Will Gary Neville be back working as a TV pundit in time for run-in?

Gary Neville suffered more agony on Sunday when his Valencia side lost 1-0 at Real Betis, a side toiling in the nether regions of La Liga. The latest defeat comes after his side were gutted 7-0 by Barcelona in first leg of the Copa del Rey semi-finals at the Camp Nou that buried their hopes of winning the tie.

The former Manchester United and England defender turned Sky Sports pundit is without a win in nine games, a run that usually leads to the exit doors at clubs of a lesser stature than multiple Spanish champions and twice Champions League finalists. In 16 matches under Neville, Valencia have won four, drawn six and lost six. He was smiling bravely at a press conference after a wretched defeat in Seville, but refusing to lose his temper won't prevent him from losing his job.

Neville is acutely aware that the end may soon by nigh in only his third month as the club's manager.

"There's no doubt that at times like this everyone needs to stay together. Everyone suffers. It's just not going for us at the moment. I continue to work, I continue to have belief.

"Conversations with the owners are between me and the owners. We have to turn it round quickly, I understand that. It is hard to explain the defeat. It will turn.

Judging by the sound of Alvaro Negredo, the former Manchester City forward, there is not a ringing endorsement of Neville.

Singaporean businessman Lim has a share in Neville's hotel and cafe businesses, and a 50 per cent stake in non-league Salford City. He is obviously a huge admirer of Neville, but it is increasingly looking like a vanity project that is not working. When Neville arrived, Valencia were only five points off the Champions League places, but are suddenly realising that relegation from Spain's top division could be a grim reality of appointing an Englishman with no real working knowledge of the local market and no Spanish language skills.

There are claims over the weekend that Valencia are already in talks with the former Tottenham manager Juande Ramos. He would be wheeled in to apply a healing plaster to a festering wound opening up between Neville and the fans as Valencia try to restore some sense of normality.

Yes. And with good reason too. If the league had started with Gary Neville as coach, Valencia would be bottom of the table. He has a poorer record than his predecessor Nuno, who resigned in November with Los Che in ninth place to make way for the England assistant coach. The local media are becoming increasingly bewildered. Neville's record suggests supporters have every right to be disgruntled.

Neville is surely on life support as Valencia coach. His side are playing for pride in the second leg of their Copa del Rey semi-final with Barca on Wednesday, but another going over by Luis Enrique's side may signify the obituary Neville has been talking about. He may limp towards Espanyol in Liga next Saturday, but every game at the Mestalla is suddenly one defeat from the sack. You cannot blame him for accepting the job of Valencia coach. It remains one of the biggest in football, but he looks to be handling an assignment that is simply beyond his ability at this moment in time.

It may simply be the wrong job at the wrong stage of his coaching development, but Neville is discovering that it is easier to be critical and pass opinion from the safety of a TV studio than having to wear the shoes and attempt to placate the demands of disgruntled fans. Neville was lauded for his work as a TV pundit on Sky Sports. There is every chance he will be back in England, and back in his old job on Monday Night Football in time to see if Leicester City can win the Premier League.