Guillermo Barros Schelotto acknowledges LA Galaxy must be more consistent after following up a string of positive results with dismal defeats prior to their clash with Portland Timbers.
The Galaxy are remarkably bottom of the West after losing four consecutive games.
Schelotto's side started September in fine form, beating Portland and Los Angeles FC, but look a long way from their best right now.
"A month ago, we won four games in a row. After that, we lost four in a row," Schelotto said. "We know we were such a fantastic team before, now we're the worst team in the league.
"I'm not talking about whether we deserved or not to lose. We lost and that is the truth. We need to be more consistent, definitely.
"If you are growing every game, the last game you will be such a high level. We need to try every game to be growing. If we want to fight until the last game, we need to be more consistent."
But the Galaxy are still optimistic as they welcome second-placed Portland.
"We are confident for the game tomorrow. It's a big rival," the coach added. "I hope we win and get three points which would be very important for us."
The Timbers have not played in over a week due to Colorado Rapids' positive coronavirus tests, but Giovanni Savarese welcomed the unexpected break.
"Guys have been able to have finally a long week to regroup, for us to work in some areas and for us to make sure that we've got everybody on the same page," he said.
"We've also got guys who were injured back to train, which is a very positive thing for us."
PLAYERS TO WATCH
LA Galaxy - Sebastian Lletget
As the struggling Galaxy still wait on Javier Hernandez to find form and fitness, they have become reliant on midfielder Lletget. He has scored their past four goals and has six in total since the regular season restarted in August.
Portland Timbers - Felipe Mora
This has been a stop-start season for the loan forward, but he got the winner last time out against Vancouver Whitecaps. Mora has been made to wait to return to action due to the postponement of the Colorado Rapids game, yet he will hope to kick on, having scored in three straight matches earlier in the year.
KEY OPTA FACTS
- Both teams have recorded a win over the other this season, with the Galaxy winning 3-2 in Portland in early September after the Timbers won 2-1 at MLS is Back. In the 13 meetings since the start of the 2015 season, each side has won five times and drawn three.
- The Galaxy sit last in the Western Conference after a 2-1 defeat to San Jose Earthquakes on Saturday, their fourth straight loss. Their record with Hernandez in the team this season is W0 D2 L6 (two points), while they have collected 13 points without him (W4 D1 L1).
- The Timbers recorded their third straight win with a 1-0 defeat of Vancouver. Six of Portland's seven victories this season have come by a one-goal margin, with a 6-1 victory in San Jose on September 20 the exception.
- Lletget scored the Galaxy's lone goal against the Earthquakes on Saturday. As well as netting the team's past four MLS goals, he has been directly involved in seven of their past 11 (five goals, two assists).
- The Timbers have started games well this season, scoring the first goal in 11 of their 14 matches (tied with Columbus Crew for most in MLS), as well as scoring six goals in the opening 15 minutes of matches (only Chicago Fire, seven, have more). Those early goals have come from a variety of sources as six different players have netted those six goals in the first 15 minutes of matches for Portland.