AC Milan coach Filippo Inzaghi admits his job is not safe following Sunday's 1-0 defeat at home to Atalanta, a result which tested the patience of even his most faithful followers.
Whistles echoed around the San Siro at the end of the Rossoneri's second straight home defeat and fourth at home this season, leaving them seven points adrift of third-placed Napoli.
The prospect of a second straight season without European football is growing and Inzaghi's tenure is under increased scrutiny midway through his debut season in charge, with the firsthalf of the campaign failing to herald the transformation it had been hoped his appointment would inspire.
"There can be no excuses," Inzaghi said at the postgame news conference. "It's only right [that I am under scrutiny]. I accept my responsibility and will try to transform the whistles into applause."
La Gazzetta dello Sport reports of an "infuriated" president Silvio Berlusconi, suggesting there will be crisis talks held on Monday in a bid to get to the bottom of the problem after the arrival of Alessio Cerci from Atletico Madrid failed to bring better results.
Inzaghi feels he will nevertheless be backed in those meetings as he continues to strive for a place in the Champions League next season.
Coach Inzaghi: "There is still the entire second part of the season to play. Nothing is lost" http://t.co/jOU1qyhioX pic.twitter.com/RB15EoejqD
- AC Milan (@acmilan) January 18, 2015
"I feel I have a lot of support from the club," he said. "I will carry on with the conviction, the ideas and the determination I have got. The team is following me and we just need to turn the corner quickly.
"After what happened last year, it would be important for us to get back into the best European competition. We need to have the maximum objectives. We're seven points behind third and we've got to keep fighting for it to the end."
Milan now head to Lazio for a major test on Saturday, facing a side five points ahead of them despite a 1-0 defeat to Napoli seeing the Rome club dislodged from a fiercely contested third spot.
"We need to roll up our sleeves because we've got a big challenge on Saturday," Inzaghi added. "If we approach that game in the right way, then it could restore some great satisfaction.
"The team is serene and I just need to work out what is wrong. I need to do all I can to get them back to doing what they did before, in the games against Napoli and Roma."