If there is one consolation that Bayern Munich can cling to this week, it's that things aren't quite bad enough to cancel Oktoberfest.
It hasn't reached that stage since 2010, when Louis Van Gaal's Bayern side were 13 points behind leaders Borussia Dortmund at this time of year, and the club's traditional PR stunt visit to the Bavarian beer festival was struck at short notice.
Eight years on, Bayern are only four points behind Dortmund, and there were a few reserved smiles when the players turned up at Oktoberfest on Sunday. Yet even a few litres of non-alcoholic beer will have done little to lift the mood.
'Obviously there are better days to go to Oktoberfest,' said goalkeeper Manuel Neuer. 'But we have to face the music. We recognise the seriousness of the situation.'
The day before had seen Bayern crash to their lowest point in nearly a decade as they suffered a humiliating 3-0 home defeat by Borussia Monchengladbach. It was Bayern's fourth game in a row without a win, and the culmination of a miserable two weeks.
Bayern, who have won the Bundesliga by a country mile for the last six years, consider it a crisis when they are knocked off top spot. After RB Leipzig's 6-0 win over Nuremberg on Sunday, the champions have now dropped to sixth.
It is a crisis which started at a low simmer but very quickly reached boiling point. After a dominant start to the season, a freak late goal saw Bayern drop two points against Augsburg, before they were outplayed by Hertha Berlin.
Against Ajax in midweek, they initially looked like they were back to their best, before fading dramatically and dropping points again. By the time Gladbach left town on Saturday, the klaxons were at full blast.
'I can't remember seeing Bayern play so badly,' said club legend Lothar Matthaus on the Sky pundit's sofa. 'They just don't seem have any solutions.'
As if to prove Matthaus right, the cameras over at rival broadcaster DAZN had picked up footage of the Bayern players' half-time conversation in the tunnel.
'I don't know, they have eight guys in midfield, it's going to be difficult,' Mats Hummels appeared to say. With 45 minutes still to play, in their own backyard, Bayern were suddenly fearful of a domestic rival. Their famous arrogance, their refusal to know when they are beaten, seemed to have deserted them.
With the international break upon them, coach Niko Kovac and co have a bit of time to find those solutions. Coaching staff and sporting director Hasan Salihamidzic held a crisis summit on Sunday, and Kovac will know that something needs to change quickly if he is to keep talk of his job security at bay.
Already, speculation is rife about a potential replacement. Zinedine Zidane has been mooted as the favourite to take over if Kovac were to get the sack, while Arsene Wenger is another name doing the rounds.
It is no secret that the Bayern bosses have always admired the former Arsenal manager. Inevitably, social media is also awash with jokes about Bayern once again dragging Jupp Heynckes out of retirement.
'I know how things work in football,' said Kovac. 'I know I'm at Bayern, and I know that time works differently here as it maybe does at other clubs.'
Events can indeed move quickly in Munich, and though Kovac is well-liked by fans, media and club bosses, he will be on borrowed time if he loses the dressing room.
Things aren't that bad yet, but they aren't good either. James Rodriguez is the most vocal of critics so far, but he is not the only player who is reportedly unhappy with Kovac's coaching methods. The new boss has also sparked grumblings with his rotation policy, which he has defended, pointing to squad limitations.
'We have the players we have,' said Kovac, and pointed out that David Alaba, one of the few regular starters, is now sidelined after picking up an injury against Gladbach. 'Now you see why I rotate. If there is a bit of wear and tear, then you risk injuries.'
Those comments have been taken in some quarters as a thinly veiled attack on sporting director Hasan Salihamidzic, and a transfer policy which, beyond Leon Goretzka, failed to bring any big names to Munich this summer.
Kovac has a good relationship with his former teammate, but Salihamidzic too may not come out of this crisis unscathed. He is generally perceived to lack the necessary authority, and that can be crippling at Bayern.
Long held by club patriarch Uli Hoeness, the sporting director role is usually better filled by a more expansive personality. Matthias Sammer was successful in the role, while his predecessor Christian Nerlinger was not. He too lacked authority, and eventually went down with the Van Gaal ship.
For now, Salihamidzic and Kovac have the backing of the bosses. It is simply too early for president Hoeness and chief executive Karl-Heinz Rummenigge to admit they made a mistake hiring the young duo.
'We are totally calm,' insisted Hoeness this weekend. 'I will defend Niko Kovac to the hilt.' How long that lasts is another matter. If his long-term plan seems to be working, then Kovac may well survive one season without a title. But now, more than ever, he needs some short-term joy to sure his position up.
If something doesn't change, then the Bayern coach may well feel the heat as winter sets in. They may not have cancelled Oktoberfest, but if they are still sixth in December, you can bet Bayern will cancel Christmas.