Reading remain optimistic they will avoid relegation as they prepare to face fellow strugglers Aston Villa in the English Premier League on Saturday.
Reading had taken 14 points in a seven-game spell to raise hopes they would avoid the drop, but three straight defeats have cast them back down to second-bottom.
Defender Alex Pearce told Sky Sports News: “We have been disappointed with the results we have got lately in the last couple of weeks, but confidence is still high.
“We are still pretty sure and positive we can get a result on Saturday against Villa. They are down there with us fighting for their lives and we are fighting for our lives as well.”
With one win in their last 11 games, Villa have slipped to third bottom, just a point above Reading.
Wigan Athletic, who are level with Villa in fourth bottom, are in FA Cup action, so this represents an opportunity for either club to climb out of the bottom three.
Bottom side Queens Park Rangers, buoyed by their win at Southampton last week, are at home to Sunderland, who are without a win in five and are just six points off the drop zone themselves.
“March will be a crucial month – it’s vitally important we do well this month,” said QPR assistant boss Joe Jordan.
“There are fixtures coming up against teams in a similar position to us in the table. That gives us an opportunity to not only put points on the board ourselves, but also to stop those around us.”
Sunderland boss Martin O’Neill believes his side have not played as badly as results suggest. “The last four games we have played, we should not have been beaten in any one of them, and I defy anybody to disagree with me,” he said.
“We shouldn’t have been beaten in any of the games. I suppose we have stopped the run of consecutive defeats, but really a little bit of luck, perhaps, might help.”
Southampton, cast back into the relegation frame by the defeat to QPR, travel to Norwich City, while West Bromwich Albion play Swansea City in Saturday’s other game.
On Sunday, third-placed Tottenham Hotspur travel to Liverpool, while Newcastle United host Stoke City.
