Roy Keane is warning Sunderland fans to prepare themselves for a nail-biting end to the season as the battle for survival reaches crunch time.The Irishman has predicted for several months that the race for safety would go down to the wire, and with every club from Wigan in 13th place down to marooned Derby involved in the battle, he is anticipating a dramatic conclusion to the campaign.
Middlesbrough face Derby, Newcastle host Fulham and Reading meet Birmingham this weekend, which means there could be significant changes in the current standings.
And Keane, whose side head for Aston Villa on Saturday, admitted he is surprised that so many clubs are still involved at the bottom end of the table.
He said: "Possibly so, but that suits everybody. It is helping everybody, because over the next few weeks, a lot of those teams are playing each other.
"We saw Newcastle at Birmingham the other night and it was Wigan v Bolton last week, so teams are going to drop points because we are playing each other - and some of us have still got the likes of Arsenal to come.
"I actually think it is the most intriguing finish to a season for a long, long time because usually at the bottom, there might be four or five teams who could go down.
"You saw it last year, right on the last day of the season, it was between Wigan and Sheffield United, whereas this season it could go to the last day and there might be three or four teams who still could go down."
Keane will hope the Black Cats have dragged themselves clear of the scrap by that point - they entertain Arsenal as the curtain falls eight days after a potentially decisive trip to Bolton.
However, to do that, they will have to address a four-game run without a win which has brought just one point, and perhaps more damaging, their failure to win a single game away from home so far this season.
Indeed, Sunderland have collected just three points from a possible 45 away from the Stadium of Light, and an improvement on that this weekend could hardly be more timely.
Keane and his players will head for Villa Park still struggling to understand how they did not record a win over Martin O'Neill's men on Wearside in December when referee Steve Bennett ruled out Danny Collins' injury-time header for reasons which remain best known to himself.
However, the manager, despite his side's lowly league position, believes they have made progress since and is far from downhearted.
"You look at the league table and you say maybe we could be doing better," Keane said.
"But I have to say, when you look at the players we have brought to the club, the injuries we have had, the decisions which have gone against the club, we are happy with the position we are in in that we are in with a chance of fighting relegation.
"But I am sure if you asked another six of the seven teams near the bottom, they will all feel they have a good chance, and I am no different.
"We are delighted we are still in their fighting. We have a good chance to remain in the Premier League, but we have to go out and do it and we have to prove it."
Meanwhile, Keane has admitted he can do nothing to prevent striker Kenwyne Jones and winger Carlos Edwards, who has only just returned from a broken leg, from joining up with Trinidad and Tobago for their friendly against Jamaica next week.
He added: "We don't have a choice in it. They will play at the weekend and then off they will go."
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