Sabri Lamouchi insisted Cardiff City know the severity of the situation they are in but urged his players to be "proud" of their achievements at the end of the season if they stay in the division.
The Bluebirds are out of the Championship relegation zone only on goal difference, but have a game in hand over the bottom three and many of their rivals at the foot of the table.
However, Lamouchi's side find themselves in a sticky run of form, having won only once in the last six matches and are coming off the back of a chastening 4-1 defeat by Sheffield United at Bramall Lane.
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The manager has been consistent in his belief that he has enough quality in his squad to avoid the drop this season, but recent form has troubled Cardiff supporters.
He is the third manager to speak highly of the squad at his disposal, but Lamouchi, Mark Hudson and Steve Morison have all failed to find consistency and form throughout the entirety of the campaign.
"I have a fantastic group and to be honest I am really surprised to find this group with this quality in this situation," Lamouchi said.
"They deserve to be proud at the end of the season. But we are where we are so we need to fight and get out. Just to be, not confident, not scared, worried absolutely, but absolutely determined to go out and give our best. Not for them, not for me, not only for the club, but the club has a very important community and our fans didn’t deserve this.
"But my players too didn’t deserve to be where they are, but it is what it is for many reasons. The Championship is not just about quality, it is about consistency and this year we were never consistent.
"We know what we need to do in the future, but the future is for tomorrow. We have five games to play, to try and get maximum points And stay in this league and be proud after that because it’s a very difficult season. But for me I’m lucky to work with them, they didn’t deserve to be where they are."
Asked why the club finds itself at the wrong end of the table, after admitting he had a good group of players, the manager replied: "Probably for many reasons. But I am not the right person to tell you right now why that is.
"I want to be positive. I want to look forward. I want to think about the next five games and maybe more but not to tell you why we are where we are. The only things I can tell you and to be absolutely honest, this squad is good enough to stay in the Championship.
"This squad has good quality, good players, we miss some momentum, some consistency, this is the problem. Consistency gives more confidence. With more confidence, this team, with 10 or 15 points more, you probably win at Sheffield.
"This is the reality. When you control the game like you control the game it's because you have quality. But you can't lose like you lose. The players, I don't want to say they can be proud of the result because we are looking for the result. But you can't dream to win in Sheffield if you don't play well.
"I remember the face-to-face situation with Joe Ralls before the break, Connor Wickham hitting the crossbar before the 3-1. SA different season and atmosphere with 10 or 15 points more and more confidence, we play with a different attitude on the pitch and maybe we win.
"But I don't like to talk about 'if, if, if', the reality is, we are where we are. I am sorry to tell you that. We smell the s**t. We are in a bad situation and we have to realise where we are. We need to play like a desperate team to want points. We need points and that's it.
"But it's not about the quality. I'm so impressed with my players and the performance they've done in some games, some unexpected games. I remember a couple; West Brom, with a lot missing, we controlled the game and drew, the only draw with me.
"I remember Swansea, when we were two down and came back 2-2 and lost in the last second. Just a ridiculous mistake and small details. Some years, everything goes good. Some years, everything goes bad. We just need to play more simple, be more determined and look only for points.
"Because we have five games and the players can be proud at the end to save the points. Then, after, we can sit and discuss and make some points about the season. But not now."
Lamouchi believes it is simply a matter of confidence. With more points and belief in what they are doing, then more results would have turned their way, he says.
So, just how do you turn a squad's confidence on its head after such a poor season with only five games to go and relegation very much on the cards?
"You just need to talk with them," he said. "The players, they are men. They are human. Just give them the reality when sometimes someone makes a mistake, of course it happens.
"What I said to (Mark) McGuinness, making this mistake, he is 22 years old, not 50 games in this league. You will do more mistakes. Don't worry about that. You have played so well, you have helped us a lot. Before that it was Ng, it was Cedric Kipre or everyone.
"It's not all the time the same person. But you need to talk with them and explain how we can avoid these mistakes. Them, me and all of the people in the stadium thought we could win the game, so we played with more confidence. Don't play with more confidence! Put the ball away. Don't take any risk.
"Maybe, in a different season, with more points, we can control everything OK. This can happen. But, after five games and hopefully seven or eight more points, it will be a different situation. We will be proud about this and think about our tough season and try to do absolutely differently to not live the same season again.
"The most important is not to think about yesterday, tomorrow or now. To do everything to get the maximum points because it's in our hands."
Perhaps understandably, given the severity of the situation, Lamouchi is at pains to only speak about the here and now, with a vital game away at Watford on Wednesday.
But it's also understandable that supporters are thinking about the future, too. They do not want to be put through the wringer once again next season, no matter what division the club finds itself in.
Lamouchi, though, tried to allay fears, insisting that the club's hierarchy are hurting, too, and that everything will be done to ensure next season is not as miserable as this one – regardless of the outcome of the final five games of the season.
"I'm sorry, but you're asking me to talk about next season. I'm sure, I trust my owners, the people in the club, the chairman, they love the club," he added.
"It is absolutely tough for them as well. They don't want to live another year like this one. Don't be worried at all about that. They don't want to pay for nothing. They don't want to put money away for that, it's a lot of stress for them, a lot of pressure.
"They understand and I understand the fans. But the players, the management, the staff, all fans, we all want absolutely the same. But this is part of the job. This is part of football. I can't talk about the future, I can't talk about the past. It's not in my hands. It's not my club and it's not my money.
"Don't worry about that. Vincent Tan, Mehmet (Dalman), Ken Choo, they are all absolutely focused and worried about the situation. We will go out on this situation and they will do absolutely everything for the right things for the club, like we are trying to do all the time, sometimes with success, sometimes with mistakes.
"But who has never made mistakes? They just need full support – just like our players — from our unbelievable fans. We just need, at the end of the season, to be proud. Even if, at the end of the season, it's not great, but to be safe and be in the Championship next season, it can be an amazing season. It's very strange to say that."
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