BRIGHTON, United Kingdom (AFP) — Liam Rosenior slammed Chelsea’s “unacceptable” 3-0 defeat against Brighton as the furious Blues boss accused his players of lacking “desire, spirit and courage”.

Rosenior’s side were blown away at the Amex Stadium on Tuesday, with goals from Ferdi Kadioglu, Jack Hinshelwood and Danny Welbeck leaving their hopes of qualifying for the Champions League in tatters.

It is the first time that Chelsea have lost five consecutive league games without scoring since 1912.

Beaten seven times in their last eight games in all competitions, the Blues have just one victory in their past nine league matches.

Chelsea are languishing in seventh place, seven points behind fifth-placed Liverpool in the fight for the top-five finish that guarantees a Champions League berth.

Rosenior, who heard chants for his sacking from angry Chelsea fans, laid the blame at his players’ feet in a remarkable post-match tirade.

“I have defended the players at times when it was the correct thing but I can’t defend that performance. It doesn’t represent this football club, it doesn’t represent anything I ask from the group and that has to change,” he said.

“I feel numb I’m so angry. I always speak on what I see and that was unacceptable. The goals we conceded were unacceptable and that is something I have to hold my hands up to.

“Tonight was not tactical. This was about desire, spirit, courage and I did not see enough of that.

“Nowhere near good enough and we have to improve that.”

Rosenior’s team are in danger of missing out on European football altogether unless they can halt their wretched run.

They face Leeds in the FA Cup semi-finals on Sunday knowing a defeat at Wembley could push Rosenior to the brink of the sack just months after he arrived from Strasbourg to replace Enzo Maresca in January.

– ‘Nowhere near the levels’ –

Asked how he can turn the tide at Chelsea, Rosenior said: “I have my own ideas, I am not here to make excuses. that was unacceptable from everyone involved, with me at the head of it. That needs to change.

“It was nowhere near the levels. Tackles, duels, intensity, spirit, energy, passion all lacking and that is the reason we lost.

“I will look at the team, will look at individuals and I will look at a team I can trust to do the basics of football.

“It is something we have to adjust very quickly. It is accountability.”

Rosenior this week claimed Chelsea’s owners have been “magnificent” in their backing of him despite their alarming slump.

Chelsea co-owner Behdad Eghbali has said the club remain optimistic about long-term success under Rosenior.

But the atmosphere around Chelsea is turning increasingly toxic.

Blues defender Trevoh Chalobah added to the feeling of disharmony when he gave a far different verdict to Rosenior on the team’s work ethic.

“I thought personally that the boys were running their socks off. Everyone in the changing room is tired. It’s nothing to do with effort. We gave it our all, we just got beat,” he said.

“We ran today. You can say the stats this, the stats that, but I can see the boys are tired.”

Insisting Chelsea’s stars were as frustrated as Rosenior and the fans, Chalobah added: “As players we have to be accountable for the performance.

“We know how much the fans have been behind us and we know they are disappointed with the results.

“We have to stay positive. Negativity is not going to help. Us being negative, us dwelling on the past is not going to help the situation.”