Rosenior knows he's in trouble after Brighton loss, says Paul Merson

In his latest column, Paul Merson gives his views on Liam Rosenior's future after Chelsea's slump continued with a harrowing defeat at Brighton.

Chelsea are on a record-breaking bad run of form that was compounded with a 3-0 defeat at the Amex Stadium. Defeat means that Rosenior's side are on a run of five league defeats in a row without scoring for the first time in over 100 years.

The World Champions are now seventh in the league and are seven points behind fifth-place Liverpool, who have a game in hand. Chelsea sit seventh thanks to their superior goal difference, but both Brentford and Bournemouth, below them, have the same points and also have a game in hand. Chelsea could be in the bottom half by the time they play again in the Premier League, with an FA Cup semi-final vs Leeds coming this weekend.

With Rosenior's future up in the air and Chelsea's season slipping away, read below for the Magic Man's thoughts on the Blues...

Brighton vs Chelsea was like Man City vs Barnet!

I've supported Chelsea for 52 years. I went to my first game when I was six, and I can't ever remember anything like that. People might say that's an exaggeration, I've seen us lose many games, I've seen us play games needing to win to stay in the division, but I've never seen a Chelsea team not try.

There's a way of losing a football match. Arsenal lost on Sunday and you couldn't moan at them; they created chances, they gave Man City a game. When you watch the Brighton game, it's unacceptable at the highest level. Liam Rosenior came out and said it himself.

He's been in football, he's played, he would have never seen that before. The one thing you have to be assured of is 100 per cent, to give your best. You have to run and work hard. The first goal is embarrassing with the header at the near post. I sit there and think, 'Cor, you've got something about you to be able to do that'. It takes some doing, playing for a club of Chelsea's calibre, the away end packed out, and delivering something as bad as that.

I've seen players not have good games; it happens. But you have to assure yourself you're going to work hard. It was like Man City vs Barnet and that is no disrespect to Barnet - I would expect them to at least have a shot on target against Man City.

I've never seen it with that many players all at once. I say to my boy, 'You cannot assure me of playing well, but you can assure me of giving 100 per cent'. No one can ever moan then. I say that to my 11-year-old. These players are supposed to be worth £50m, £60m, £70m and can't even do that; it's bordering on disgraceful at the highest level.

I've watched Burnley a lot this season; they are second bottom, and I have never watched them and seen that. They lose every week, but I've never seen them not try. I'm still a bit numb. I still can't believe what I watched. Rosenior will have been shocked as well; he'll be thinking, 'how can they do that?'

I would never see that performance coming. Never. Flabbergasted. If I don't see it from Wolves or Burnley, how can you see it from Chelsea?

These players have got the best job in the world, fans adore you and travel everywhere for you - they have got to have a meeting and get back to reality. They have got to turn up on Sunday; if they turn up the same, they will get embarrassed. It's a heads or tails football match, maybe even shifting towards Leeds.

It'll be interesting to see if Liam stays or goes [before then]. Very interesting.

The players threw Rosenior under the bus - He knows he's in trouble

If you are a Leeds fan you are desperate for Rosenior to stay on as manager. When you get the sack as a manager, you get it for two reasons: either the fans are on your back, or the players aren't running for you.

This is double bubble. And he knows that because of his interview after the game. He's taken the blame and backed the players. Yesterday was a sign to me that he knows he's in major trouble and needs to look after himself.

Fait play, he told the truth. The players threw him under the bus, and he did the same back. There is no way he'll be on a contract where he gets paid up for the remainder of it. I'd be shocked. That would be more worrying to me than anything, if they think a manager who has never managed at the top level can come in and be a massive success immediately. It ain't happening.

I felt sorry for Liam yesterday because that's the worst feeling in the world, when the players don't run for you and you can see they're not. It's broken; these players are on six-year contracts. They bought these players on the strength that they are going to rip it up.

Will Fernandez and Palmer leave?

Chelsea bought Alejandro Garnacho in the summer. I'd be shocked if he were there next season.

You've got Enzo Fernandez saying he wants to go to Real Madrid - how can they sell him? They're a money-making company; they bought him for £100m, so you aren't going to sell him for £60m.

If they do, that means they have to sell Cole Palmer for £80m to level it out. Then you have lost your two-star players essentially for no profit. For zilch, nothing.

You look at all the other players and you think, where is the profit? There will always be a manager to come in who is grateful for an opportunity to manage a club like Chelsea, but it's not possible to get the top-drawer managers who are proven. The model doesn't make it attractive; this is a team that might give you a cup run.

I look at it after last night and I go 'do well to beat Leeds'. That is not an exaggeration. It's a huge worry. I don't like managers getting sacked, but every Leeds fan will want Rosenior to be the manager on Sunday. It's not because he's a bad manager; it's because the players aren't playing for him.

Opposition teams will see that yesterday was one of the worst performances ever seen, and I've seen some bad teams at Chelsea.