Chelsea manager Frank Lampard is facing an uphill battle to convince owner Roman Abramovich that he is capable of bringing the Blues' torrid run of form to an end.
Seen as potential title candidates earlier in the season, Chelsea have now slipped to eighth in the Premier League table and they currently find themselves on a run of just three wins in their last ten games in all competitions.
Lampard's side were comprehensively swept aside by Leicester City on Tuesday, after which the boss' future was immediately thrust into the limelight, and it's not looking good for Lampard.
Sky Sports News begin by stating the obvious: they say Lampard will be sacked if he does not get Chelsea back on track in the near future, and the Blues will pull the trigger if they believe there is somebody else who can do better with this group of players.
It's suggested that the only reason Lampard is still in a job is because Chelsea are determined to enter this new era of longevity, and they have seen both Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and Mikel Arteta turn things around after bumpy patches with Manchester United and Arsenal respectively.
However, The Guardian note that Abramovich may be forced into action if he feels as though Chelsea fall too far outside of the Champions League picture, and concerns are already growing in that respect as club officials have started sounding out possible replacements.
A big concern for Chelsea is the lack of immediate alternatives. Several reports suggest the Blues are not completely enamoured by the candidates available on a short-term basis, with neither Thomas Tuchel nor Massimiliano Allegri receiving much love at Stamford Bridge.
One man who is high on the wish list is RB Leipzig's Julian Nagelsmann, but The Telegraph believe that he would not leave his current position before the end of the season.
That could see Chelsea turn to former Leipzig boss Ralf Rangnick on an interim basis, ahead of a push for Nagelsmann in the summer, although The Independent believe that Abramovich is against the idea of a short-term fix.
For now, the general consensus is that Lampard will have another chance to turn it around, but Chelsea are prepared to see his head roll if nothing changes.
It puts the boss under immense pressure heading into Chelsea's next three fixtures. Both Wolves and Burnley will travel to Stamford Bridge before the end of the month, after which a trip across London to see Jose Mourinho's Tottenham is on the schedule.
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Source: 90min
