Chelsea managing director Colin Hutchinson today offered coach Claudio Ranieri his backing as he rejected a report that the Italian had offered his resignation.
Ranieri was said to have been talked out of stepping down following Chelsea's goalless draw against Blackburn last weekend, which was met with boos from the frustrated Stamford Bridge crowd.
Pressure is certainly growing on Ranieri to transform Chelsea's inconsistent fortunes, with the club hardly having the best record at showing patience with managers.
However, Hutchinson, who appointed Ranieri last season, insisted that he spent 30 minutes with the Italian after the match against Blackburn and that resignation was never an issue.
He stressed that Ranieri's focus is firmly trained on tonight's Worthington Cup tie at Leeds and Saturday's FA Barclaycard Premiership game at Manchester United.
Hutchinson declared: "I saw Claudio after last Saturday's game and he was obviously disappointed with the result.
"But nothing can be done about it now and we are all looking forward to the two games this week.
"When I saw him, he was already looking at the highlights on television, analysing the match.
"At no stage did he offer his resignation. There is no reason for him to offer his resignation and we have certainly not asked for it."
PA