The Premier League season is only six games old, but that doesn't stop the rumour-mill churning out the names of managers teetering on the precipice, waiting for the dreaded push.
Marco Silva is the next boss to face the firing squad, as his Everton side sit in 14th position, having won only two of their six matches this season. The Toffees' usually sturdy backline has shipped nine goals, and their misfiring strikers have been on target a measly five times.
Problems at both ends of the pitch, then. But particular criticism has been aimed at Everton's lack of firepower, which has drawn blanks three times already this season.
New signing Moise Kean was expected to fire the Toffees towards a top-six push, but we're yet to see what the Italian striker can really do. The ex-Juve man has looked lively in his previous outings, but adapting to the rigours of the Premier League can take time.
Time, being something of which Silva may have very little.
With that in mind, the ex-Hull boss must go for 'tried and tested' in the form of Dominic Calvert-Lewin in Everton's upcoming matches, or he may follow his Watford successor Javi Gracia through the Premier League exit door.
Calvert-Lewin has been at Everton since 2016, and the 22-year-old has struggled to stake his claim as the man the Toffees should hang their hat on.
However, the former Sheffield United man came back to haunt his former rivals on Tuesday evening, bagging a lovely brace to take Silva's men into the next round of the EFL Cup. Calvert-Lewin demonstrated his killer instinct against Sheffield Wednesday, scoring two very different goals and giving his boss plenty to mull over.
The Everton forward pulled away into space and lashed home his first, with the confidence of a seasoned goalscorer, before sniffing out the space and demonstrating the awareness of a 'right-place right-time' poacher.
As Calvert-Lewin cupped his ears to drink in the boos and jeers of his former foe, he looked like a young man filled with confidence and a belief that he's ready to lead the line for the Merseysiders.
Admittedly, Championship opposition is not at the same level as the challenge they face on Saturday - a visit of the Champions Manchester City - but a striker in form is something Silva has lacked during his entire spell at Goodison Park.
Everton's striker crisis has been an issue since Romelu Lukaku's departure in 2017, and the big Belgian goalscorer left a giant pair of boots to fill. So far, a series of hapless forwards have tried to replicate the Inter man's heroics, but with little success.
The ghosts of Oumar Niasse and Cenk Tosun still occupy the Goodison Park dressing room, and the sale of Ademola Lookman to RB Leipzig may have raised some eyebrows. When Everton splashed over £30m on Kean, many hoped that the curse would finally be lifted.
He may well lift it - but not yet.
Confidence is everything in football, and if a player is performing well, it's illogical to take him out - especially if his replacement is clearly not up to speed. Kean's talent is undeniable, and his record in Serie A speaks for itself.
The Italy international scored six goals in thirteen appearances for I Bianconeri last season, starting plenty of those matches on the bench. Upon joining the senior national team, the 19-year-old bagged two goals in three caps, and until his arrival at Goodison Park, looked the real deal.
The Premier League is a gruelling, physical, rampant division which demands every player to be at their peak and feel comfortable with the pace of the game. Kean may need a little longer to acclimatize to a league which gives a striker far less time on the ball, and much less space to manoeuvre.
Calvert-Lewin had his chances in the past, and failed to take them.
Until Kean finds his feet, Silva must put his faith in Calvert-Lewin, and hope it'll keep him in his job long enough to see Kean eventually thrive.
Source : 90min