Frank de Boer's future as Inter Milan coach is hanging in the balance after Atalanta inflicted a sixth defeat on the Dutchman's team in 12 games this season.
Inter's run of three straight Serie A losses has increased the pressure on the former Ajax coach, who admitted after Sunday's 2-1 defeat that he does not even know whether he will still be in charge for the clash with Torino in midweek.
"All I can do is work hard, but I don't know if I will still be here on Wednesday," De Boer, who was appointed by Inter in the summer, told Sky Sport Italia. "It's a difficult moment for everybody, especially for me, but the only thing I can do is carry on working hard. I still feel the club's backing, but today we saw two different teams and we have got to do better."
Only a month ago, De Boer was being hailed after his side beat Juventus 2-1, in the middle of a five-game unbeaten run.
"People forget things very quickly when results are not good, but I think we've taken steps forwards," De Boer said. "Of course when you are not getting the results, it's always difficult. We need a win for our confidence."
The Dutchman's future is expected to be discussed via a conference call involving the club's new owners Suning in China, president Erick Thohir in Indonesia and sporting director Piero Ausilio in Milan on Monday.
If De Boer was to be relieved of his duties, he would not be the first coach to be dismissed by Inter so early on in his reign. A similar fate befell Gian Piero Gasperini, the man now in charge of Atalanta who says he is still angry when he looks back on his brief time at Inter.
"I was only given three league games and one in the cup and my story with Inter ended there," Gasperini told Sky Sport Italia. "You might say it didn't even start. But anyway, that was five years ago now. It was tough because there was a lot of harsh criticism levelled at me, practically in the form of a refusal of my three-man defence.
"A lot of time has passed and, in the meantime, Juve have won five scudettos with a three-man defence and probably they will win a sixth. A lot has changed. In Milan, I found a club who were very insistent about their own ideas.
"I'm sorry to see my colleagues in difficult situations. I was in the same boat a month ago and I know what it feels like, but I also know that things can change quickly in football. De Boer was one of my idols as a player, representing the Dutch school of football, and I hope he can get through this moment. I wish him it with all my heart."
Inter forward Eder, meanwhile, has suggested that things are not entirely rosy off the field at the club.
"We knew that getting a new coach just a fortnight before the start of the season wouldn't be easy, but this cannot be used as an excuse anymore," he told Mediaset. "We're still making too many mistakes, mainly in terms of concentration, and at times we're not able to give 100 percent.
"De Boer wants us to be really aggressive and keep things tight between the lines, but we didn't manage that. Each coach has his own way of seeing things tactically, but aside from systems and tactics, we need to work hard.
"We're trying to understand what the coach wants, but sometimes we're unable to do that and I don't know why. We've got a lot of good players, but we are not a group."
After hosting Torino on Wednesday, Inter travel to Sampdoria on Sunday before travelling to Southampton in the Europa League. A home game against Crotone follows before the international break, after which Serie A resumes with the Milan derby against AC Milan.