Chelsea legend Frank Lampard admits he is shocked at his former club’s current plight but believes they will soon be a force again.
The Premier League champions are currently 14th in the table and just four points above the relegation places.
New York City FC midfielder Lampard was released by Blues in May 2014 after 13 trophy-laden years in west London and spent last season on loan at Premier League runners-up Manchester City.
"I was really fortunate to part of a really good era," said Chelsea's all-time leading goalscorer on ESPN.
"A bad season was like second, third, or fourth at the most, so I think it's shocking. Now, I think the club will come back.
"They're a huge club, and there has obviously been issues there. You see that when they fire the manager who won the league six months before. I know a lot of people at the club. They will come back."
The Blues are currently trying to salvage their season under interim-coach Guus Hiddink after Jose Mourinho was sacked in December.
"I think it was a difficult call. It's not easy to say whether it was the right or wrong solution until you look back and how it goes in the future, the next two or three years," added Lampard.
"Nobody was happy at Chelsea. The players wouldn't have been happy with [the club's] position. Jose Mourinho himself wouldn't have been.
"Sometimes that means a change. Chelsea are very used to change, but what they've always had is results, so I'd like to see them get back to the top half of the table very soon."