Leicester City manager Claudio Ranieri has hinted that he is ready to make changes to his side after standing by his title-winning flops for too long.
The Foxes find themselves just one point above the Premier League relegation zone after losing five games in succession without scoring a goal.
Ranieri was given a vote of confidence by the club's owners last week despite the woeful title defence, which is now officially the worst ever in the English top flight after 25 games.
After seeing his side slip to a 2-0 reverse at the hands of fellow strugglers Swansea City at the weekend, the Italian admits that it may now be time to stop being so loyal to certain individuals.
"Maybe I have been too loyal to the players. It is difficult," he told reporters. "When you achieve something so good you want to give them one chance, two chances, three chances. Maybe now it is time to say that's too much.
"Always I question myself but always I say, 'come on, of course we can do something good.' I don't have any plans to speak to the owner, but of course if he wants to speak with me I am here.
"It is difficult to say that it is a mental thing with the players. When I speak with them everybody is confident, everybody wants to react, everybody tries to tell something positive to help each other, but then after we go back."
Leicester's next league outing is at home to Liverpool two weeks today, but prior to then they face Millwall in the FA Cup fifth round and Sevilla in the first leg of their Champions League last-16 tie.
Daniel Lewis
