Chelsea legend Frank Lampard has said that the players need to pull their weight and alleviate the pressure on manager Jose Mourinho as the Blues' slump continued on Saturday.
The Premier League champions lost 1-0 at Stoke City courtesy of Marko Arnautovic's 54th-minute winner on a night which saw the visitors dominate but come away empty-handed.
Defeat represented Chelsea's seventh loss in 12 league outings this season, and Lampard says that there is only so much that Mourinho can do, urging the playing staff to take responsibility.
"He will get to work in the week, but there is only so much he can do in training and tactically," Lampard, the club's record goalscorer, told Sky Sports News.
"He has to be positive because there is so much being thrown at Chelsea, there are players out of form and low on confidence, you can see that.
"They need everything to be behind them in a positive way and look forward."
In 16th, the West Londoners sit 14 points behind Manchester City and Arsenal at the summit, with both teams boasting a game in hand.
Shane Callaghan
