Chelsea defender Branislav Ivanovic believes that the players are "guilty" for the Blues' recent poor record this season.

The former Premier League champions dismissed manager Andre Villas-Boas on Sunday after just one win in their last six domestic fixtures.

Spanish striker Fernando Torres has taken the brunt of criticism for his lacklustre form since moving to Stamford Bridge a year ago. However, Ivanovic thinks that the whole team have been at fault.

"Football is a team sport and this season all of us at Chelsea have been very bad," Ivanovic told Sportske. "We are all guilty because we have all performed below our level. We are all to blame, not just one player.

"Torres is always in the front row for critics. He plays in attack and should be scoring goals, everybody knows that, but we have played many games without him and lost anyway.

"It is not fair to make him a scapegoat. I believe it is only a matter of time before he will explode again. He needs to break down the psychological barrier."

The Blues compete in an FA Cup fifth-round replay against Birmingham City this evening.