Boss Willie Kirk says seeing Leicester City “written off by everybody” in the Women’s Super League relegation battle is a major motivator in their fight to survive.
Leicester are bottom of the table with just two wins from 13 games.
Their nearest rivals Brighton are two points clear with game in hand.
“People think relegation is already decided. It will be very sweet come the end of the season when we stay up and prove those people wrong,” Kirk said.
“It’s not a lot of people, but everyone who has written us off.
“No-one wants to be in a relegation battle, but we are in one and we have embraced it.”
Kirk has overseen both Leicester’s league wins this season, having replaced Lydia Bedford as manager in November after the Foxes failed to win any of their first six games.
It was four months into the campaign before they picked up their first points, beating Brighton.
A vital win against Liverpool in February was sandwiched between defeats by both Manchester City and Manchester United to leave Leicester languishing at the foot of the table with nine games remaining.
Last season, four wins and a draw was enough to keep the Foxes in the top flight.
Leicester forward Hannah Cain says their latest relegation battle has been “gruelling”.
“It’s a situation that no-one wants to be in, but we come in every day and we know what we have to do and we know how hard we have to work to get out of it,” she told BBC East Midlands Today.
“It’s not going to be an easy task, but we know it’s one we can do.
“It’s very close at the bottom. There are a few at the bottom that are in the battle, not just us.”
The Foxes next host mid-table side Everton at the King Power Stadium on Sunday.