Stuttgart coach Markus Babbel led his side's training session on Monday, but it may well be his last official duty in charge of the club.

Sunday's 4-0 defeat at league leaders Bayer Leverkusen has left the Champions League participants second from bottom of the Bundesliga, leaving Babbel's job hanging in the balance.

However, the former Bayern Munich, Liverpool and Blackburn defender is not prepared to throw in the towel and he expects to be given the chance to put the house in order against Bochum next weekend.

He has already confirmed he will play truant from his coach's training course in Cologne again this week to focus on resolving a precarious situation

"I am going to call off Cologne to work with the team," he announced. "I will take a close look in training this week at who puts their ego away and works for the team.

"I expect a different kind of performance and the attitude has got to change.

"It is fine to lose in Leverkusen - Bayer are a very good team, but the way in which we played was totally disappointing.

"I had imagined a different kind of performance and this was inexcusable."

Stuttgart's director of sport Horst Heldt was seething at the half-time interval with his side already two goals behind and told Babbel he "should change all 11 players."

"We are playing absolutely pathetic. We are 17th in the league and trying to do backheels and fancy touches," he said in an emotional outburst on Sky television.

"That is incredible; it's amateurish. What some of the players are doing, I have never seen before in such a situation."

Heldt had not calmed down after his side conceded a further two goals in the second half to seal their seventh defeat of the season either.

"I expect the players to know that this is all about the club's existence and not their own existence," he told reporters.

"They would be in the mire too if the club were relegated, and if they carry on the way they are, then the club will be relegated.

"Then a lot of players will find themselves where they don't want to be seen ever - at the job centre."

That could be where Babbel finds himself before Saturday's relegation battle with Bochum when his job, if he still has it, will certainly be on the line.

"It is going to be tight, but I want to carry on," said the 37-year-old coach.