Chelsea manager Andre Villas-Boas has admitted that the club and owner Roman Abramovich do not need to openly support him, after yet another surprise defeat at West Brom.
The loss, coupled with Arsenal's late victory at Liverpool, means the Blues are three points adrift of the crucial fourth Champions League spot.
Missing out on Champions League football next season would be seen as a disaster by many but the more pressing matter of an FA Cup replay with Birmingham on Tuesday will be at the forefront of Villas-Boas's mind.
The Portuguese coach has stated continuously that he will stay at Chelsea for the long term but recently admitted for the first time that he could be sacked.
"I don't think the club need to back me," the 34-year-old said after the Hawthorns defeat. "We just need to get on with our jobs and everyone has to be better, the players and management staff, everyone.
Asked once again if he feared for his job, Villas-Boas replied: "If I didn't believe I was the right person I wouldn't have come. At the moment we have to win games. I'm not worried about the future, the present is more important."
As well as the FA Cup replay against Birmingham, the Blues need to try to overturn a two-goal deficit against Napoli in the Champions League the following week.
Pascal Lemesre
