It doesn't get any easier for Andre Villas-Boas at Chelsea. In their last league match, the Blues were gunned down 2-0 by Everton. There was a chance to find solace in the cup competitions, but a 1-1 draw against Birmingham City in the FA Cup and a 3-1 defeat at the hands of Napoli in the Champions League have threatened to destroy any chance of redemption this year.
A few months into his Chelsea reign, AVB was standing on shaky ground. Since then, it's not just results that have gone against him - the players now appear to be turning their backs on the under-fire manager.
So far on paper, the appointment of Villas-Boas has been a failure. His win percentage (47.4%) is lower than any Chelsea manager since Glenn Hoddle, but in his efforts to build his own team he has shaken some of the cornerstones of a Blues side that were so crucial to recent trophy-winning seasons.
Frank Lampard, Michael Essien, and Ashley Cole were dropped to the bench against Napoli, with the left-back praising his former boss before the game: "he always got the best out of his players," he told Sky Sports.
Cole has been untouchable over the past years. Starting with Boswinga in place of Cole clearly indicated a personal rift between player and manager.