Chelsea midfielder Cesc Fabregas says the club's players must justify their hefty wages and pick up their dismal form in the Premier League.
Last season's champions are just one point outside the relegation zone this term, with prospects of a top-four finish already looking slim.
A 2-1 defeat at Leicester on Monday night was the latest blow to the Blues and manager Jose Mourinho who has presided over the west London club's worst start to a season since 1978, at the end of which Chelsea were relegated.
After the ninth loss in the Premier League, Mourinho claimed he felt his "work was betrayed" by the players not following his directions on how to nullify the Foxes' attack, with Jamie Vardy and Riyad Mahrez on target at the King Power Stadium.
"If you are a big player and you are paid like a big player, you must play like a big player and behave like a big player - Cesc Fabregas
In October, Chelsea issued a statement of the club's "full support" behind Mourinho, but accepted "results have not been good enough and the team's performances must improve."
Mourinho penned a new four-year deal in the summer, and it has been reported owner Roman Abramovich is meeting with the rest of the Chelsea board on Wednesday to discus the current shortcomings on the pitch.
Chelsea host fellow strugglers Sunderland on Saturday.
Spain midfielder Fabregas says there can be no excuses as Chelsea attempt to turn around their season.
"We all have to take responsibility. If you are a big player and you are paid like a big player, you must play like a big player and behave like a big player," Fabregas said in a Facebook interview, part of their Christmas charity campaign to raise awareness of homelessness in London on behalf of the New Horizons Youth Centre.
"I am not saying you can't have a bad season and bad games. We all have - big players and small players. But the attitude has to always be spot on. 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."
Should Chelsea lose again at home this weekend and other teams around them win, then the champions could be in the relegation zone for Christmas.
Fabregas added: "We can bounce back, 100%. There is enough time to achieve it, but we must start now. It is up to us.
"We cannot win the Premier League right now, but come on, we all have to do better.
"Right now is not the time to think of where we might finish, we've been saying it nearly all season.
"I just think I want to beat Sunderland, play my best and that's it. Right now, no one is easy as it shows. We've put ourselves in this position so we have to now prove - we really, really, really have to now start winning."
