Stoke manager Paul Lambert refuses to consider the prospect of relegation despite just one win since Christmas leaving the club rooted in the Premier League's bottom two.
The Potters. who have a woeful goal difference of -33, are six points from safety and have accrued just eight points since Boxing Day, with their decade-long stay in the top flight under serious threat.
But despite having just five matches to secure their escape Lambert, who faces a crucial game at West Ham on Monday, will not countenance talk of a drop into the Sky Bet Championship.