Uruguay and Tabarez are officially in crisis after latest World Cup qualifying defeat to Bolivia

There is no hiding place for Uruguay at the moment. La Celeste haven’t been at their best in a long time and their results have failed to improve.

As a result, Oscar Tabarez is a man under pressure as he looks to dig his side out of this troubling period. That quest, though, suffered a breakdown when Uruguay were beaten 3-0 by Bolivia in the World Cup qualifiers.

Having lost 1-0 to Argentina last week, La Celeste were expected to bounce back when they faced a seemingly “inferior” side. Of course, when you compare individual player quality, Uruguay have a much superior squad than Bolivia.

However, the night belonged to the minnows, who not only won but made sure it was an emphatic victory after putting three goals past Tabarez’s side.

Uruguay's struggle continues

Uruguay are now winless in their last five CONMEBOL World Cup qualifying matches, losing their last four.

At no point in the history of the country have they been in such terrible form and their recent results only point to a side that is in crisis. Despite having quality in their attacking ranks, they managed to score just one goal in their last four games.

The poor run started in October when Uruguay drew goalless against Colombia. They then lost 3-0 away to Argentina before suffering a 4-1 thrashing at the hands of Brazil.

Uruguay's latest defeats to Argentina (home) and Bolivia have further pushed them down in the World Cup qualifying table. As it stands, Uruguay are staring at failure in the face as they sit outside the qualification positions.

Tabarez facing the sack

Tabarez is one of the longest-serving coaches in international football history, having managed Uruguay since 2006.

The highlights of his tenure include reaching the semi-finals of the 2010 World Cup, where La Celeste eventually finished fourth, and winning the 2011 Copa America.

However, Tabarez's time at the helm appears to have come to an end now. The football on display hasn’t been good and results have been equally unacceptable.

“Not because I am a professional, I made a contract," Tabarez told El Grafico following calls for his resignation. "In that contract everything I have to do is written and that kind of decisions are made at another level. And if they are taken, they will be respected as is always done. I don't know who can demand that of me, especially after the work time that I had here.

“I don't consider throwing in the towel and I don't want to talk anymore because I'm going to say something too much," he added.

Tabarez has done so much for the Uruguayan national team but he is clearly beginning to run out of ideas. And as the team faces the possibility of missing out on World Cup qualification, so is their coach in danger of facing the axe soon.