Marco Silva's job at Everton seems to be hanging by a thread after his side were given a 5-2 thumping by Liverpool in the Merseyside derby.
Everton lurched into the Premier League relegation zone after suffering the chastening loss at Anfield - and it now seems just a matter of time until SIlva is relieved of his duties at Goodison Park.
It was Everton's third successive defeat and an eighth in 11 games, leaving Silva under severe pressure, but he refused to answer questions on his future, saying he was not the man to ask about those decisions.
Silva said: "I am not the right person to talk to you about the situation. I cannot answer to you.
"Since I joined the club and until the last day I am here I will always be 100 percent professional, giving my best every single day.
A tough night for Everton...
— Amazon Prime Video Sport (@primevideosport) December 4, 2019
Marco Silva assesses the situation after defeat in #LIVEVE 🔵#PLonPrime pic.twitter.com/0VM71fpd8M
"I understand why the questions are coming. If we are winning all the games, you are not asking them.
"But it is not for me to take those situations. I don't like to talk after every single match about my future."
Interestingly, Silva's predecessor Ronald Koeman was sacked after a 5-2 loss to Arsenal in October 2017 dropped them into the relegation zone.
On this occasion, Everton were under pressure from the outset as leaders Liverpool, despite naming Mohamed Salah, Roberto Firmino and Jordan Henderson on the bench, started strongly and blitzed their opponents.
Silva said: "It was a bad game for us, a really bad night. They deserved the three points, no doubt. We were not good enough.
🍬 Is David Moyes the man for @Everton if/when Marco Silva goes?
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🎙️ @GregOK of @TheAthleticUK talks us through the managerial situation at Goodison Park...#EFC pic.twitter.com/pElFDfWioa
"Always they arrived quicker than us. The way we conceded the goals was not good enough. We should do better, be more brave and win some challenges.
"Last season we finished with the fourth-best defence in Premier League. It was not enough what we did tonight."
While the misery continued for Everton, it was another fine night for Liverpool, who retained their eight-point lead at the top of the table.
The victory also established a new club top-flight record of 32 games unbeaten and was Jurgen Klopp's 100th Premier League in. Coming in his 159th fixture, that was also a new club top-flight record.
Klopp said: "It was really good, especially in the circumstances created by myself with the line-up. Changes can lead to some problems but I didn't see any of them.
"We have to make changes, that is clear. What was clear was it was a really intense game so we needed as many fresh legs as we could get. What the boys made of this difficult game was exceptional."
When it came to his own landmark, Klopp diverted praise to his players but said thoughts were already turning to Saturday's clash with Bournemouth.
He said: "The boys are the reason for the wins but three is the next number when we play against Bournemouth.
"They are not happy with their situation, they want to strike back. So, we have to be ready for that. That is the only thing I am really thinking about."
