AC Milan coach Cristian Brocchi said the lights went out on Monday as his side slipped to a 2-1 defeat to bottom-placed Hellas Verona, further compromising their hopes of qualifying for Europe next season.
Brocchi's first defeat since replacing Sinisa Mihajlovic came with the last kick of the game, as Luca Siligardi curled a direct free kick over the wall to beat a Gianluigi Donnarumma who had already come to Milan's rescue on numerous occasions.
It was a late blow which Brocchi took responsibility for, while stating his confidence that it will not happen again.
"The lights went out with the first sign of difficulty," Brocchi told Mediaset. "We need to ensure that this switch doesn't click off again, and it's going to be my job to turn this light back on again by tomorrow.
"Whenever things start to get difficult for us, we struggle to play together and when that happens, it means you are not a team and you deliver some gruesome performances. I need to help the team respond and get out of this spell. You know how I am -- I'm responsible.
"I represent this team and so I assume all the responsibility. We didn't play well today; we got it all wrong and this defeat hurts us and tells us we've got to work, work, work."
With Sassuolo beating Torino on Sunday, there is now just a point between the Rossoneri in sixth and the Neroverdi in seventh.
Should Milan lose the final of the Coppa Italia to Serie A champions Juventus, the Europa League qualification berth reserved for the cup winners will instead go to the side who finish sixth, which is why Milan desperately need to defend their position in the final three games of the season to ensure they will return to Europe after a two-year absence next season no matter what the outcome of the cup final on May 21.
"We're really disappointed and we've got to lift our heads," Brocchi said. "We've got to take this blow, which was hard, and think of how to get out of this difficulty in the coming days. This was a step backwards compared to the Carpi game and the team just fell apart, and when that happens you have to work twice as hard.
"To get through this complicated moment, the team's got to be one solid unit, otherwise your rivals gain belief and they put you under."
Milan's next game is at home to relegation-threatened Frosinone next weekend before they travel to Bologna, who beat them 1-0 at the San Siro earlier this season.
They end the season at home to Roma, who could need a win to finish second and qualify for the group stage of the Champions League, suggesting a tense finale for the Rossoneri.