Colchester United's current form seems to be heading to a forgone conclusion - relegation to the Vanarama National League.
Perhaps going in their favour are the two teams below them, Sutton United and Forest Green, who have had poor campaigns so far.
Both have opted for a change in the dugout with the South London-based side recently sacking Matt Gray while Forest Green have appointed ex-Watford striker Troy Deeney following his spell as player/coach.
Likewise, Colchester have had a managerial change after Ben Garner was replaced by Matthew Etherington in November, initially on an interim basis. However, the honeymoon period seems to be coming to an end and the U's are struggling to pick up points.
With an early season expectation of challenging higher up the table, here are some of the potential factors in Colchester's struggles this term.
Defensive frailties & current form
Scoring goals hasn't been the problem for Colchester this season, it has been preventing them at the other end of the pitch.
The U's have the joint-worst defensive record in the division having conceded 51 goals in 25 games, an average of 2.04 per game. This is the same record as fellow strugglers Sutton who have conceded 51 in one less game.
As shown with Friday's 5-3 defeat at AFC Wimbledon, the U's are capable of challenging a side in the upper echelons of the table after a good first-half showing.
Scoring three away from home against an in-form Dons side should secure all three points, but their defensive struggles showed by conceding five. This was a generous scoreline for the U's who were lucky to only escape with a two-goal deficit after Wimbledon's 31 attempts on goal.
Colchester have recently been lining up with the centre-back pairing of Connor Hall and Zach Mitchell and after starting the season with a back three, Etherington has chosen to switch to a back four.
They have fallen to several heavy defeats this term, most notably a 5-0 defeat at bottom-of-the-table Forest Green. The U's haven't suffered defeats on this scale of late, but they have only won once in their last nine League Two outings as the Christmas period comes to an end. The only win came against Salford City who sit in 21st place.
Recruitment
The January transfer window is coming up and is most likely to be the determining factor in if Colchester can remain in League Two.
With their current run of form, Etherington could dip into the market to bring in some reinforcements, perhaps in the defensive areas.
The man who has been a stalwart in the side this term and is leading the line admirably is Luton Town loanee Joe Taylor. The striker has netted 11 goals and assisted two in 24 League Two appearances and has been playing as a lone striker for the majority of the campaign.
The 21-year-old is on a season-long loan but it has been rumoured he may return to the Hatters and secure another loan move in a higher division which would be a devastating blow for the U's.
Subsequently, Colchester will need to bring in another striker to try and replace Taylor's attacking output while signings at the left-back and central midfield positions would strengthen their current predicament.
The finger has been pointed at chairman Robbie Cowling who leads the recruitment but the summer additions showed positive signs. Mitchell and Manny Egbo seemed to be astute additions, as well as former Portsmouth midfielder Jay Mingi.
However, things haven't completely clicked as shown by their current league position, so the upcoming month will be crucial if they are to climb out of trouble.
The manager?
Whenever a side is struggling, it is always easy to blame the manager for their struggles.
During his interim spell in charge, Etherington had an excellent run and picked up ten points out of a possible 12.
The former West Ham United and Stoke City winger has only secured maximum points on one occasion in the league since his permanent appointment which has had some U's fans questioning whether he is the right man to take them forward.
Before taking interim charge, he had been leading the U21's side but was promoted to take control of the first-team following Garner's departure.
The question remains that if both Garner and Etherington had struggled to get results, is it the manager that is the problem?
They may set the team up and give out specific instructions but they can only do so much, it is the players on the pitch that need to be delivering the results.
This emphasises that recruitment needs to be addressed in January and a successful window could coincide with a positive run of results and in turn movement up the table.
U's fans, what do you think is the main problem facing your side at the moment?
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