Liam Rosenior slams Chelsea players' attitude after fifth straight Premier League defeat at Brighton

Chelsea are seventh in the Premier League, seven points adrift of Liverpool in the final UEFA Champions League position -Credit:Warren Little/Getty Images

When asked whether this represented the worst outing of their dismal run, Rosenior replied, via The Mirror: "By far. That was unacceptable in every aspect. Unacceptable in terms of the attitude. I keep coming out and defending the players [but] that performance tonight was indefensible. Something needs to change drastically here right now."

When pressed on why he felt the players had performed so poorly, Rosenior added: "We need to look in the mirror. I need to look in the mirror. I can't keep coming out here [and] defending some of the things that we're seeing.

"At Manchester United, genuinely the result wasn't there, [but] I felt we'd turned a corner. But the general attitude [and] spirit was lacking [tonight]. Maybe three or four out of the 11 [performed] - that's nowhere near enough for this club. That's nowhere near enough. I can't come out and lie, I'll tell the truth. That was an unacceptable performance in every area."

Rosenior was handed a six-year contract by the Stamford Bridge hierarchy when he was appointed as Enzo Maresca's successor at the beginning of January.

However, with Chelsea now seven points adrift of fifth-placed Liverpool and facing a stern challenge to secure UEFA Champions League qualification, the pressure on the 41-year-old is set to mount considerably in the weeks ahead.

He continued: "It's a really, really difficult night. The most difficult night, not even [just] here at this magnificent football club, but in my career. Some of the things I was witnessing today, I never want to see ever again.

"To be even accused of throwing the towel in, it's unacceptable. That's all I'm gonna say. I'm hurting. That doesn't represent me. That doesn't represent the football club in any way and that has to change, starting with the FA Cup semi-final on Sunday."