Sunderland boss David Moyes has ordered his players to make the most of Jermain Defoe to help him fire the club out of Premier League relegation trouble.
West Ham launched a £6m bid for the 34-year-old striker last month, but were swiftly rebuffed with the Black Cats knowing he represents their best chance of survival.
Defoe has scored 12 goals this season but Moyes admits the former England international will need more chances if he is to continue to do what he does best.
He said: "There was a bit of noise at the start of the window, but everybody knew that he was vital to us. But we have got to get him opportunities to score, and that's probably been something in recent weeks we have not done.
"We miss Victor [Anichebe] for that as well because Victor brings other parts to the game and gets us a bit higher up the pitch at different times.
"But we have to keep getting Jermain those opportunities to score.
"We are just getting on with it. We have got the group now, we have got to try to get focused on the games remaining. We are going to have to win a lot of the games we have got coming up, so that's the aim."
New signings Bryan Oviedo and Darron Gibson could be involved for the first time at Crystal Palace this weekend, where Moyes will go head to head with his immediate predecessor Sam Allardyce, who masterminded an inspired rescue mission last term.
Moyes said: "He's been around the block, he knows exactly what's required. He has his own style, Sam, he's his own man and he's very experienced."