Manchester United boss Erik ten Hag is facing a fight to save his job as the New Year approaches.
The Dutchman has overseen a torrid campaign at Old Trafford and, on Saturday, their season stooped to a new low.
United were outplayed, outran and outfought as West Ham won 2-0 at the London Stadium courtesy of goals from Jarrod Bowen and Mohammed Kudus.
After the match, Ten Hag insisted he was capable of turning the situation around.
Manchester United boss Erik ten Hag is struggling to get the best from his players at Old Trafford
GETTY
Yet the Red Devils seem to be regressing with each passing match and the 53-year-old seems to be a dead man walking.
Right now, United are standing by Ten Hag.
They know the Dutchman has credit in the bank after guiding the club to a third-placed Premier League finish last term.
Ten Hag also guided United to Carabao Cup glory, with the club beating Newcastle 2-0 in the final back in February.
However, with Sir Jim Ratcliffe poised to arrive in the near future, it's possible the axe will fall.
According to Oddschecker, Graham Potter is the favourite to become the next manager of United if Ten Hag goes.
Potter has, according to reports, already met with Ratcliffe to discuss the prospect of taking over.
The Englishman struggled at Chelsea last term, with the Blues sacking him in April after just six months in charge.
Yet Potter is believed to be held in high regard by Ratcliffe, having impressed during stints in charge of Brighton and Swansea.
He is not, however, the only name in the frame to potentially replace Ten Hag.
Julen Lopetegui is also a candidate to come in, with the Spaniard currently a free agent.
He did well to keep Wolves in the Premier League last term, having replaced Bruno Lage last November.
Lopetegui quit Wolves, however, after failing to be granted assurances over the club's transfer policy.
He has experience of managing big players, having been in charge of both Real Madrid and the Spain national team in previous years.
Whether he would be a candidate for Ratcliffe and United, however, remains to be seen.
LATEST SPORTS NEWS:
Manchester United could turn to Graham Potter with Zinedine Zidane believed to be a huge admirer
GETTY
Zinedine Zidane is the third favourite to take over at United, according to the betting website.
The Frenchman worked wonders during his first stint at Real Madrid, guiding the club to three Champions League titles on the trot.
And though his second spell in charge of Los Blancos wasn't as successful, he still managed to steer the club to LaLiga glory.
Zidane has, however, so far resisted the lure of managing in the Premier League.
Managing United could damage his reputation - and that's something the Frenchman will have to consider if an approach comes his way.
Manchester United may turn to Zinedine Zidane if the board choose to sack Erik ten Hag and appoint a new manager
GETTY
The fourth favourite to potentially come in at United is Sporting Lisbon boss Ruben Amorim.
A report from The Times last month said the Portuguese was on the Red Devils' shortlist should they be forced to axe Ten Hag.
But going from Sporting to United could be a huge jump, one that may even prove too big for a manager still very much learning his trade.
