Liam Rosenior admitted Chelsea were running out of time in the race to qualify for the Champions League after a run of one Premier League win in seven.
Manchester United visit Stamford Bridge on Saturday in what is surely a must-win game as the Blues look to salvage what is becoming a hugely-disappointing season.
They trail fifth-place Liverpool by four points with six games to go and if results go against them this weekend, they could see their top-five hopes effectively ended before the final month of the campaign.
A comprehensive 3-0 defeat at home to Manchester City on Sunday was the latest of three league losses in a row and saw Rosenior’s side embarrassed in front of their own supporters by more powerful, clinical opposition.
It is more than six weeks since Chelsea last scored a goal in the league and the former Strasbourg and Hull boss recognised that there was little room left for manoeuvre to rescue their season.
“As the season goes on, the less games you have left, the more important the games become,” said Rosenior. “We have to take advantage of this moment. We’re running out of time.
“We need to show that initiative on Saturday and play on the front foot and make up those points, which is still definitely possible.
“If I look at each game, I think it’s just come down to loss of concentration of focus in a moment that then has snowballed into the rest of the performances.
“what we have to do is manage the margins of the game a little bit better.”
A supporter protest is planned ahead of the United game on Saturday evening, reflecting the growing disconnect between fans and the club since owners BlueCo took control almost four years ago.
Unless results improve drastically in the next few weeks, this season will be the first under the club’s American owners that the team’s league position has dropped, a factor likely further to strain the relationship with fans who are unhappy with the running of the club.
Grievances range from poor communication from the owners, a recruitment policy that has failed to deliver results consistently, high turnover of personnel with little apparent long-term plan and issues with matchday ticketing.
“Every supporter has their viewpoint,” said Rosenior. “Every supporter wants their club to do well and to win games. Our job, my job, is to produce those results in the long term.”
There was better news for Rosenior with defender Levi Colwill set to take part in an under-21 game on Friday as he continues his recovery from an anterior cruciate ligament injury, with a hope that he could make his first-team comeback before the end of the campaign.
“I’m hoping so,” said Rosenior when asked if the England international could play this season. “Levi is an outstanding player and a leader in the dressing room.
“When you’ve had an injury to this extent, you need a long rehab period. I want to make sure he’s a 100 per cent right in terms of his match fitness before we consider him for selection.”
