid to find his best team. Jordan Mutch and Mats Daehli could replace Aron Gunnarsson and Kim Bo-Kyung in midfield.
Recent form
Cardiff: LLLDLW
Fulham: LDLDDL
Possible starting lineups
Cardiff: Marshall; Fabio, Cala, Caulker, Turner, John; Medel, Mutch, Daeli; Bellamy, Campbell
Fulham: Stekelenburg; Riether, Heitinga, Hangeland, Richardson; Parker, Sidwell; Dejagah, Holtby, Dempsey; Bent
Sports Mole says: 1-2
Joe Fish
