Hull City manager Steve Bruce believes that the club's string of injuries have contributed to their poor form this season.
The Premier League side currently reside in the bottom three of the table having scooped just four victories in 23 games.
Injuries to numerous players, including Robert Snodgrass, Nikica Jelavic and Mohamed Diame, have hampered the Tigers' progress.
"We have 15 games to stay in this division," Bruce said in this morning's press conference. "We are always going to be at the bottom end of the division, you'd expect Hull to be in the bottom six or eight. That's the way it is.
"We were a very good side three months ago but we've been badly damaged by constantly chopping the team because of injuries and it has been a struggle."
Despite Hull's poor position in the table, Bruce is confident that he still has the backing of the club's owners.