Sunderland boss Roy Keane will not allow a fear of failure to hamper the club's bid for an immediate return to the Barclays Premiership.
Keane goes head to head with former Manchester United colleague Steve Bruce as the Black Cats head for promotion rivals Birmingham tonight aware of what is at stake.
Having seen his side reach the play-off zone for the first time since his arrival in August with Saturday's 4-0 crushing of Southend, the former Red Devils skipper is determined not to allow mounting expectation on Wearside to distract him.
Bruce has had to contend with criticism throughout the season, and the support of the hierarchy at St Andrews, which resisted calls for his head earlier in the campaign, is being rewarded.
Keane said: 'Four or five months ago, Birmingham lost a few games in a row and all of a sudden there were question marks.
'Unfortunately, that's part of the game, I'm afraid. You look at other examples in the Premiership, managers being sacked fairly quickly, and it is just the name of the game.
'You cannot be fearful of that - I am certainly not fearful of it. I am sure it will happen some day, but you just get on with it.'
Victory over the Shrimpers saw Sunderland go fifth in the Coca-Cola Championship, four points adrift of the second-placed Blues, who have two games in hand.
Three more points at St Andrews would see the Black Cats close the gap on the automatic promotion places, depending on the outcome of the other games.
Blues, meanwhile, would go top should they win with current leaders Derby not playing until tomorrow night.
A slip-up by City, though, would allow them to be leapfrogged by midlands rivals West Brom who host Cardiff.
