I HOPE some players use this international break to do a spot of soul searching because some of them are letting down their club, their manager and the fans.

It’s time we stopped making excuses. Yes, Stuart Holden’s injury was a blow but there’s no use us keep harping on about it.

We’ve banged on about the fixture list being tough, but it’s not going to get us any points.

We are in danger of sitting and feeling sorry for ourselves and that would be a very dangerous thing to do.

I watched Owen get interviewed after the game and he got it spot on. People work hard all week and make sacrifices to go and watch their team, so they expect the same from the players.

If they get that, then you can accept defeat. You don’t like it, but you can accept it.

But the more performances we see like the one in the in the first half against Chelsea, the deeper a hole we are digging for ourselves.

It has put massive pressure on the Wigan game now and it’s time for someone to pull something out the bag.

Owen deserves a bit of payback because he has stood by certain players and got nothing in return. Loyalty is fantastic and it helps make for a great dressing room, but it will run out unless everyone ups their effort a little bit more.

There are weaknesses in this team and they are being exploited on a regular basis. In many ways, they have been since the semi-final against Stoke.

Ultimately, it has led to pressure on the manager.

Owen faces a battle but he’s never backed down from one in his whole life. He’s a fighter but more importantly he’s a winner, and he’ll come through this, no question.

He is going through a difficult time but strangely enough, I think it will benefit him in the long run. He’s a young manager and still learning the game and in years to come the experience will serve him and the club well.

Nobody enjoys having questions fired at you about your job, or asking if you should be here. But it’s an inevitable consequence of the run we’re on at the moment, and he won’t be reading anything into it.

Anyway, you’ve got to ask who is writing the stories. If it’s the national papers - they are just scrapping round for a story because it’s October and there’s no transfers to write about.

If it’s the local lads, that’s a different matter, but I think everyone who is really connected with this club knows it’ll turn around soon.

Go back 12 months and people were talking about Owen as the next manager of Liverpool or Arsenal and now some are saying he shouldn’t be here. I mean, come on.

That doesn’t mean the current run is acceptable, and as I said, we haven’t picked the reins up since that day at Wembley in April.

We’ve had one or two results but not really got into any sort of form, and it’s time a few players sat up and realised that they are just not producing the goods.

There are quite a few who are playing for contracts and that should be an incentive to pull their finger out.

IVAN Klasnic went away a naughty boy after getting sent off against Norwich, but he could come back a hero.

We’ve got to try anything at the moment, and whether you like him or not, he’s a natural goalscorer who’s probably the best finisher in the entire team.

Only the gaffer will know whether he’s ready or not to get thrown straight in, but having him back as an option has got to be considered a big plus for us at the moment.

Sure, you’d like to see Ivan do more for the team, but right now we need something magic from someone, and he’s capable of producing it against Wigan.

ADAM Bogdan’s errors against Chelsea certainly take a bit of the heat off Jussi Jaaskelainen after people called into question if he was our number one keeper.

It’s a shame for the lad because I genuinely think he’s got a big future ahead of him, but he had a nightmare, no question.

He’s got to knuckle down now, take the medicine, and work hard in training because his chance could come again at any time.

His confidence might have taken a knock but the international break has come at a good time. He’ll go away, get it out of his system, and hopefully come back stronger.

I LIKE what I have seen from David Ngog in the last couple of weeks but can’t help but feel sorry for him.

There have been some encouraging flashes of what he could do against Aston Villa, Arsenal and Chelsea but the lad has been give precious little support.

He’s been left out in limbo to do things on his own because the midfield behind him just hasn’t had the right shape about it.

Maybe Owen will go back to 4-4-2 against Wigan and put someone up there with him. I think it depends where Owen thinks their weaknesses lie.

FINALLY, I’d like to wish Gary Cahill good luck on England duty this week.

It’s great to see him picked ahead of Rio Ferdinand and Joleon Lescott and I hope the international break will see him come back refreshed, and most importantly, healthy.