RAFA BENITEZ says every proper Chelsea fan wants him to succeed.
And he denies the poisonous atmosphere at Stamford Bridge is getting to his
players.
The interim Blues boss has become the target for vicious abuse from protesting
fans during recent home defeats by QPR and Swansea.
And Benitez is already steeling himself for more of the same during tonight’s
Premier League clash with Southampton.
Yet the Spaniard will not let his judgment be clouded by criticism and refutes
suggestions fans are willing him to fail.
He said: “Every proper fan wants their team to win. Some of them will show
more or less passion but everyone wants us to beat Southampton.
“My priority is not to think about me but about the team winning.
“But yesterday I came back to London from seeing my family and a few Chelsea
fans on the train told me they were pleased with how I was working.
“They see I’m a professional and appreciate what I want to do.
“I’ve contact with some fans but I don’t have the time to be talking with
everyone because we’ve a game every three days and my job is to prepare the
team. It’s my job to manage the side, analyse everything, talk with the
players and staff and then make decisions.
“Even when I explain some of my reasons for selecting certain players, people
still criticise me.
“So the way to go forward is to concentrate on the positives.
“When I arrived the team was conceding goals in every game. Now we’re letting
in only half as many and scoring more than anyone.”
Yet even Benitez could not paper over the fact that while his team have won
their last six domestic away games in a deluge of goals, they have failed to
score in four of their last five at home.
But he insists it is less down to nerves and more due to negative visiting
teams.
He said: “The main thing is the attitude of the other teams. In our last two
home games against QPR and Swansea they were very deep with 11 men behind
the ball.
“We created chances to win but weren’t clinical.”
Striker
LUCAS PIAZON has been loaned to Malaga until the end of the
season.
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