Liam Rosenior Chelsea boss blasts squad for missing desire spirit and courage

Chelseas team suffered a heavy defeat at the Amex Stadium on Tuesday as goals by Ferdi Kadioglu Jack Hinshelwood and Danny Welbeck shattered their chances of reaching the Champions League.

This marks the first occasion since 1912 that Chelsea have dropped five straight league matches without finding the net.

Having lost seven of their last eight outings across all competitions the Blues now have only one win from their previous nine league fixtures.

Sitting in seventh position Chelsea trail fifth placed Liverpool by seven points in the race for a top five spot that secures Champions League football.

Rosenior faced calls from frustrated Chelsea supporters for his dismissal yet he directed criticism squarely at his players in an intense post game outburst.

I have stood by the players when appropriate but I cannot justify that display. It fails to reflect this club or what I demand from the team and that must alter he stated.

I feel numb with rage. I always comment on what I observe and that was intolerable. The goals we let in were indefensible and I take responsibility for that.

Tonight was not about tactics. It came down to desire spirit and courage and we lacked sufficient amounts of those.

Far from adequate and we need to raise our game.

Roseniors squad risks missing European action entirely if they cannot end this dismal streak.

Upcoming is a clash with Leeds in the FA Cup semi finals on Sunday where a loss at Wembley might leave Rosenior on the verge of dismissal only months after taking over from Enzo Maresca in January following his move from Strasbourg.

Far below standards

When questioned on reversing Chelseas fortunes Rosenior replied: I have my plans and I am not offering excuses. That was unacceptable from all concerned with me leading the way. Change is essential.

It fell well short of required standards. Challenges duels intensity spirit energy and passion were all absent and that is why we were defeated.

I will assess the squad individuals and build a group I can rely on for basic football duties.

We must fix this swiftly. Accountability is key.

Rosenior recently praised Chelseas owners for their outstanding support amid the teams sharp decline.

Co owner Behdad Eghbali has expressed confidence in eventual success under Roseniors guidance.

However the mood at Chelsea grows ever more poisonous.

Defender Trevoh Chalobah heightened the sense of discord by offering a stark contrast to Roseniors view on the teams commitment.

I believed the lads were giving everything they had. The dressing room is exhausted. Effort was not the issue. We tried our utmost and simply lost he remarked.

We covered ground today. Stats may suggest otherwise but I saw the fatigue in the team.

Emphasising that Chelseas players share the anger of Rosenior and the supporters Chalobah continued: As a squad we must own this performance.

We appreciate the fans support and understand their letdown over the outcomes.

Positivity is vital. Pessimism or fixating on errors will not aid recovery.