Antonio Conte's list of errors is growing, and they are holding back Inter Milan. The #ConteOut hashtag is growing momentum online as a result and the question is being asked: is the former Chelsea boss really able to cut it at the top any more?
Chances have been missed to close the gap to rivals AC Milan at the top of the table. In the last two matches they have dropped five points - inexplicably losing at mid-table Sampdoria before throwing away a lead late on at Roma.
To make matters worse, Juventus have capitalised on the situation, closing in on Milan and Inter at the top.
It piles even more pressure on Conte as he prepares to face his former side in the Derby d'Italia against Juve on Sunday evening.
WRONG DECISIONS COSTING POINTS
The main accusation made against Conte by the media and supporters alike is that his negative approach is throwing away precious points.
Many of the comebacks suffered by Inter are the result of a lack of ideas going forward and a team that almost appears afraid of winning. In the last 20 or 30 minutes they will typically revert to defensive tactics, with all players dropping back into their own half.
This was evident in the draw at the Stadio Olimpico, when - leading through Achraf Hakimi's second-half strike, Conte brought off Lautaro Martinez, replacing him with Ivan Perisic. It wasn't the most attack-minded of substitutions - especially with Alexis Sanchez sat on the bench.
Two further changes followed - with Arturo Vidal and Hakimi making way for Roberto Gagliardini and Aleksandar Kolarov. The introduction of the former, instead of the more technical duo of Christian Erisken and Stefano Sensi, was a clear indication that Conte intended to shut up shop.
Predictably, it backfired. The result was a Roma revival, and the changes left Inter ill-equipped to muster a response.
Conte in his post-match press conference reiterated his theory that did not seem justified by the result: 'The changes I made were made role by role. I haven't invented anything.'
Some supporters were not convinced though, failing to understand how Conte can consider Kolarov or Ashley Young as an alternative to the energetic, attack-minded Hakimi, or the ageing Perisic as an alternative to a striker.
Inter loaned him to Bayern Munich and the Croat returned to Milan for no reason other than the Bavarian club were not willing to sign him on a permanent basis.
THERE IS NO PLAN B
Inter are the victims of Conte's tactical obsessions and, worryingly, he appears to know no variations on his sole theme - relying on Romelu Lukaku.
That appears to be the extent of it - no brilliant ideas, just every player sticking rigidly to a task without imagination.
It was in evidence yet again in Wednesday night's Coppa Italia victory over Fiorentina - a welcome result but again reliant on Lukaku, who scored the winner with just one minute remaining in injury time.
Inter have the coach with the highest salary in Italy and he is expected to have a higher quality in tactical nous, both on and off the pitch, as well as in the transfer market.
The crushing Champions League exit is unforgivable for a well-paid coach like Conte, who has always built his fortunes on the compactness of his defensive unit. But Inter's defence is struggling to contain fast opponents at the moment, and there is no sign of it being fixed.
Twenty three goals conceded is a sizeable amount, perhaps too many for a club chasing its first Scudetto success since 2010.
If a coach earns about £1million per month it means that the club considers him a genius. But can that word really be used to describe Conte at present?
WASTING MONEY ON ERIKSEN AND SENSI
Conte's choices leave it in doubt that Eriksen and Sensi are firmly down his pecking order in Inter's midfield.
The changes made in Rome make it clear that Gagliardini is preferred as first responder to any fires his manager needs putting out in the middle of the park.
It is not a good look for Conte, who backed the club spending £45m on Sensi and Eriksen. Sensi has struggled with injury since joining from Sassuolo, with the former Italy boss reluctant to rely on the 25-year-old.
Eriksen, on the other hand, is Inter's biggest economic and tactical problem.
His agent, Martinus Schoots, has filed an official complaint against Inter for the non-payment of commission owed to him following his mediation of the Dane's move from Tottenham last January.
With the midfielder set to move on again, his farewell will be a financial liberation for Inter and a victory for Conte's pragmatic approach, having previously made it clear the Dane doesn't fit in to his structure.
THE DISAPPOINTMENT OF KOLAROV AND YOUNG
Kolarov and Young, two former Premier League stalwarts, have been the biggest disappointment in the Nerazzurri's market dealings.
The Serbian defender joined from Roma in the summer but has failed to meet any expectations and has a very expensive contract until 2022.
Conte has decided to leave the former Serbia captain on the bench more often than not and his purchase has been a disappointment - as illustrated by his underwhelming display against his former club last weekend. It is a move, though, that Conte must take full responsibility for.
At 35, Young is no longer able to play a large number of top-level matches at a sustained rate - a problem magnified by the condensed coronavirus-impacted season.
The style of play imposed by Conte is exhausting, and few positions require more energy than left back, an area where the former Manchester United man has slotted in on several occasions.
Both are likely to be sold at the end of the year but who will want to buy two players, well into their thirties, with inflated salaries?
THE SANCHEZ ENIGMA
Forward Sanchez continues to disappoint despite the club having invested heavily in him in terms of wages after snapping him up on a free from Manchester United.
The Chilean has failed to take his chance up top when provided with one - his penalty miss against Sampdoria a case in point. He was also guilty of failing to take his chances during the defeat by Genoa.
Conte does ask a lot of an attacker, demanding energetic displays from the 31-year-old to play alongside Lukaku or in his place, but he has never taken to the 'false nine' role.
At the moment, Sanchez's performances justify United's decision to part ways with him for nothing. His way of playing seems to almost slow down Conte's well-tuned machine, exposing it to dangerous lapses in concentration.
His very onerous contract will make a sale difficult in June and Inter risk footing the bill for several ageing players who are quite happy to see out the end of their careers on a bench while receiving sizeable pay cheques.