Sunderland boss David Moyes is confident he still has the support of owner Ellis Short amid a desperately difficult start to his reign on Wearside.
Moyes heads into Saturday's clash with high-flying Arsenal still awaiting his first Premier League victory as manager and with some fans having already delivered a damning verdict on his tenure just nine games into the campaign.
There is little doubt that the 53-year-old Scot, who signed a four-year contract during the summer, inherited a difficult situation, a fact which has been acknowledged by new chief executive Martin Bain, who along with Moyes has been charged with the task of bringing stability to the Stadium of Light.