Jose Mourinho is fighting to save his job at Manchester United as he approaches a critical set of games over the Christmas period.
The manner of United's capitulation at Liverpool on Sunday has left Mourinho under huge pressure again following the club's worst start to a top-flight season in 28 years.
United face Cardiff, Huddersfield, Bournemouth and Newcastle over Christmas – four winnable games that could also be a potential banana skin for the 55-year-old.
Mourinho has appeared to be in trouble before this season and survived, but he is now odds-on to become the next Premier League boss to be axed.
Zinedine Zidane and Mauricio Pochettino are among the leading candidates to replace him, although assistant coach Michael Carrick would be a popular choice to step in as caretaker manager.
It's understood that United would have to pay Mourinho one year's salary of £18million to get rid of him, and up to £22.5m if he is still in the Champions League or in contention for a top-four place.
United drew Paris Saint-Germain on Monday in the last 16 in February and March.
The players were given the day off but have spoken for some time about it being a matter of when, and not if, Mourinho is sacked.
The mood at the club is said to be desperate and he has almost no support left in the dressing-room.
It emerged on Monday that United have triggered the 12-month extension on Anthony Martial's contract - as they did with David de Gea last month - and are conscious that negotiations with both players over a new deal would be easier if Mourinho is no longer in charge.
However, Martial's agent Philippe Lamboley said: 'I am very pessimistic. They've already made several offers that come nowhere near to what we expect.'
There was one piece of good news for Mourinho after the FA lost their appeal over the decision not to punish him for comments made in Portuguese after United's win over Newcastle in October.
Mboy_Swag04
56
Mourinho shouldn’t stress. This mans getting paid regardless of getting sacked or not because he signed a new contract at the beginning pf the year. Man Utd will just continue to suffer and pay him...
Cooperer
54
Feel sorry for Mourinho if you think in year 3 he wanted his defensive options to include more than 1 or 2 of Valencia young Damian rojo smalling Jones shaw then I have no words, he has made many mistakes but Woodward and recruitment is the common problem here with 2 proven winners in van gaal and mourinho, it will take a brave man to take this job while ed is running the ship, Fergie wouldn't of let this Muppet anywhere near transfers
ssuolow
42
Trophies alone aren't enough for a club like Manchester United. You need more. You might be able to survive for years at lesser clubs without winning so much as a sausage, but the demands of Manchester United Football Club are unique. Trophies, style, class, and spirit are a prerequisite. You can't win the league every year, and to be fair United have won 50% of all Premier League titles, but to be behind clubs like Spurs and Liverpool in the table will not be tolerated for long.
resourced
42
Give him a job of driving the team bus, I hear that he's good at parking the bus.
pololim
36
To get the best out of Pogba and Martial, to unite Club with a fluid approach dedicated to failure there can only be one man for Manchester United. Enter Arsene Wenger...