Sassuolo are reportedly giving serious consideration to firing Alessio Dionisi after the 3-2 home defeat to Empoli, with ex-Lyon boss Fabio Grosso the favourite to take over.
The Neroverdi twice clawed their way back into the game at the Mapei Stadium, only to be undone in stoppages by a Simone Bastoni header on a free kick.
That leaves them in the bottom three and struggling badly, as in the last 13 games between Serie A and the Coppa Italia, Sassuolo picked up just one win and two draws.
It has been a very odd campaign for the club, who managed to beat Scudetto challengers Juventus and Inter in September, but dropped points everywhere else.
According to Calciomercato.com, the most likely candidate to take over if Sassuolo do fire Dionisi is 2006 World Cup winning player Grosso.
He took Frosinone to promotion from Serie B last season only to walk away over the summer, then had a brief spell as coach of Olympique Lyonnais from September 18 to November 30.
In that time, he oversaw one win, two draws and four defeats, while he was left needing multiple stitches to his face after rocks were thrown at the team bus by Olympique Marseille fans.