Roberto Mancini's prediction Manchester United would draw at Blackburn Rovers didn't come to fruition on Monday night, and now guesswork over his position at Manchester City has begun in earnest.
Manchester correspondent James Ducker reveals on The Times' back page splash that the Italian's role will be reviewed at the end of the season should City miss out on the Premier League crown. They are now five points behind neighbours United with just seven games remaining, which makes the Italian's summer target of guiding City to a first league win in 44 years even more remote.
Jose Mourinho, linked to just about every major club in England, is likely to interest the Citizens' chairman Khaldoon al-Mubarak if he becomes available in the summer, Ducker adds. The Daily Telegraph expand on that by stating his future is also dependent on how City's players behave, most notably Mario Balotelli. Quelle surprise.
Another manager under fire is the careworn Kenny Dalglish. The Daily Mail claim Liverpool's owners will carry out a "strategic review" to determine whether he remains the right man to lead them into next season. Beaten 2-0 on Sunday at Newcastle, they are eighth in the Premier League table and have lost six of their last seven league games.
Dalglish's predecessor at Anfield, Roy Hodgson, will be offered £3m a year to extend his contract beyond the end of the season with West Brom, claim The Mail. Hodgson is a stronger candidate for the England role than many would think too...
Chelsea's interim boss Roberto Di Matteostill does not know whether he has a chance of being appointed on a permanent basis, report The Daily Express. Our guess is none (see Avram Grant). And he was sacked by West Brom last year.
Blues alumni Alex meanwhile tells us what we all suspected: that there is "egoism" at Stamford Bridge, and he is happy to be away from such a selfish environment, The Daily Star say.
Getting local now with the Yorkshire Evening Post, and Leeds United gaffer Neil Warnock plans to tell chairman Ken Bates his squad needs vast investment if the club is to win promotion back to England's top tier. Bates may look like Father Christmas, but he's more of an Ebenezer. So good luck with that, Neil.
Back down south, and Arsenal will have to break their transfer record to buy £17m-rated Rennes midfielder Yann M'Vila. The 21-year-old is also wanted by Real Madrid and Internazionale, say The Telegraph. Arsenal's record signing remains £16.5m for Jose Antonio Reyes.
And staying with the Gunners, one of their strikers swapped shooting for smoking. Moroccan Marouane Chamakh has apparently angered boss Arsene Wenger after being pictured smoking a shisha pipe after the club's 2-1 defeat to QPR on Saturday.