Frank Lampard has suggested that former club Chelsea lack "real personalities" in the squad due to the loss of big-name players in recent times.
The 37-year-old, now playing at Los Angeles Galaxy in the MLS, spent 13 years at Stamford Bridge before moving on in 2014.
It has been a tough season for the Blues thus far, although Guus Hiddink has helped steady the ship since taking over from Jose Mourinho in December to lead the club up to 11th place in the Premier League.
Lampard describes Chelsea's current predicament as "ridiculous", but believes that it is clear to see why they have struggled for large parts of this campaign.
"I do worry about where the real personalities of the team are," he told the Daily Mail. "To be a big team, you have to have big personalities. I don't want to sound like I am harking back to the days of me and John Terry, Ashley Cole, Petr Cech and Didier Drogba, but I do see a team now where John is the last mainstay of that identity.
"Maybe Chelsea are looking for a more beautiful way now. The club has been trying to push it down that route with the players they have recruited over the last four or five years. The problem is if you fall in the middle, somewhere between tough and beautiful.
"It's nice football at times but it's not that nice and it's not really winning games. It's not beautiful, beautiful stuff. They need to buy two or three big players. Because being 11th in the Premier League is ridiculous for Chelsea."
Lampard played more than 400 games for the West London outfit, helping the club to three Premier League titles, four FA Cup crowns and also Champions League success in 2012.
Daniel Lewis
