What a new year it has been.
Manchester United sit pretty atop the table. Their next door neighbours City find themselves in unfamiliar territory at second. Arsenal will probably feel they deserved to be at No. 2, but their blank against the rich brats of Manchester mean they stay third.
Losses for both the Tottenham Spuds and the old folks at Chelsea mean that they're stuck at fourth and fifth, while Liverpool celebrate the end of the 12 days of Christmas at 12th position.
Both Carlo Ancelotti and Roy Hodgson must privately fear the axe any moment now, regardless of what they say to the press, and Aston Villa's Gerrard Houllier and West Ham's Avram Grant will do well to work on their resumes for their next job application.
AND THEN WE HAVE THE LIONS...
For under-performing teams, Chelsea and Liverpool players should be thankful they haven't gone the way of the Singapore Lions. Thrown out of the national team after their AFF Suzuki Cup fracas, the (ex-)Lions are probably anxiously waiting to hear if there is any salvation for their international careers.
You don't hear anyone replacing the entire Liverpool squad. Of course, it's slightly different given that Liverpool would have to dish out a flurry of (very expensive) compensation payments, but at the end of the day, Hodgson will have to take responsibility for the team's performance. Ancelotti may have won the Premier League last season, but he too, will know his head is on the chopping block.
It takes two hands to clap, and the fact that only the players of the Singapore team have suffered the consequences - not the coach or management team - has shocked fans and ex-footballers alike. On The Straits Times' Facebook page and on Twitter, readers have been calling for the management to face similar punishments.
Imagine waking up tomorrow and finding out that Roman Abramovich has fired the entire Chelsea squad but kept the manager and the coaching team. How ridiculous would that be?
It's something only the guys at the Onion News Network could come up with. (On a personal note, I'd find that hilarious because it'd have the same effect on me as Tottenham getting relegated.)
A LITTLE SUGGESTION
The Football Association of Singapore should take a look at how most European clubs and nations handle crises of this magnitude - a new manager who will take a long, hard look at the team, axe those who don't meet his standards and find new ones to complement his style.
It may not be a perfect solution, but I think it's better than dropping all the players. How would new players perform on the pitch, with the fear hanging over their heads that a string of poor performances could see them ditched and cast aside?
I'm not an athlete, but I imagine the feeling would be similar to trying play hopscotch over a pit of lava filled with lava-immune tiger sharks.
As for Chelsea, Liverpool, Villa and West Ham, the players themselves will also have to bear responsibility for the clubs' current forms. With transfer season upon us, it is inevitable that any change in manager will also come with the movement of players. Those who have failed to meet expectations may find themselves further down the pecking order, and in need of a new club in due time.
And while the FA Cup weekend may offer some reprieve for the under-fire managers, a poor performance against the teams from the lower leagues might just be the nudge some club owners need, to finally pull the trigger.
Like I said earlier, what a dramatic start to 2011 it has been for those under fire.