Graham Potter has been in charge for 29 Chelsea matches and given the side's current form, each subsequent fixture appears to be taking on greater importance. After defeat to Southampton, it was difficult not to view matches against Tottenham, Leeds and Borussia Dortmund as vital for the club given the rivalry and value placed on each match.
Defeat against Spurs ensured questions surrounding Potter's future followed even if the reaction from supporters was not as obvious as the boos following the loss against a managerless Southampton. The Blues' boss accepted that he has not provided the club with enough so far.
"If you look at Jurgen [Klopp’s] situation, they haven’t got the results and all of a sudden people want him out," Potter said after the game. "That is the nature of football. I haven’t done enough at this club to have too much good faith; I also accept that.
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"My job isn’t to worry about that too much. I understand the question and where it comes from, but I have to try to focus on keeping on helping the team and supporting the players. I really like these players, they’re good lads. They want to do better and want to win. But at the moment we’re suffering and that is my responsibility."
There are caveats to Potter's situation of course, given the size of the squad, the change that the club has undergone and much more. But taking charge of the Blues has always been a pressurised environment. While the owners may hope to have Potter for the long term, pressure will continue to mount if Chelsea fail to come away with positive results in the next two matches.
football.london takes a look at the figures who saw their time cut short at Stamford Bridge, specifically those who spent their time in the Chelsea hot seat for the fewest games. This applies only to permanent managers, excluding those such as Guus Hiddink and Steve Holland, who served on either an interim or caretaker basis.
Danny Blanchflower: 32 matches; five wins, eight draws, 19 defeats.
Blanchflower had expected to take over as Bill Nicholson's long-term successor at Tottenham but was passed over in 1974 and took his managerial career elsewhere. He took charge of the Blues in December 1978 but saw his time end the following September as he struggled to lead the side to wins.
Luis Felipe Scolari: 36 matches; 20 wins, 11 draws, five defeats
The shortest time a permanent manager spent in charge of the club under Roman Abramovich. The Brazilian was the first World Cup winning manager to be appointed by a Premier League club, and quickly signed Deco for £8million in the summer of 2008. The season got underway with a 4-0 win over Portsmouth but slowed slightly at the start of 2009 with defeats to Manchester United and Liverpool; a draw against Hull saw Scolari sacked in early February.
The club said: "Felipe has brought many positives to the club since he joined and we all feel a sense of sadness that our relationship has ended so soon. Unfortunately the results and performances of the team appeared to be deteriorating at a key time in the season."
Andre Villas-Boas: 40 matches; 19 wins, 11 draws 10 defeats
Another coach who could not complete a season after the Blues spent a significant fee to activate his release clause from Porto. Despite a promising 2011/12 pre-season, Chelsea found themselves lacking against their top four competition in Manchester United, Arsenal and Liverpool. Eventually they fell out of the Champions League places in February 2012 and the decision to leave Frank Lampard, Michael Essien and Ashley Cole on the bench in the Champions League against Napoli ensured that pressure mounted. The Portuguese coach lasted until March 4th following defeat to West Brom.
Roberto Di Matteo: 42 matches; 24 wins, nine draws, nine defeats
Nobody can forget the glory that Di Matteo helped deliver in the culmination of 2012 as Chelsea got their hands on the Champions League trophy for the very first time. There was little option but to hire the coach permanently after he had also helped the side to an FA Cup victory too.
The season started with promise but ultimate 2012/13 saw difficult Champions Leagfue results against the likes of Shakhtar Donetsk, while a 3-0 defeat to Juventus effectively ended Chelsea's chances of progression in the competition. The Blues were set to be the first Champions League holders to exit at the group stage of the competition.
The club's statement read: "The team's recent performances and results have not been good enough and the owner and the board felt that a change was necessary now to keep the club moving in the right direction as we head into a vitally important part of the season.
"The club faces a difficult task ahead in qualifying for the knockout stages of the UEFA Champions League as well as maintaining a strong challenge for the top of the Premier League while competing in three other cup competitions. Our aim is to remain as competitive as possible and challenge strongly on all fronts."
Avram Grant: 54 matches; 36 wins, 13 draws, five defeats
Grant moved from director of football to manager following the departure of Jose Mourinho. The Israel national took over at a controversial time with Mourinho still retaining support and Grant himself not holding all of the required coaching certifications.
While the season had some struggles, he did lead Chelsea to 16-game unbeaten run and their first Champions League final, while finishing second in the Premier League on the final day of the season. There was always the feeling that he was a stop-gap for the club, while he is said to have turned down an offer that would see him return to his position of director of football.
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