Crisis? what crisis? Claudio Ranieri is renowned as a cool customer - and indeed many Chelsea supporters complain that their head coach should show more passion - but his response to the recent turmoil at the club, both on and off the pitch, was calm and defiant.
Even by his eccentric standards, Ranieri's reply to a question about the significance of today's match away to Liverpool was unusual in the circumstances. 'The result is not important,' he said, a statement hardly designed to pour oil on the troubled waters flowing through Stamford Bridge.
'What is more important to me is the reaction, the performance, the fighting spirit. I believe in this group of players, but some people have their doubts about us and we must prove them wrong. Everybody wants a good reaction against Liverpool, the players most of all.'
Two results in particular have brought the situation to a head. Last week's home defeat by bottom-of-the-table West Ham United suggested that Ranieri has not rid his team of their Jekyll-and-Hyde character, capable of beating the big guns one week only to lose to also-rans the next.
Those suspicions that Chelsea were reverting to type were confirmed by their Uefa Cup first-round exit on Thursday evening at the hands of Viking Stavanger, a decent team from Norway, but hardly European giants.
Yesterday's newspapers carried the predictable backlash, aimed at Ranieri, his players and chairman Ken Bates. It also prompted Ranieri to have a heart-to-heart with his players and issue a request for them to stand up and be counted at training yesterday. 'The psychological aspect of training was more important than just the training. We are not in a good mental condition because we are out of Europe,' Ranieri said.
'But I have spoken to the players and they know I believe in them. Now is the time to show a strong mentality and we have to work harder. When things go your way, it is easy, but I think the measure of a man is how he reacts to adversity. Everyone can fall, but I like the man who picks himself up.
'Liverpool is a big challenge - they are a fantastic team and we are ready for them. The bigger the challenge, the better I like it - I am a fighter.'
Ranieri is aware of the pressure on him, both from the fans and the boardroom, after losing out on a potentially lucrative European run. 'I am coach, so my first concern is what happens on the field,' he said.
'But I can see around me that the club misses out on a lot of money. I like to look on the positive side and I think fewer matches in Europe can be good for us in the Premier League. But I am sad that we are out of Europe.
'I don't think the problems are as great as people say. One week ago it was "Fantastic Chelsea" and now it has all changed. But that is the challenge for us, to show our character now.'
Ranieri is set to make changes and is likely to drop John Terry, Emmanuel Petit and Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink in favour of Marcel Desailly, Jody Morris and Eidur Gudjohnsen.
· In other matches today, Arsenal are hoping that Thierry Henry will have recovered from a hamstring strain to face Sunderland , for whom 19-year-old David Bellion will continue in attack.
Fulham must face Charlton Athletic at Loftus Road without Steve Finnan, Alain Goma and Louis Saha, while the visiting team wait on the fitness of Robbie Mustoe.
