Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca has two games to save his job, according to Paul Merson.
The manager was garnering praise from all quarters during the first half of the season, having juggled a bloated squad and made bold calls to take his team into second place heading into the busy festive period.
But since then, the expensively assembled wheels have fallen off, with Chelsea winning just two of their last 10 Premier League games.
Next up are games against Southampton and Leicester City, the two whipping boys of the season, and Merson believes Maresca must win both to keep his job.
"If they don’t win the next two games, the manager will be gone," Merson declared on Sky Sports.
"They’re playing against two of the worst Premier League teams in I don’t know how long, Southampton and Leicester.
"So if they don’t win these two matches, he’ll be doing everything he can to hold on to his job.
“Chelsea have got to get in the Champions League. They need the Champions League to keep players like Cole Palmer as he will want to play in that competition.
“They will have to finish in the top five, otherwise I dread to think what’s going to happen.
“I just don’t see what the plan is. All the seven-year contracts and these players are not getting any better. How many of them have been a major success?”
