Chelsea midfielder Nemanja Matic has said he has "respect" for under-pressure manager Jose Mourinho and has also backed the recently dropped Eden Hazard.
Chelsea have struggled for form this season following their Premier League title win in 2014-15, with the club 12th in the table after nine matches.
Matic is among a number of Blues players who have so far failed to hit the heights of last campaign, and in the 3-1 loss to Southampton the midfielder was brought on as half-time substitute before then being replaced on 73 minutes.
The Serbia international said: "In my life I have never had a problem with any coach, because all coaches respect that I am very professional, I do my best.
"So with Mourinho, it is the same. He knows he can count on me always. He respects that, I respect not only him but all coaches which I've had in my life.
"We won the Premier League and League Cup together [last season]. We did great things together. I am sure we will continue, maybe this year we will win something also."
Mourinho benched Hazard, who was Chelsea's star performer last season, in last weekend's 2-0 win over Aston Villa with the Chelsea boss questioning the forward's defensive work.
Hazard's future at Stamford Bridge has since been the subject of conjecture, with Real Madrid reportedly a possible destination.
Matic said: "What I can say about him, is that Eden is a great guy, great player, the best player in the league last year, very important for us.
"For the rest, you'd have to ask the coach. I am very happy when I play with him. It's very simple: You pass him the ball and he always does something. Eden is one of the best players in the world."
Matic, reflecting on Chelsea's poor start to the season, added: "Of course confidence is not high, but not only for me. The team is not in a good position in the Premier League. I think that is very difficult for us.
"But, game by game, we will be better and better, because we have quality for that. We work very hard, we deserve more, so we will see in the future what we can do. We have to show that we are a team, because individually we can't do anything, because football is a collective sport.
"I try to give my best for the team. I try to do what the coach asks from me. What I can say about myself, is that I try always to give my best."