The heat is on Rafael Benitez as Napoli prepare to make their bow in this season's Europa League on Thursday night, still reeling from their Champions League exit and 1-0 defeat at home to Chievo at the weekend.
At a news conference on Wednesday, Benitez was reminded of the fact that the Azzurri have made their worst start to a season in four years. He announced that changes will be made to his side for the game with Sparta Prague, but that he has good experience of squad rotation.
Another defeat would further increase the pressure on the Spaniard, who no longer appears to enjoy the full faith of the club's success-starved fans, desperate for more than last season's Coppa Italia success.
"I know that in football, results matter, but I also know that it is important how these results arrive," Benitez said in Corriere Dello Sport. "Three months ago, we were getting fantastic results and now I hear that we have made our worst start to a season in the last four years.
"It all comes down to what kind of message you want to send. The fans have understood this and they have been getting behind us at the San Paolo and it's very important to have a good atmosphere."
Gonzalo Higuain has a knock and is likely to be left out, but that is not the only change Benitez intends to make.
"When I took charge of Valencia, I rotated my side and people said I was crazy, yet I won a lot there," he said. "You've got to rotate your team. I don't know how many players it will apply to, but if we win, people will be saying I got it spot on. If not...
"Last year, we reached the end of the season with the right levels of energy still to win a trophy."
Benitez, who won the Europa League with Chelsea two seasons ago, is keen to emulate that success again next May, insisting the competition is one of his club's main priorities.
"You've got to set yourself objectives every year and this time, getting through this group and then taking things game by game is our aim," he said. "Just look at Napoli's statistics [against Chievo] -- we've done more than anybody else in attack, yet we've conceded a goal and a shot against the crossbar, which means we've got to control and close games better.
"You get the impression people want us to be winning every game 5-0 at half-time, but we cannot be in such a rush. The team are in good shape."