Manchester City manager Sven-Goran Eriksson expects a decision on his future "within hours" after watching his 10-man side slump to an embarrassing 8-1 defeat at Middlesbrough.
The former England boss has guided the club to ninth in the Barclays Premier League - their best finish since Kevin Keegan led them to eighth in 2004-05.
There is also a likely place in the UEFA Cup awaiting via the Fair Play League but that is probably not going to be enough to save Eriksson's job.
Thai owner Thaksin Shinawatra has already expressed his disappointment with the final outcome of Eriksson's 10 months in charge and the former Thai Prime Minister is fully expected to dispense with the Swede's services sooner rather than later.
"To live in the unsecure is never good for anyone but I hope to not be living in the unsecure very soon, within hours," he said.
"I expect to speak to people - or they speak to me - from the owner's side, people in the club who work daily within the club.
"I have had no answer (about his future) yet."
Eriksson was asked when he expected to speak to Thaksin. "Now, as soon as I have finished here I hope."
Asked what effect the speculation about his job had on the players and the performance, Eriksson added: "You can never measure that."
Stewart Downing fired home a 16th-minute penalty after City captain Richard Dunne was harshly sent off for bringing down Tuncay Sanli and eight minutes before the break Afonso Alves slotted home the second.
After the break it was one-way traffic but the extent of City's capitulation would be concerning for whoever is in charge at the start of next season.
Downing smashed in a superb left-foot volley and Alves scored a second before substitute Adam Johnson scored with a deflected long-range shot.
Fabio Rochemback curled in a 30-yard free-kick and Jeremie Aliadiere fired home with Elano getting a consolation before Alves completed his hat-trick in the final minute.
Eriksson could offer no explanation for the result other than bad luck.
"You can use whatever word you want and I would probably agree," he said. "It started badly when Benjani was injured after just a couple of minutes.
"A little bit later penalty and a red card for our captain. I don't think he (Dunne) tried to foul him. I think they crossed but it is difficult to be the ref in this case.
"It was a collision and it was the wrong place. I don't think the ball has gone to the striker, it has gone straight to Isaksson but I think the referee maybe must send him off in a place like that."
The victory was Boro's biggest in the top flight since they put eight past Huddersfield in 1950.
Manager Gareth Southgate was in understandably upbeat mood afterwards and opened his press conference by cracking a joke.
"There is no point in me saying too much because you're only going to put about Sven tomorrow," he said.
"It was a mad day wasn't it? I think from our point of view, I don't think we've had a lot of good fortune this year and we seemed to get all our good fortune and all our goals in one day.
"Certainly, the turning point was the sending off and the important goal for us was the third because, even at 2-0, they have got some good players who could still keep the ball well.
"But we scored some brilliant goals and played some really good football and it was nice for our players to play without pressure. That is the first time we have been able to do that this season."
