Jose Mourinho today defiantly insisted he will survive the biggest crisis of his Chelsea career, but couldn't guarantee Champions League football next season.
Chelsea take on Liverpool tomorrow with Mourinho in danger of getting the sack should they lost their sixth League game of the season.
Owner Roman Abramovich has always made a change at the top when the club's top four hopes are at risk and they're already nine points behind.
Carlo Ancelotti and Guus Hiddink are contenders for the role, but Mourinho isn't giving up the fight.
During a spiky pre-match press conference, he was asked if he had any doubts if he will get out of this. He replied emphatically 'no' before refusing to confirm whether he'd held any talks with the hierarchy this week.
But when pressed on if he's just as confident about finishing in the top four and securing Champions League football, he added: "I can't promise.
"I think Chelsea is a big club. It's the club I choose I come to and live in a very specific way every day the life of this club.
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"But with all the respect, Liverpool is a big club, Manchester United is a super big club. And last season Liverpool won nothing and didn't qualify for the Champions League and they are still a big club.
"Two years ago Manchester United didn't qualify for the Champions League or even the Europa League, they win nothing and they're still a monster club. That's football.
"How do I deal (with this worse set of results in his career)? By working."
Liverpool's new coach Jurgen Klopp experienced a similar campaign of turmoil last term when he was still in charge of Borussia Dortmund.
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They were in relegation trouble at the turn of the year, but they stood by him and the Bundesliga outfit still reached the Europa League positions.
Asked if he hoped Chelsea would show similar patience, he said: "I don't want to speak about it. I'm also a good friend of the top people in Borussia, I know how good and stable they are. No more than that.
"I don't want to say anything (whether he sees Klopp as an ally in this situation). I just say I'm not a close friend, football doesn't normally allow that. But he's a guy I like a lot, we have a good relationship and as a manager, his work speaks.
"In spite of what happened last season being one to forget, I consider him one of the top managers in Europe."
Klopp replaced Brendan Rodgers earlier this month after the latter failed to win anything in over three years at Anfield.
But Mourinho has questioned how big an impact Klopp can make with the current squad.
He said: "They were a good team and are a good team. They had good players, they have good players. They had a very good manager, they have a new very good manager. Everything is the same.
"Some details in their tactical approach have obviously changed, this is the nature of the game, especially when you are thinking of two top managers.
"When you change a top manager for an ordinary one (pulls face), but if you change a top one for another top one, the level is high, they know what to do. It's just a little different the way they both think about football."
