Carlos Carvalhal has attempted to put the pressure on Swansea City's relegation rivals by insisting that any slip-up could prove costly.
The Swans have collected just three points from the last 18 on offer to see their push for survival stagnate, finding themselves one point and one place above the dropzone.
With the pressure growing on his side ahead of this weekend's trip to Bournemouth, though, Carvalhal was keen to point out that City appeared dead and buried when he arrived in South Wales at the end of December, only to climb up the division before their recent slide.
"We were five points adrift at the bottom and in last place," he told reporters at his pre-match presser. "We were dead - nobody believed. So when you get to this moment where we are not in the relegation zone and with it in our hands, it is fantastic, not negative.
"We play three games, two at home against teams near us in the table and, when we arrived, 100% of people said this was impossible. Everybody said this would be a kind of miracle. But when you have a glass of water it can be half-full or half-empty. It depends on the eyes. Where have we lost? At home to Tottenham and Chelsea away to Manchester United, City and we also lose [away] to Brighton.
"What do you want better than this? I know we've not won in six, but I've tried to make the players understand, it is not because we did something wrong, like a mistake. We are on a team who have taken 20 points in half a season, with still games to come and with that form over a whole season, you could almost fight for the Europa League.
"If the calendar puts us against the strongest teams in this path, it is normal we don't win and that has not changed my view at all. The way we played against Chelsea [in the 1-0 defeat last Saturday], the way they are training, these are positive feelings, the opposite of nerves... the very opposite."
Nineteenth-placed Stoke City face Crystal Palace on Saturday lunchtime, while Southampton in 18th are at Everton later in the day.
Daniel Lewis
