Chelsea boss Graham Potter has urged fans to be patient.
Potter says the team - and the club - is in a clear transitional phase.
He explained, "One of the reasons I came here, one of many, was that it's a fantastic football club, potentially one of the best in the world and capable of competing for any major trophy. But I think we all know we're not at that point now, and we haven't been for two, three or four years.
"That is the reality when you look at the league table and the points difference between the top two and Chelsea.
"So okay, how do you get there? It is through hard work, it is pain, it is suffering, to move forward, it is to learn, to develop and it drives everything forward. And that is absolutely why we are here."