MARCEL DESAILLY has told Chelsea's stars to stop moaning about Rafa Benitez and get on with playing for the team.
Benitez has insisted that his team are 100 per cent behind him — despite an angry bust-up last month with John Terry — with the interim boss claiming he does not fear being knifed in the back by his players.
But former Stamford Bridge captain Desailly believes the current crop should forget their differences with Benitez and start performing for the club.
He said: "It looks as if Benitez is complaining and the players are just waiting for him to go at the end of the season without performing. So there is a problem of collective responsbility.
"Even though the players know that Benitez won't stay they should try to have a positive attitude for the club as a whole and to help lift perfomances.
"Chelsea need to be in the Champions League next season and if you are a player you have to think positive."
Desailly, who spent six years with Chelsea after arriving in 1998 from AC Milan, added: "They are out of the Champions League this season having made basic mistakes especially against Juventus.
"As the defending champions I expected them to show a different collective attitude. But when strikers don't score and you have internal problems it makes things difficult when you are playing at such a high level as the Champions League."
Desailly, speaking in Rio ahead of the Laureus Sports Awards, said: "Not every club has an Alex Ferguson or an Arsene Wenger.
"Chelsea have an owner in Roman Abramovich who as soon as he detects some mistakes wants to change things and move on. When he sacked Andre Villas Boas people thought why hasn't he given a young manager more time to express himself.
MARCEL DESAILLY tells Blues supporters to focus on helping their side rather than booing Benitez
"But then Di Matteo came in and won the Champions League so people at the club need to accept the way Abramovich works."
Benitez has come in for a barrage of criticism from Chelsea supporters since he was parachuted into the manager's job following the sacking of terrace favourite Di Matteo in November.
He issued a fiery plea at the end of last month for fans to get behind the team and end the abuse aimed in his direction.
But the doubters were in loud voice when Chelsea went 2-0 down to Manchester United in the FA Cup on Sunday.
Benitez, however, had the last laugh as his side fought back to draw 2-2 at Old Trafford and force a quarter-final replay.
And Desailly, who played alongside Di Matteo, said: "I'm concerned that the fans, even if they don't like Benitez, continue to support the team and club.
"You hope that things will change over the next few weeks especially as there was a good response at the weekend in the FA Cup game after they went two goals down in the first 11 minutes."
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