Roy Hodgson believes his Crystal Palace side will not be “doomed” even if they lose their first eight Premier League games of the season.
And the former England boss said his 2008 win at Manchester City with Fulham proved miracles can happen.
The rock-bottom Eagles have made the worst ever start to a top-flight season after losing their first five matches without scoring a goal.
After visiting leaders City on Saturday, manager Hodgson takes Palace to Manchester United (currently second) next weekend before hosting champions Chelsea (third) and visiting Newcastle (fourth) after the international break.
“We’ll have to live with people writing us off and dooming us — especially if the next three results don’t go our way,” he said. “Realistically, I can’t deny that there’s a risk of that, because we are playing the top teams. But I refuse to believe that we are doomed.
“It would be pointless for me to say, ‘ This is our points target’. Our target has got to be to play well at the Etihad.”
Back in April 2008, Hodgson’s Fulham team needed a win at City to continue their relegation battle.
They were 2-0 down after 70 minutes, before a Diomansy Kamara double and a Danny Murphy goal set them on the path to survival.
“Had that scoreline stayed, we were relegated — even with three games to go,” recalled Hodgson. “I remember saying at half-time, ‘Right, it’s 2-0, all we can do is try to win the second half’. We were doomed, week after week. We just kept believing.”
Mamadou Sakho will make his first Premier League start of the season, while Hodgson backed Christian Benteke to get off the mark – and then go on a scoring streak.
The Belgium striker has found the net only once in 10 games.
“Christian will score goals,” Hodgson insisted.
“It’s like all-centre forwards — Harry Kane gets major questions every year about why is he not scoring in August and then all of a sudden in September he starts smashing them in from all angles. And we hope it will be the same with Christian.
“When he gets one he will get more.
“It is as simple as he needs a first goal to be the catalyst to bring more goals, you just have to keep working and hope that goal will come. “He is a quality player and he’ll score.”