Jose Mourinho has claimed that Chelsea must start to win more games in order to maintain their status as a big club.
With the arrival of Frank Lampard coinciding with a two-window transfer ban, Chelsea are going through something of a transitional period, with a number of academy graduates being given experience in the first team.
However, after an inconsistent start to the new campaign, Mourinho has suggested that Lampard should start to place more focus on results rather than building a team for the future.
The former Blues boss told Sky Sports News: "I hope they don't get used to losing, that's the important thing, when you start accepting defeats just because your team play well and your players gave it their best, in terms of their application and commitment.
"I think when you get used to it, big clubs stop being big clubs. It shows people are ready for the season and ready to accept what the season is going to be under a manager who is one of the best professionals and a potentially top manager.
"The numbers say Liverpool are 10 points ahead of Chelsea – they aren't going to fight for the title."
After Sunday's defeat to the Merseyside giants, Chelsea sit in 11th position in the Premier League table.