Didier Drogba concedes it is not 'easy to live' with the current tensions at champions Chelsea.
Speculation has surrounded the future of Jose Mourinho in recent weeks, with the manager purportedly at odds with the club's board.
Earlier this month, Drogba admitted it would be 'extremely painful' if Mourinho left Stamford Bridge at the end of the season.
Though some of the gloom was lifted by reaching the Carling Cup final in midweek, the Ivory Coast ace acknowledged the difficulty of the present situation.
"There are tensions, we cannot prevent them," Drogba told the Daily Express. "That's football, it is not easy to live with.
"But the players are sticking together. That is the most important thing.
"Are we in crisis? In the league we are six points behind Manchester United and still on course for the title.
"We've qualified for the last 16 of the Champions League and for the final of the League Cup, and we are still on course for the FA Cup. Clearly it's a very difficult period."
Drogba also reiterated his support for Mourinho and thanked the Portuguese for helping him to be a success at Chelsea.
He added to the Daily Mirror: "How could I not be behind someone who always supported me, who has helped me win trophies and put Chelsea at the top of English football?
"There were good players at Chelsea before his arrival, but he brought a culture of winning."