Nottingham Forest manager Stuart Pearce has played down any reports suggesting his job at The City Ground is under pressure.
Forest go into Saturday’s crucial fixture away to bitter rivals Derby County on a run of four straight defeats.
On top of this, the Reds have failed to register a win in any of their last seven matches in the Sky Bet Championship.
Despite his side’s worrying form, Pearce insists he isn’t feeling the strain.
He said: “I know my job and I know the constraints of my job that I have to work to, so I don’t heap any outside pressures on myself.
“I don’t worry whether my job is safe because I don’t think any job is safe in football.”
Forest’s last four fixtures
Middlesbrough 3 – 0 Nottingham Forest
Nottingham Forest 1 – 3 Birmingham
Rochdale 1 – 0 Nottingham Forest
Nottingham Forest 0 – 2 Sheffield Wednesday
At the press conference, Pearce also commented on the quick, cyclical nature of football management.
He said:
One minute you can be a fantastic manager in everyone’s eyes and the next minute you can be written off.
In his playing career, Pearce made 401 appearances for Nottingham Forest, so he knows just how important the East Midland’s derby is.
Video: Stuart Pearce talks about the significance of the Derby clash
Come the final whistle of Saturday’s 12.15pm kick-off at the iPro Stadium, Pearce will be hoping to put a smile back on the face of every Forest fan.
In a quick message to his supporters, he said: “Enjoy the game.”