Daniel Sturridge believes his Chelsea team-mates need to relax if they are to end their current slump in form.
Blues striker rallies team-mates
Daniel Sturridge believes his Chelsea team-mates need to relax if they are to end their current slump in form.
Chelsea have dropped off the pace in the Premier League after losing three of their last five games and they face a final matchday showdown with Valencia to see who will reach the last 16 of the Champions League.
Liverpool ended their hopes of Carling Cup success with an impressive 2-0 win at Stamford Bridge on Tuesday to pile the pressure on Andre Villas-Boas ahead of this weekend's tricky trip to Newcastle.
Sturridge, who is Chelsea's top scorer this term, has called on his team-mates to avoid negative thoughts and play their natural game if they are to find their top form again.
"The most important thing is for us to go out there and play our natural game," Sturridge told the
Daily Express.
Anxieties
"When we worry about the anxieties and the stresses, worry about what the fans and the pundits are thinking, that is the one thing that can send the team into a downward spiral.
"So it is important not to worry. We lost a bit of momentum - we had some big games which we lost, but we were unfortunate in how we lost those games, because we played well. I just don't think we have had the luck.
"When we perform as a team, we tend to win. Against Wolves we performed very well and I am so happy that we kept a clean sheet because that was very important for us as well.
"We know we could have performed better in the games we have lost and we want to perform the way the manager wants us to.
"Hopefully what happened against Wolves is a sign of things to come in the next few games."
