Alan Smith thinks that Mauricio Pochettino could be sacked by Chelsea before the year is out.
The Argentine returned to the Premier League to oversee another transfer window under Todd Boehly that saw the Blues spend hundreds of millions of pounds to reinforce their squad.
However, they are yet to find their best form, and they sit 14th, with just a single win to their name in the league.
The club struggled to get out of mid-table last season and if their poor form persists then it is feasible they could find themselves drawn into a relegation battle, and former Arsenal striker thinks that if that happens, then Pochettino may be sacked by Christmasn.
He told Lord Ping: “I don’t think improvement will happen overnight. Pochettino will know that and he will be fearful of that. He’ll be looking to try and find the right formula with his team over the coming weeks and perhaps he will make a few changes.
“He has so many options when everyone is fit. Any manager would find the situation at Chelsea incredibly difficult. As I mentioned, this is a situation that is without precedent at the moment, but ultimately the buck stops with him.
“If by Christmas results haven’t improved, you would think that Pochettino would probably be given his marching orders. He knows that he is under pressure and that he has to do the business.”