Phil Brown may already know whether he will have a job after this weekend, come win, lose or draw against Stoke City. Alternatively, however, he may have been told straight by Adam Pearson that a win will keep him in work a little longer. So the team selection for Sunday becomes more crucial than ever.
The defence doesn't need changing, despite Andy Dawson's worrying dip in form and Paul McShane's histrionics with the water bottle. But the midfield needs major surgery and, assuming he has at least 60 per cent fitness to give, Jimmy Bullard has to start the game.
If Brown leaves next week, then he will always have the fact that he never got to play Bullard from the start as a stick with which to beat the club. Bullard's health certificate seems a little more clear, as do many other things, since Pearson's return to the throne and so now there is an avenue open to Brown to get him on the KC pitch for the first time. The only glimpse the stadium has had of him so far involved a warm mac, a Hull City scarf and a soundtrack of derisory chants from visiting Millwall fans..
Bullard's role is made all the more urgent by Geovanni's suspension, as it's simply not viable to hope that Dean Marney can provide craft and guile. That said, Marney's true strength in offering endless energy and yardage to the team makes his retention a necessity, even though he remains more maligned than most. The other change in the midfield needs to be at its base.
Seyi Olofinjana's form has been harrowing to observe. He needs to be removed forthwith and Brown needs to bury the first of three hatchets by giving George Boateng the opportunity to stamp his qualities as a stopper, protector and leader on the team. His place at the base of midfield with Bullard at the helm, either side of Marney and Stephen Hunt's endeavour, will give the mixture of bite and subtlety that we've lacked.
And with Bullard in the side, Brown can pick two proper centre forwards. Kamel Ghilas, all pace and heart, is a must for one role, and though Jan Vennegoor of Hesselink has his critics, his continued uncomplaining shiftwork as main centre forward without anything approaching adequate support, permits him an opportunity to see what he can do with a proper partner, not one in a deep lying and largely free role.
Two more hatchets need to be buried in order to back this up, with Daniel Cousin and Craig Fagan genuine new options via the bench if only their manager can ditch the pride and let them do their jobs.
Whatever Brown does, he must know that the one team who would take personal pleasure in hammering in the last nail of his coffin would be Stoke City. For his long term pride, as well as his Premier League career, he has to make sure they don't get that chance. That means picking a team that can win, not a team merely with whom he is on speaking terms. And it also means that if it represents nothing bigger than a daring risk, throwing Bullard right into the starting XI.
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