Queens Park Rangers manager Harry Redknapp has conceded that his team need a "miracle" if they are to survive in the Premier League this season.
Having lost 2-0 at home to Stoke City this afternoon, the R's are 10 points from safety with just four matches left to play.
With that in mind, Redknapp has admitted that the situation has turned bleak for his club.
"It looks in tatters, doesn't it? It's very difficult. We've got to try to win a game or two, we've got to go to Reading next week and try to win. It looks almost impossible doesn't it. It would take a real miracle," he told BBC Sport.
Redknapp took over at Loftus Road back in November last year with the club rooted to the bottom of the table and looking back, the veteran manager went on to confess that it has turned out to be a harder job than he had originally anticipated.
"It's difficult but life is not always fun. What am I going to do - play golf every day? You don't walk into a side that hasn't won for 13 games and start winning every week. It's probably more difficult than I thought. There's an awful lot of work that needs to be done here," he added.
"People say this team will come straight back up - that's rubbish. There needs to be an awful lot of work done over the summer for this team to be in contention next season."
Failure to beat Reading next weekend will confirm QPR's relegation to the Championship.