Defiant Dundee United manager Mixu Paatelainen refuses to accept his side will be relegated despite dropping eight points behind Kilmarnock and producing a “totally unacceptable” performance against Inverness Caledonian Thistle.
The Tangerines lost 2-0 to the Highlanders at Tannadice and now face what many would believe is mission impossible to beat the drop.
Paatelainen, though, hasn’t given up hope.
He said: “We’ve had blows during the season and the boys have always picked themselves up. It remains to be seen whether we’ve done too much damage. I can’t answer that.
“Of course mathematically we’ve still got a chance. How much damage this has caused I don’t know but what I do know is that the boys have spirit.
“They don’t give up. They are disappointed right now and we need to rest and back in training ground and make sure the next performance is better.
“Of course, we can win all five remaining games.
“It’s very unlikely with the way our season has gone but we need to win all five unless we get some other results going for us. At the moment it is very difficult. Kilmarnock are in a good position.
“But that’s been the case for a few months. We were dead and buried a couple of months ago and recently we have picked up results and reduced the gap but today was a major disappointment.
“But I can’t accept that display, it’s as simple as that.”
He added: “It was a totally unacceptable performance, definitely one of the worst of the season.
“We were second to the balls. Up front we lost every ball that was played to us. If you don’t have the ball it is very hard to make life difficult for your opponent.
“We lacked fighting spirit today and eagerness to make things happen early. We were a little bit soft up front especially.”