Ole Gunnar Solskjaer admitted Manchester United risk being caught by the teams behind them if they do not halt their fall from grace.
United slipped 25 points behind Premier League leaders and local rivals Manchester City after Pep Guardiola's champions secured a comfortable 2-0 win at Old Trafford.
Sixth-placed United have not scored in open play for eight hours and 47 minutes, and have lost seven of their last nine games in all competitions.
Against that backdrop, Solskajer admitted United risk being caught up by the likes of Wolves , Watford , Everton and Leicester - the teams directly below them - unless they get their act together.
Goalkeeper David De Gea, whose future is up in the air, was at fault for both goals, but Solskjaer refused to blame him and said United must stick together in times of crisis.
Gary Neville says Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has seen something he doesn't like at Man Utd
“I'm concerned about the lack of results we've got and in times like this it's not the time to point fingers at anyone,” said Solskjaer.
“We've got to stick together and the strange reality is we're still in with a shout of the top four.
“We are where we are and I've spoken about step by step, making sure we're on the right track.
“But we can't linger along for many years, because the Premier League is so competitive you'll suddenly be caught up.”
Pep Guardiola hails "incredible" Man City after comfortable win over Man Utd
Solskjaer also reacted to former United skipper Roy Keane branding his players “bluffers” before the game, accusing them of letting their boss down.
“With Roy I've always had a great relationship with him and I value his opinion very highly and he's got his opinion,” said Solskjaer.
“We played together for many years, he's a Manchester United guy and he hurts just as much as anyone else connected with the club.
Roy Keane accused Man Utd player of "cheating" in Man City loss
“We're so far behind City and that's my job, to make sure that when we come back for pre- season that I have the right characters in and around.
“When you're at United the spotlight will be on you and you've got to make sure you come into work every single day with the effort like today - that's your duty.”
