Paul Merson is convinced that a top manager will be fired if he drops points in one of his next two Premier League matches.
The Sky Sports Pundit, who played during his Premier League career for Aston Villa, Middlesbrough and Arsenal, fears that a top head coach at the front of the Bijl will be in the top flight last weekend after another defeat.
Merson is worried that Enzo Maresca will be fired by Chelsea if he cannot send his side to the victory against both Southampton on Tuesday and Leicester on Sunday 9 March.
Chelsea houses the bottom side of the Premier League at Stamford Bridge, only a few days after losing Aston Villa on Saturday and slips to the seventh in the table despite a great start of the campaign.
Since Boxing Day, the blues have only won two games from nine in the Premier League, while they also deposited from the FA Cup through Brighton.
Merson sent Maresca a strict warning and said: 'If they do not win their next two games, the manager will not be there.
'They play against two of the worst teams to play in the Premier League, because I don't know how long in Southampton and Leicester. So if they don't win those two games, he will do well to keep his job.
'Chelsea must be in the Champions League. They need the Champions League to keep players like Cole Palmer, because he wants to play in that competition.
'They will have to finish in the top five, otherwise I am afraid of thinking what will happen. I just don't see what the plan is. All seven -year contracts and these players will not get better. How many of them have been a great success? '
A major problem that Maresca is confronted with is the falling form of Palmer lately. The star of England started the season with 20 target contributions of 20 games in the Premier League, but has not registered any purpose or assists during his last five games.
Merson puts a theory to explain a recent drop-off form of Palmer, added: 'Even Palmer has struggled it now, Palmer needs Nicolas Jackson and Jackson needs Palmer.
'Without the Jackson movement, Palmer will get out of the game. He has no movement for him. People give Jackson Stick, but you can see how good he is now, he is not in the team.
'Now, suddenly they have nothing in the front, so nobody makes the runs and Palmer has no room. So he gets deeper and deeper. Jackson is a huge miss. '
Maresca could not choose a better time to face Southampton and Leicester, who each lost 4-0 in the weekend against Brighton and Brentford respectively.
Saints in particular has passed a nightmare season at the foot of the table and rose only nine points of 26 games with two wins and three draws to their name.
In the meantime, Leicester is 19th with 17 points – closely behind Ipswich on target difference.
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