Maurizio Sarri insisted he was “worried about the result, not about the fans” after being barracked by the home crowd during Chelsea’s FA Cup defeat against Manchester United.
The Blues were beaten 2-0 at Stamford Bridge, where many supporters turned on under-pressure head coach Sarri.
“There were chants of “f*** ‘Sarri-ball’” – a reference to the Italian’s well documented style of play, which is clearly not working at present.
And there was anger too at Sarri’s late introduction of Davide Zappacosta rather than Callum Hudson-Odoi, who remained on the bench after again being overlooked.
But Sarri said he was unfazed by the reaction of the fans and added: “Of course I can understand the situation. I understand our fans, because the result wasn’t really good.
“We are out of the FA Cup, so I can understand very well our fans. But I am worried at the moment about our results.”
Sarri faces two more crucial games, with the Carabao Cup final against Manchester City next up before a pivotal league showdown with rivals Tottenham.
Sarri said his team were “unlucky” against United but admitted that Chelsea’s players are still struggling to adapt to the style of play he has insisted upon.
“We need to move the ball faster – mentally and materially,” he said.
“When the situation is like the second half you must move the ball faster and you need more movement without the ball, otherwise it is impossible to score.”
Asked if he believes he will be given time by the Chelsea hierarchy to improve results, Sarri said: “It is not my problem. My problem is to start again tomorrow morning and to work to try to improve my players.
“We must find more determination and more aggression.”
Sarri also insisted his relationship with his players is “good” despite recent results.
This post was last modified on 19/02/2019