We're nearing closer to the business end of the Allianz Leagues and here we take a look at five football managers whose teams are quickly coming under pressure for results.

Kevin McStay (Roscommon)

McStay's Roscommon side are currently without a point after four games in Division 1 and now face an uphill battle in trying to maintain their top-flight status.

This time last year the Rossies - under the rule of McStay and fellow co-manager Fergal O'Donnell - had six points on the board with three wins from four games before advancing to the league semi-finals.

However, defeats to Tyrone, Donegal, Mayo and Kerry over the past month have seen a complete turnaround in the team's league fortunes from 12 months ago. Some within the county have pointed the finger at Mayo native McStay, even going as far as questioning his allegiance to Roscommon, which the former RTE pundit branded as "nonsense" in the wake of last Sunday's defeat to the Kingdom.

Nonetheless, last year's beaten Connacht finalists head for Monaghan on Sunday week in dire need of a win, and will most likely need a result against Dublin at Croke Park six days later to be in with a chance of survival before hosting fellow strugglers Cavan in the last round.

Peader Healy (Cork)

Cork were favourites for promotion at the beginning of the Division 2 campaign but have only managed one win from four games.

A draw in Salthill in the opening round was no bad result for Peader Healy's team but their 1-14 to 1-8 loss to Kildare in round two wasn't expected at the time and last Sunday's shock defeat to Clare has since sparked fierce criticism for the Rebels.

The blueprint for that remarkable 2-11 to 0-9 result in Ennis may have been evident last summer, with Cork enduring an upset against Tipperary in the Munster SFC while Clare ran all the way to the All-Ireland quarter-finals, but they were still scorching favourites before the throw-in at Cusack Park.

It all mounts pressure on Healy ahead of Sunday week's hosting of Meath - winners over Galway last Sunday - at Pairc Ui Rinn, where another defeat could leave the Leesiders fighting for their lives heading into the last two rounds.

Damian Barton (Derry)

Bigger things were expected of Derry this past month following their extended run in last year's qualifiers, but it simply hasn't gone to script for Damian Barton and his players.

Round One nearly ended in defeat to Clare (it finished in a 0-11 to 1-8 draw) at Celtic Park, while a visit to Navan seven days later saw Meath inflicting them with a 15-point hammering in a game which the Oak Leafers posted just 0-9 over the 70 minutes.

Strangely enough, they are the only side thus far to defeat Division 2's unlikely leaders Kildare - thanks to a late controversial goal from Emmett McGuckin at Celtic Park.

Down came to Celtic Park last Sunday as underdogs, off the back of their first league win in two years and had 1-10 on the scoreboard before the home side could register their first point close to the half hour mark, underlining the fact further that scoring has become a serious issue for Barton's team.

Things aren't about to get any easier for the group, with games against Galway (away), Cork (home) and Fermanagh (away) all on the agenda in their bid to avoid relegation.

Peter Creedon (Laois)

As things stand, Laois are staring the prospect of back-to-back league relegations in the face and it doesn't bode well for Peter Creedon after three months in charge.

Division 3 has emerged as a more competitive landscape than one might have thought and the O'Moore men have been the most fancied outfit to disappoint after four rounds.

Late points from Donie Kingston and Darren Strong against Armagh are the only reason why Creedon's side aren't sitting bottom of the pile pointless at the moment, as their loss at Markievicz Park last Sunday keeps them on two points on the wrong end of the table along with the likes of Longford, Antrim and Offaly.

They play all three in the closing rounds for survival.

Pat Flanagan (Offaly)

Offaly football sank to a new low last weekend after their 30-point defeat to Armagh, with Flanagan describing it as "very difficult to take" afterwards.

Losses of that manner are often difficult to bounce back from and the fact that the Faithful men face a rejuvenated Tipperary side and surprise packets Sligo in the next two rounds doesn't bode well.

Defeats from those two games could well spell relegation before hosting Laois in their last game, while the summer agenda sees them on the same side of the Leinster SFC draw as Dublin.

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