Alberto Zaccheroni has enjoyed an exceptionally smooth first three years as national team manager, but after coming in for widespread criticism in the wake of Japan's early exit from the Confederations Cup, the Italian can expect a bumpy ride before the World Cup begins next summer.
Japan returned from Brazil earlier this week after suffering three defeats from three first-round games against the host country, Italy and Mexico, conceding nine goals and scoring four in an overall performance that earned the manager a string of negative reviews.
"Zaccheroni's limit," said the headline of Monday's Nikkan Sports, while inside, critic Sergio Echigo took the 60-year-old to task for leaving his star players on the field despite their failure to make an impact.