behind the eight ball

Translations
в затруднительном положении
After losing his job, John found himself behind the eight ball.
Потеряв работу, Джон оказался в затруднительном положении.
Definitions
In a difficult or disadvantageous situation; facing obstacles or challenges that make success unlikely or harder to achieve.
Words
behind

preposition
за
the

article or possessive pronoun
определённый
eight

numeral
восемь
ball

noun
шар