Chelsea head coach Liam Rosenior said his team's performance in their defeat by Brighton was both “indefensible” and “unacceptable”, as he faced angry chants from his own supporters for the first time.
The chants began when Chelsea fell 1-0 behind at the Amex Stadium, with the visitors having barely registered an attempt on goal, and they eventually succumbed to a 3-0 defeat.
It was a worrying display and a further dip in performance, given Chelsea did not have a shot on goal until the 40th minute and were error-prone defensively.
This was the Blues' fifth consecutive defeat without scoring – their worst such run since 1912.
"It was unacceptable in every aspect of the game, unacceptable in our attitude," said Rosenior. "I keep coming out and defending the players – that's indefensible, that performance.
"Something needs to change drastically right now. The players need to have a look in the mirror for what they put in. You can talk about tactics… tactics come after the basics."
Questions will grow over whether the Englishman can continue in the dugout in the long term, with a last chance to save the season to come in the FA Cup semi-final at Wembley against Leeds United on Sunday.
For much of the match, supporters directed their frustration towards the hierarchy, while also chanting for former owner Roman Abramovich.
However, this was the first occasion where Rosenior himself became the target of supporter anger, amid a growing sense that a sixth managerial change under the Clearlake Capital and Todd Boehly ownership group may be approaching.
Chelsea's stance has been that they will back him into next season, with the intention to reserve judgement until the end of the next campaign.
In a rare interview earlier this month, co-owner Behdad Eghbali said: "I think we're behind Liam. Of course, it's a results business – but we think he can be successful long term."
However, two further defeats have worsened the situation and the fans have since turned, making it a more difficult decision to keep Rosenior than make a change.
Read Nizaar Kinsella’s full article here
This isn't the first time Chelsea have been in the limelight this season following a manager's comments, though.
Firstly Enzo Maresca made headlines with his "worst 48 hours"outburst, and now Liam Rosenior has slammed his players for an "indefensible"performance.
Chelsea fans, how do you feel about the situation? Who do you feel is to blame for the current issues – the players, the manager, the hierarchy or the owners?
Let us know your thoughts here
