Mike Phelan insisted he is "confident and not depressed" despite Hull City's troubling run of six consecutive Premier League defeats.
Hull have not picked up a top-flight win since August 20 at Swansea City, while they host Southampton on Sunday in the midst of an awful run of losses.
The streak includes 4-1, 5-1 and 6-1 thrashings by Arsenal, Liverpool and Bournemouth respectively, with Phelan expecting another testing encounter against a Southampton side he rates among the best in the division.
The Hull boss stressed he is remaining optimistic, however, in spite of the odds being against his team.
"It's a big learning curve for all of us," Phelan told a media conference. "I'm relishing it. It's not fazing me. I'm not depressed or down and I'm pretty confident.
"It's about settling everything down. With the quality we've got and the togetherness we're trying to get, I'm sure we can achieve something.
"They have a squad comparable to any top team in the Premier League. They are a club on the up and we will have to be at our best to be competitive."
Hull striker Will Keane also spoke on Friday and he is hoping that a good result can provide Phelan's men with a catalyst, though he did accept that the team are getting "desperate".
"It's quite early days and we have experienced players who have been in this situation before," Keane added.
"There's no reason why if we can get one win, we can't spring up the table a little bit. We're desperate to get a win as soon as possible."
