New Chelsea manager Rafa Benitez insisted he was not too worried about the abuse meted out towards him by the club's fans during their 0-0 draw with Manchester City in the English Premier League Sunday.
The Chelsea faithful made their feelings clear on both Roberto Di Matteo's dismissal, as well as the appointment of their new manager Benitez, who had a fractious relationship with the Blues during his time with Liverpool.
Benitez, however, said he was convinced the fans would warm up to him given some time. "I was just concentrating on the game, the performance of the players on the pitch and what I could do," he said. "I can understand it because of the rivalry in the past but I am sure the majority of the fans they understand I am a professional, I want to do my best for the club and I want to win.
"The fans are with the team and hopefully they will be with me in the next games because I will do a professional job and try to win.
"The main thing is the players are focused on the games and because I have confidence that we will do well and win games, I think some of the fans will realise it is not the way to support your team. If I do my job properly and we are winning, I am sure they will be there.
"How do I change the perception? By working hard, doing my best and winning games."
If Benitez is trying to woo the Chelsea fans with impressive performances, he would not want to point to Sunday's game too many times, as the Blues looked inept up front, even if they might have kept a clean sheet after a long time.
"The team was working very hard, all of them together, and we didn't make too many mistakes in situations in the past when they maybe lost a little concentration," Benitez added.
"We had some problems with Man City counter-attacks but the second half was much better. The defenders were solid and the full-backs were attacking but we didn't link with the players in the second (midfield) line as much as I was expecting.
"That is something we have to improve and then we will create chances because they have the quality.
"The team had lost a little confidence but they have a clean sheet after so many games and we have some positives. We are not 100 percent satisfied because we want to win but there are not many better teams than Man City in the Premier League."
Benitez has mainly been brought in until the end of the season, to bring the best out of Fernando Torres; however, the first game did not bring about much hope that there might be light at the end of the tunnel, when it comes to resurrecting the Spaniard's career at Stamford Bridge.
"Fernando was trying very hard, he had a good chance but the team has to help Fernando, all of us have to help Fernando because if we create more chances he will score goals," Benitez said. "You cannot expect a striker scoring all on his own and we have to create more and better chances for Fernando and all the offensive players.
"I am not trying to build a team around Fernando, I am trying to build a team around a striker, a second striker and the wingers, and Fernando is the striker at the moment so we create for him. If it is Daniel Sturridge or Victor Moses, we will do it for them.
"I am not happy if we have just one shot on-target but the main thing is you have more chances and then you are close."
