Boss Jose Mourinho has made a scathing assessment of Chelsea after the draw with Fulham left them six points behind Premiership leaders Manchester United.
On Saturday the Blues were held to a second 2-2 draw at home in a week after a Boxing Day point against Reading and Mourinho said: "This is not a surprise.
"In this moment Chelsea cannot defend. I am the first to know that.
"Maybe we are not as good as we think, maybe I am not such a good boss, maybe the players are not such good players."
The result meant Chelsea slipped further behind United in the race for the title and Mourinho publicly named several players who he felt had underperformed in recent weeks.
"I need the best goalkeeper and the best central defender in the world back"
Mourinho was particularly concerned with his defence's inability to defend high balls into the box in the absence of John Terry.
"In this country everybody has tall and strong strikers," he said. "They put the ball in the box and we do not dominate the game in the air.
"What can you do with Paulo (Ferreira), with Geremi? Nothing.
"The players have no qualities adapted to the game opponents are playing against us."
But Mourinho's attacking players did not escape criticism either.
"Andriy Shevchenko, Shaun Wright-Phillips and Salomon Kalou are just not performing," he added.
"Didier Drogba is the only one doing his best at the moment.
"When the opponent sees one mistake and another mistake they smell the chance. It's exactly the opposite of previous periods with us."
And Mourinho admitted he may ask owner Roman Abramovich to spend more money in the January transfer window in a bid to catch up with United, although he would prefer to have number one keeper Petr Cech and skipper Terry back from injury.
"If the club ask for my opinion I would say yes to new players but at the same time, when I see the eyes of some clubs and they want incredible money for very ordinary players, I would say no," he said.
"In fact I need to spend nothing. It is difficult but I hope that John Terry and Petr Cech are back soon. I don't need millions next month, I need the best goalkeeper and the best central defender in the world back."
Terry hopes to return to action in January following a back operation, while Cech is also on course for a comeback early in 2007 after fracturing his skull in a collision with Reading's Stephen Hunt in mid-October.