Aurelio Vidmar admits time is running out to rescue Melbourne City's season as star striker Jamie Maclaren approaches the longest A-League Men goalscoring drought in his career. 

Maclaren failed to find the net for a ninth straight outing in Friday's 2-0 defeat to Macarthur, which left City four points adrift of the top six.

Vidmar was brought in on an interim basis to put things right after Rado Vidosic's sacking early in the season but City now looks in danger of missing out on a finals berth for the first time since it was known as Melbourne Heart.

And the woes of Maclaren are a major concern even if Vidmar is refusing to allow the pressure to build on the goal-starved striker.

"He's been getting decent chances for a number of weeks," Vidmar said.

"Strikers are like goalkeepers, they're a rare breed and when things are going well and they're in a purple patch they're unstoppable.

"Unfortunately, when it's not going well, you've got to keep pushing forward.

"He's really bubbly in training, he's positive and his mood is good, so what else can he do? He's doing whatever he can but the ball is just not falling his way."

City is now winless in five straight games in what is its worst run of form since 2019.

And should results go the wrong way over the weekend, Vidmar knows the chances of salvaging something from their campaign will shrink once more.