George Burley has welcomed the psychological warfare employed ahead of the final day of the Premiership season.

With their destiny out of their own hands, his Ipswich side are seeking an incredible pair of results on Saturday to stay up and see Sunderland relegated.

The Suffolk club need to beat Liverpool at Anfield and rely on Derby beating the Wearsiders at the Stadium of Light.

Faced with the tallest of orders, everyone, including Liverpool manager Gerard Houllier - who knows victory for the Reds will guarantee the runners-up position - has written off Ipswich's chances.

But Burley responded: "It is simple, we have to be totally focused on trying to get a win on Saturday. If we don't win, no matter what else happens, we will get relegated.

"Everybody has written us off, I noticed that Liverpool are even saying they have finished second.

"But we have done well when we have been written off before.

"Of course Sunderland have got to be favourites, but the last game of the season is certainly nervy and so we have to go and try and do our things right at Anfield.

"We have got to try and do the same as the last two occasions I have been there as a manager."

Town won 1-0 at Anfield last season thanks to Marcus Stewart's stunning goal, and also triumphed in the 1994-95 season, during Burley's first season in charge.

They dropped out of the Premiership that year and face the same prospect again.

But, in the wake of the first European campaign to be waged at Portman Road for two decades, Burley said: "There is no doubt it will be a big disappointment if we do go down.

"What we have achieved in the last few years has been tremendous and hopefully we will learn from our mistakes.

"There is still a great belief, no matter what division we are in, that we can be a success next season.

"For now we have to try and finish on a higher note and see what happens."

Meanwhile, it appears the futures of both record £4.8million signing Matteo Sereni and former European Cup winner Finidi George will lie elsewhere next season.

Parma general manager Arrigo Sacchi has expressed his interest publicly over Sereni, who has played for Italy at under-21 level, while Lazio is another possible destination.

Sereni played alongside newly-appointed Lazio manager Roberto Mancini at Sampdoria and the pair are good friends.

Mancini, in fact, attempted to lure the goalkeeper to Fiorentina last summer but his Genoese club were not keen on selling to a fellow Italian team.

Nigerian winger George has failed to make an impact in English football and could be on his way out of Portman Road just nine months after his £3.1million capture from Real Mallorca.