Jamie Mulgrew accepts Linfield have little room for error as they chase a fifth successive Premiership title.
The Blues sit seven points off the top with just nine games remaining this season, although they still have to play leaders Larne twice before the Gibson Cup is handed out.
It is a sizeable gap as we reach the business end of the campaign, and Mulgrew admits time is running out for the champions to claw back the deficit.
Read more: Linfield hit with one-match stadium ban following Oval trouble
"It is gearing up to be an unbelievable title race. It is important we win the majority of our remaining games if we want to win the league," he said.
"Saturday against Carrick was a starting point for us again. Probably this season has been too stop-start for us and we haven't got a consistent level of performance and results.
"That's why we have fallen short, but the lucky thing is there are still enough games for us. But we need a consistent run and to change our mentality if we want to have aspirations of winning the league.
"We have to change things very quickly. We are fortunate to have enough games, but if we end up on the wrong side of the result against Coleraine this Saturday we will fall further behind and it almost becomes impossible."
Linfield's record against top six opposition has been poor this season, with David Healy's side winning just three out of 13 fixtures against teams in the top half of the table.
Despite the lacklustre form, they sit third in the table and still in the title mix as we approach the split.
"Our results against the bottom six have been good, and they have kept us in this title race. We have been consistently good against them, and that's not being disrespectful to those teams in the bottom half of the table," Mulgrew added.
"We have won something like 45 points out of 48, and maybe the teams around us haven't been doing that."
Despite the seven-point gap at the top, Linfield are vying for favouritism with some bookmakers.
The Blues have been in this position before, a factor that has likely shortened any odds of another title success this season.
"We have been in this position before, so that's probably why the bookies have those odds. It is okay saying that, but if we don't get the desired result on Saturday then we won't have time on our side," Mulgrew said.
"We have been here before, and people say Larne haven't been in this position. But a few years ago we were like Larne, and we went to Solitude and got a result on the final day of the season to win the league.
"So I don't necessarily read too much into Larne being inexperienced in these situations, I just think for us it's important we are in and around the mix come the split games. Then it is hell for leather and who knows what can happen then.
"Our only focus is Coleraine on Saturday. They had gone 14 games unbeaten, and nobody should write them off in the title race.
"Yes, they had a bump last weekend, but they will look to come here on Saturday and put a marker down ahead of the League Cup final coming up."
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