With defending champions Chelsea languishing just above the relegation zone of the English Premier League (EPL), mid-fielder Cesc Fabregas has urged his teammates to justify their astronomical wages and start performing like star players.
Chelsea suffered a 1-2 defeat to league leaders Leicester City on Tuesday and currently lie at the 16th spot in the 20-team EPL table, just one point above the relegation zone. They have only managed to garner 15 points from the 16 matches they have played so far.
The defeat was Chelsea's ninth of this EPL season and Fabregas asserted that the players need to improve their attitude in order to turn the season around.
"If you are a big player and paid like a big player, you must play like a big player and behave like a big player. I am not saying you can't have a bad season and bad games but the attitude must be spot on," the Spaniard was quoted as saying by the British media.
"We must always be at the top of our games and the behaviour has to be better than what we are seeing right now from every single Chelsea player."
Fabregas also dismissed suggestions that a lack of confidence is to blame for Chelsea's current predicament and urged the squad to respond quickly as they attempt to halt their worrying slide.
"Confidence is important until a certain point. At the end of the day, as a player you have pride. We cannot win the Premier League right now, but we must do better," the 28-year-old said.
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"Right now is not the time to think of where we might finish, we've been saying it almost all season."
Chelsea next face 19th placed Sunderland at home on Saturday and Fabregas pointed out that victory at the Stamford Bridge in front of their own fans will be a promising start to the defending champions' attempt to salvage their reputation this season.
"I don't think about anything apart from wanting to beat Sunderland, play my best and that's it. Right now, no one is easy as it currently shows. We've put ourselves in this position and we must now prove that we can start winning," the former Barcelona player said.