Vincent Kompany is content for the outside world to write Burnley off.
The Clarets are now eight points short of safety after suffering another humiliating defeat over the weekend, this time against Crystal Palace.
With only 12 games remaining and only three wins from 26 matches, the future looks gloomy for Kompany’s team.
Burnley’s return to the Championship has almost been publicly accepted, but Kompany insists that emotion must be allowed to fester among his players.
“Let everyone write us off,” he told Clarets.
“To be truthful, I’ve never needed a large number of people to believe in me or the squad. Just believing is enough.
“ideally the fans have it, and ideally the fans demonstrate that, but in the end, we have to do it together.
“I can’t sugarcoat anything; we’re in a situation where the odds are stacked against us, but I want to fight for it.
“The biggest thing for me is to show it on the pitch, that’s the only thing that’s going to give us the answers that we want.”
Burnley have gone without a win in their previous eight league games, but Kompany maintains his belief will not waver.
“That’s not going to change, definitely,” he said.
“I explain it really simply. Understanding our origins is critical. There are 250 million people who play football, correct? There are 500 players in the Premier League. The chances of you reaching this level are far lower than the chances of you remaining there.
“In that mindset, you don’t need anyone else to believe in you except yourself, and this will not alter. Not from my or the players’ perspective. With a willingness to demonstrate it on the pitch, of course.”
Kompany continued, “We’ll have to pick ourselves up and get ready for the next game.” It needs bravery and a strong inner belief.
“I understand that outside of the group and the team, there will be an idea that this is over, but it cannot and will not exist within the group. It is a time to get yourself back up.”
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