Graham Potter accepts he does not have enough goodwill in the bank with Chelsea supporters to prevent increasing speculation over his future.
The Blues slipped to yet another defeat on Sunday as Oliver Skipp and Harry Kane handed Tottenham a 2-0 Premier League victory.
The result means Chelsea have failed to win any of their last eight away games in the Premier League (D4 L4) – their longest such run in the competition since a 16-match run between April 2000 and March 2001.
Despite being well aware of the pressure he is under, Potter insists his focus is on turning around the Blues' fortunes.
"There's always that question [over his future]," he said. "And you can't stop the questions. With results like they are, you accept it.
"I haven't done enough at this club to have too much good faith. I accept that. My job isn't to worry too much about that.
"I understand the question, but I have to keep focusing on the team and helping the players.
"They are good lads who want to win, but at the moment we're suffering, and that is my responsibility.
"I need to focus on what I can control, which is the next day and the next training session.
"Our supporters have been very fair and supported the team. I've no complaints with the supporters. They're entitled to be upset and angry with the results we've got and that is my responsibility."
Chelsea have now scored a measly six goals across their past 12 games in the Premier League, with no side netting fewer in the competition since the start of November.
Potter acknowledged the scale of the issue, but the former Brighton and Hove Albion boss warned against any quick fixes.
"It's a combination of a few things and it's not easy to answer," he added.
"We've had chances, but we've not scored them. Today it wasn't a case of that. It was a tight game and the first goal was always going to be important.
"There is an element of players coming back from injury, getting them up to speed. As a team, we're not there in terms of how we want to look and how we want to function."
D.C. United v Philadelphia Union: Gazdag eyes response after landmark goal overshadowed
Daniel Gazdag says the Philadelphia Union must "run through walls" against D.C. United on Saturday, after he saw a personal milestone overshadowed by back-to-back defeats for Jim Curtin's team.
Gazdag became Philadelphia's all-time leading scorer on Tuesday, netting his 57th goal for the club against the Seattle Sounders at Subaru Park.
However, that goal wasn't enough to prevent the Union from sliding to a 3-2 loss, just three days after they suffered their first MLS defeat of 2024 against Real Salt Lake.
While Gazdag was pleased to seal his place in franchise history, he was frustrated it didn't count for more and wants to make amends this weekend.
"It's obviously a nice number. I'm happy that I've become the all-time leading goalscorer for the club. That's amazing," Gazdag said.
"When I got here three years ago, I wouldn't have dreamed about it. I'm happy with that, I'll be happy in the future, for sure, but it's just annoying we played like that.
"After two games like this, we have to go out there and just run through walls to win the next game, it doesn't matter who we're up against."
Philadelphia sit seventh in the Eastern Conference with 13 points from nine games, an identical tally to that accumulated by D.C. through 10 matches.
Troy Lesesne's men beat Seattle 2-1 last Saturday to halt a three-match winless run, but he says they are yet to produce a complete performance since he took charge.
"With the ball, what we want to do is keep the tempo high," Lesesne said.
"We want to see out a complete performance, which is still something we're going after, and hopefully against Philadelphia we can have another go at that."
PLAYERS TO WATCH
D.C. United – Christian Benteke
Benteke scored both of D.C.'s goals against Seattle last week, moving to eight goals in MLS this season. Only Lionel Messi, with nine, has outscored the former Liverpool man.
The Belgian has also netted 12 of his team's last 21 MLS goals in a run dating back to late September (0.57 per cent).
Philadelphia Union – Julian Carranza
Carranza scored two hat-tricks against D.C. United in the 2022 season.
The Argentine, who has four goals in MLS this term, is looking to break new ground on Saturday – no player in MLS history has scored three hat-tricks against a single opponent before.
MATCH PREDICTION – PHILADELPHIA UNION WIN
The Union have won six of their last eight regular-season away matches against D.C. (one draw, one defeat), scoring 24 goals in those matches including nine in the last two.
They are favourites to preserve their strong record at Audi Field, having gone unbeaten through their first five road games of an MLS season (two wins, three draws) for the second time (also in 2021).
Since 2015, only the 2022 New York Red Bulls have opened a season with a six-game unbeaten run on the road. Philadelphia have what it takes to replicate that feat, with D.C. not winning consecutive matches within a single season since April 2023.
OPTA WIN PROBABILITY
D.C. United – 29.2%
Philadelphia Union – 42.4%
Draw – 28.4%
Saudi Pro League: Mahrez and Firmino on target as Al-Ahli tighten grip on third place
Riyad Mahrez and Roberto Firmino were both on target as Al-Ahli tightened their grip on third place in the Saudi Pro League table with a 4-1 win over Damac on Thursday.
Matthias Jaissle's team were four goals up within just 25 minutes as Damac folded, Ziyad Al Johani and Feras Al Brikan netting their first two before Franck Kessie was felled by Dhari Al Anazi for a penalty, converted by Mahrez.
Firmino then tapped home a fourth after being teed up by former Newcastle United winger Allan Saint-Maximin on the break, but Al-Ahli took their foot off the gas from there, Domagoj Antolic's second-half consolation rounding off the scoring.
Elsewhere, 10-man Al-Riyadh scored two stoppage-time draws to earn a dramatic 2-2 draw with Al-Fateh in Al-Mubarraz.
Goals from Djaniny and former Columbus Crew star Lucas Zelarayan put Slaven Bilic's hosts on the brink of victory, with Al-Riyadh playing almost half the game a player down after Khalid Al Shuwayyi's 54th-minute red card.
An astonishing collapse denied them, however, with Mohammed Al Shwirekh halving the arrears one minute into stoppage time before Didier Ndong headed in a left-wing cross three minutes later.
Thursday's other game saw Al-Hazm and Al-Akhdoud play out a goalless draw, keeping the hosts bottom of the table while Al-Akhdoud inched two points clear of the relegation zone.
'Just work hard mate' – Postecoglou's simple answer to Tottenham's tricky question
Tottenham simply have to put in the hard graft as they look to salvage something from what is turning out to be a disappointing end to the campaign.
Spurs' Champions League hopes appear to be fading fast after they lost for a third straight game in the Premier League, going down 2-0 at Stamford Bridge on Thursday.
Tottenham have four games remaining, albeit that includes meetings with Liverpool and Manchester City, and they are seven points behind fourth-placed Aston Villa.
They were particularly vulnerable from set-pieces once again, with both of Chelsea's goals coming from such scenarios.
Asked how Spurs can turn it around, Postecoglou said told BBC Sport: "Just hard work mate, there's no major formula. We will work hard and make sure we get it right."
He added: "It wasn't a great night for us. We didn't play at the levels we needed to and didn't deserve something from it.
"We lacked belief and conviction in our game. I don't know if it is low confidence but we are not playing with the mindset we need to play the football we want to and that is something I have to look at.
"It is on me to fix it. That is what we will be doing. We had bigger issues tonight than set pieces."
Speaking to Sky Sports, the Tottenham boss said: "I feel like we've lost a bit of belief and conviction in our football and that is on me to change that.
"It wasn't about conceding the [first] goal, it was our approach to playing football and we were nowhere near good enough. That is on me.
"We've been in a bit of a grind for a while now, that is part of our challenge and part of our growth. We have to go out there and perform and sometimes you have to grind out. We were poor today."
Spurs defender Micky van de Ven, meanwhile, conceded Champions League qualification looks out of sight.
"It will be difficult. I don't want to look up to the Champions League after this game, it was not a good performance from us and it is important we play a good game on Sunday," he said.
Mauricio Pochettino, meanwhile, became the first manager to complete a Premier League double over Tottenham having previously managed them in the competition.
Chelsea are up to eighth, just three points behind sixth-placed Manchester United.
"So happy and so pleased. So happy for our players," Pochettino said.
"The first half was fantastic. Then you have to contain and suffer. Tottenham have quality players. Not too much to say, all credit to the players."
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