Daniel Farke - already relegated from the Premier League in the past - was under intense pressure heading into the new season at Leeds United due to his prior top-flight record, although this time was going to be different. Right?
While the 2025/26 campaign is only 11 games old, the worry will be that the German coach is slipping back into old habits, with the Elland Road side currently just two points above the drop zone.
That position is perhaps to be expected for a newly-promoted outfit, although with the Whites currently on a run of four losses from their last five league outings, the mood is unsurprisingly beginning to sour.
Nothing drastic is expected to happen over the next few weeks, even with the international break providing the perfect time to separate, although there is a sense that the ex-Norwich City man is now on borrowed time.
With Aston Villa, Chelsea and Liverpool all visiting Elland Road across the next five fixtures, with trips to Manchester City and Brentford to come, it is crunch time for those in Yorkshire.
Leeds United manager Daniel Farke looks dejected after the match
Will Farke survive the test? If not, just who could replace him?
Daniel Farke's overall Premier League record
It may not be too bold to suggest that the 49-year-old has been a dead man walking since the summer, with reports emerging that the 49ers' ownership were considering replacing the promotion-winning coach, even despite the success of guiding Leeds back into the top-flight at the second attempt.
A year prior, for comparison, rivals Manchester United had almost publicly sought out a replacement for Erik ten Hag, albeit while ultimately deciding to back the Dutchman following his FA Cup heroics. Just two months into the new season, however, the former Ajax boss was relieved of his post.
The doubts over Farke following last term no doubt stemmed from his dire previous record in the Premier League, with his first taste of England's top tier ending in Norwich finishing rock-bottom in 2019/20.
Daniel-Farke
Having stayed on to oversee the attempt to swiftly bounce back, he was then sacked just 11 games into the 2021/22 campaign, having failed to win any of the first ten league games of the season.
At the time of his dismissal from Carrow Road, Farke's record in the Premier League stood at 49 games played, eight draws, six wins and a remarkable 35 losses, having shipped 101 goals in that time with a points per game ratio of just 0.53.
Daniel Farke's PL Record
Stat
Games
Wins
Draws
Losses
Goals scored
Goals conceded
Points
Points per game
Stats via Transfermarkt
With three wins, two draws and six losses in the first 11 games of 2025/26, there is little to suggest that the one-time Borussia Monchengladbach boss is faring much better, with Leeds facing a very real threat of a swift return to the second tier.
Rightly or wrongly, Farke was given the chance to prove himself again in the Premier League, although that show of faith may well have backfired.
Does a successor need to be found?
How Leeds can swiftly upgrade on Farke
Appointing a new manager, particularly mid-season, is such a delicate act to get right, with notable names such as Carlos Corberan and Ange Postecoglou among those who could potentially come back onto the 49ers' radar.
Prior speculation has also suggested that Strasbourg boss Liam Rosenior could also be in the equation, if Leeds are to make a change, with the ex-Hull City manager currently doing a fine job in France.
Described as "one of the best coaches ever" by pundit Clinton Morrison, Rosenior has taken the BlueCo-owned side to new heights in 2025/26 thus far, with the Ligue 1 outfit currently fourth in the table and just five points behind leaders Paris Saint-Germain.
RC Strasbourg coach Liam Rosenior
Unlike Farke's dismal record so far this term, the Englishman's 12 league games have yielded seven wins, four losses and a solitary draw, following on from a season in which his side finished seventh in 2024/25 to claim a Conference League spot.
What makes that progression even more remarkable is that the average age of Rosenior's squad at Strasbourg is just 22.6, as per Transfermarkt, albeit with his starting lineup regularly dipping even below that average.
Of course, Ligue 1 provides a different test to the Premier League, although the one-time Brighton man's attack-minded, progressive style of play is bearing fruit, with his side scoring 24 times already from their 12 league games this term.
For contrast, Farke's struggling squad have scored just ten times in their 11 Premier League outings - the joint-second worst record in the division.
A man who once lauded Leeds hero Marcelo Bielsa as a "genius" amid his fine work at Elland Road, Rosenior could be another wildcard option to try and follow in the Argentine's footsteps.