Rafa Benitez is confident that Chelsea owner, Roman Abramovich, is happy with progress the Spaniard is making at Stamford Bridge.
Champions League winner Benitez endured a testing start after taking the reins at Chelsea from Roberto Di Matteo.
And in spite of the continuing abuse he receives from the club’s fans, Benitez is slowly instilling the stability from which the Blues will begin evolve again.
There have been some blips along the way, but Chelsea’s last result was an edifying 2-1 London derby win over Arsenal.
After that game, Benitez had a meeting with Abramovich, and says he emerged in good spirits.
"Without giving too many details, he [Abramovich] was really pleased with the game [against Arsenal]," Benitez said.
"He has ideas. I do too. We share ideas. It's fine. We explained to each other what we're trying to do. We had people who talked with him [while Abramovich was on holiday in the Caribbean] and I have the information. But the other day I had time with him and I was really pleased.”
Benitez insists that despite a few recent defeats, Chelsea are clearly a team in the process of turning a corner.
"The stats say we're scoring more goals, conceding fewer, and in the games we've lost the team have still done well,” he said.
“The side were in a transitional period when we came in, with some new players needing to settle down and others coming to the end of their contracts, but it's a team that's improving. Growing. As a manager, you have to be satisfied with this.”
Chelsea take on Swansea in the second leg of their Capital One Cup semi-final on Wednesday night. And the match gives them the chance to move a step closer to the achievement of one of their goals for the season.
"We have to do better to win trophies, but the priority for the club is to be in the top four in May and try and win trophies at the same time. Could we do it a bit better? Yes. Could we have won the games we lost? Yes, we had the chances. But the team is growing, progressing, and if you talk with the players they say we're going in the right direction," said Benitez.
