Benitez coy over Chelsea future

However, Benitez insists it is just a "matter of time" before the fans are convinced and says he does not pay much attention to the discontent from the stands.

"When I accepted Chelsea's offer I did so because I believe that it's a good alternative," the 52-year-old told Spanish radio station Onda Cero.

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"I study the market in order to know what options there are and when they will become available.

"My future? I know things, but I am not going to say anything about Real Madrid, because I believe that I should not. We are talking about two very high-level teams

"I have a challenge that is trying to win and do good things, it's a matter of time in convincing many people. If we are successful it will be easier to convince them. I'm very calm.

"Sometimes I don't understand the songs against me. I am concentrating on the game and I don't know what happens in the stands, but I have never said that I would never manage a team like Chelsea.

"I would like to manage the national team [Spain], especially now that they are doing so well. As a coach I like the day to day [work]."

The ex-Valencia and Inter manager failed to pick up a first piece of silverware in only his eighth match at the helm of the Blues when they were beaten 1-0 by Corinthians in the Club World Cup and says the Brazilians were well prepared.

"It was the third final that I was in and I wanted to give it a lot of [focus]," he continued.

"It makes me laugh when the specialists in Spain collect videos and talk about English games and think they know the half of it. Corinthians spent 15 days there training just for the competition."

The Chelsea boss also had words of praise for Fernando Torres who has rediscovered his scoring touch under Benitez.

"Fernando worked and is working very hard," he said. "He can still improve and he knows it. We are making small changes to the team and the motivation. His principle objective has to be attacking and to be as close to the area as possible."

He then sent his wishes to Tito Vilanova, who has suffered a relapse of a tumour, adding: "Health is what appreciated and valued, it is sad news. In this case I know him and it is even sadder still. He has a strong character and he is a fighter, and that is the key."

Liverpool to turn to Gameiro - report

Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers is considering a move for Paris Saint-Germain forward Kevin Gameiro after a deal to sign Daniel Sturridge hit trouble.

PA PhotosKevin Gameiro is slipping down the pecking order in Paris

A £12 million deal for Sturridge has been agreed with Chelsea, but Liverpool are having problems agreeing personal terms due to the demands of the striker’s agent.
Rodgers is still hopeful that the problems will be ironed out by the time the transfer window opens on January 1. But he is determined not to be caught out again after a failure to sign either Sturridge or Clint Dempsey in August forced him to negotiate the first half of the season desperately short of senior forwards.
Rodgers allowed Andy Carroll to join West Ham on a season’s loan on the understanding that he would be able to bring in Sturridge from Chelsea or Dempsey from Fulham.
Neither move materialised, with Dempsey instead joining Tottenham, and Liverpool were left with only Luis Suarez and Fabio Borini as senior attackers.
Borini picked up a foot injury in October and has not played since, while Rodgers has had to use midfielder Jonjo Shelvey as a stand-in when Suarez has been unavailable.
France international Gameiro, 25, is available after seeing his chances at Paris Saint-Germain limited by the summer arrival of Sweden forward Zlatan Ibrahimovic.
Liverpool are keen to do a deal with Sturridge, but are also determined to get value for money out of the deal.
The club have spent more than £30 million in agent fees over the last four years, and owners Fenway Sports Group want to reduce that amount.

The worst Ligue 1 Team of the Season so far

The first-half of the Ligue 1 season is nearly over, and it is time to take stock. After picking our best team of the campaign to date, we now concentrate on our flops; a team composed of players who have been the most disappointing on the field.

In goal, the position is claimed by Mickael Landreau. He has performed at a lesser level than in the past and it was clear he did not give the team the protection of previous years. It was a decline that, combined with a conflict with the club hierarchy, ended with him being released by Lille.

Montpellier defender Daniel Congre fits into the centre of the defence. Signed from Toulouse last summer, a lack of confidence and a lack of understanding with his team-mates has irritated head coach Rene Girard.

By his side is Nancy’s Sebastien Puygrenier. Already unsuccessful in previous years with Monaco, the former Zenit St Petersburg man has produced a number of erratic performances. Gregory van der Wiel occupies the right-back slot. He arrived in Paris at the end of the transfer window and was supposed to solidify the right side of the defence, but the option of Christophe Jallet has offered more security. On the opposite flank, we find Jeremy Morel. Although he has often started, the defender has offered few guarantees and is frustratingly inconsistent.

Yann M’Vila's appearance in midfield is a saddening inclusion. Once regarded as one of French football's biggest hopes, the Stade Rennais man now finds himself in the abyss. Aside from his problems off the field, such as his nocturnal excursion while with the France Under-21 side, the defensive midfielder has regressed incredibly. Along the same lines, we can equally cite another international, this time Marvin Martin, who has failed to find the same level with Lille as he did with Sochaux. At PSG, Momo Sissoko has also had great difficulty and has fallen out of Carlo Ancelotti’s plans.

In the forward roles, Adrian Mutu is a high-profile inclusion. He arrived at Ajaccio as a star, but he has not yet justified that status. Hampered by the weight of age and by the physical play of Ligue 1, he is a shadow of the player who starred in Serie A for several years. The case of Marseille’s Loic Remy is almost as concerning. Injured at the end of last season, he has found it difficult to rediscover his best form, and that is reflected in the number of goals he has scored this season. Finally, to complete this XI, we have Salomon Kalou. Like Mutu, he has not found it easy in France and after starting the season in the starting XI, he finds himself in and out of the Lille team.

LANDREAU

LILLE

Matches: 15 Clean sheets: 4

VAN DER WIEL	PUYGRENIER	CONGRE	MOREL
PARIS SG	NANCY	MONTPELLIER	MARSEILLE
Matches: 9 Clean sheets: 5	Matches: 17 Clean sheets: 1	Matches: 16 Clean sheets: 3	Matches: 18 Clean sheets: 8

M'VILA	SISSOKO	MARTIN
RENNES	PARIS SG	LILLE
Matches: 13 Goals: 0	Matches: 3 Goals: 0	Matches: 14 Goals: 0

KALOU	MUTU	REMY
LILLE	AJACCIO	MARSEILLE
Matches: 12 Goals: 2	Matches: 12 Goals: 3	Matches: 14 Goals: 1