The pressure is really on David Moyes this season, as he seeks to keep his West Ham side in the Premier League for another campaign.
His task is a tough one, given that the Hammers are only a point above the relegation places and, form wise, haven’t really got going in 2022/23.
It’s all a far cry from a couple of seasons ago when their domestic exploits ensured a Europa League campaign and some of the best football seen from the east Londoners in years.
Now, with the Championship beckoning, there’s every chance that as many as four of their players will need to be sold if they do indeed go down.
The Athletic (subscription required) report that Declan Rice is expected to leave the club regardless of whether they stay up, and suggest the trio of Gianluca Scamacca, Jarrod Bowen and Lucas Paqueta will all have suitors.
Given that relegation would surely be a financial disaster for the Hammers, it could well be that more than those four players get moved on during the summer.
It’s almost certain that gates will reduce in the Championship too, and money for transfers will be even harder to come by.
A mentally tough and, arguably, harder-working squad is also a pre-requisite for a 46 game season.
To that end, the players with the silky skills that West Ham supporters are used to seeing at the London Stadium may have to be dispensed with until they get themselves back in the top flight.
Of course, these scenarios are all ‘what if’s’ at the moment, but it brings Moyes’ current task into the sharpest focus.