RAFA BENITEZ admitted he is facing the biggest challenge of his career after the worst start of any Chelsea manager under owner Roman Abramovich.
Benitez has managed just two points and one goal from his first three games in charge since taking over from the axed Roberto Di Matteo 11 days ago.
And he was again subjected to chants of "f*** off Benitez, you're not welcome here" from disgruntled Chelsea fans after the Blues made it seven Premier League games without a win.
That represents the club's worst run since February 1995.
And it left interim boss Benitez struggling to explain away yesterday's embarrassing 3-1 defeat at West Ham.
The Spaniard even confessed he is not 100 per cent sure he will see out his contract, which runs to the end of the season.
He said: "This could be my most difficult challenge because we are a top club in the middle of a period when things are not at their best. We are trying to improve things but it will take some time.
"The kind of players we have need to be in possession because they cannot compete physically with strong opponents like West Ham. The balance needs to be better.
"We could have scored two or three goals in the first half and finished the game off but it was a completely different story after half-time.
"It's not easy for me to explain what happened out there today.
"We didn't start the second half well, they were on top of us and we couldn't manage.
"We lost the challenges for the first and second balls, we didn't use the spaces and we didn't do enough to win.
"West Ham's first goal was controversial and you can say we were unlucky not to be awarded a free-kick for Cole's challenge. But we cannot use that as an excuse for this result.
"We gave the ball away easily, we weren't comfortable in possession and we were never in control in the second half.
"It's difficult to explain how we could be so good in the first 45 minutes and yet couldn't manage after the interval.
"Physically, it's easier to control a game if you are two or three goals up. But we couldn't achieve that and now we need to work and analyse everything in training to improve."
BLUES interim boss admits he has serious work to be getting on with after miserable defeat to West Ham
Juan Mata put Chelsea ahead on 13 minutes. Then Mata and Fernando Torres spurned a host of chances to sew things up before half-time.
Carlton Cole climbed all over Branislav Ivanovic to head West Ham's equaliser.
And late strikes from Mohamed Diame and Modibo Maiga put Hammers fans in dreamland. Even West Ham boss Sam Allardyce admitted: "Chelsea should have finished us off in the first half because they were much better than us.
"But they didn't do that and ended up paying the price. We beat them fair and square."
Only three Chelsea players acknowledged their travelling supporters after the game but Benitez denied that his team are struggling to cope with the poisonous atmosphere being generated by the fans.
He said: "We have to improve on the pitch and then the fans will be happy.
"We have experienced players who have played at this level for a while, so they know they have to manage.
"The reaction at the end was an indication of the disappointment the players have at this result."
Asked whether he was already having second thoughts about becoming Chelsea boss until the end of the season, Benitez insisted: "I'm here because I want to be here.
"It's a top side and we can compete for trophies."
But Sky TV analysts Alan Smith and Jamie Redknapp already fear that Benitez has bitten off more than he can chew with Chelsea.
Former Arsenal striker Smith said: "I've never known a situation like it in England. It's incredible when you see the anti-Benitez banners.
"Roman Abramovich must be doubting his decision."
And ex-Liverpool and Spurs midfielder Redknapp added: "It's been a terrible month for Chelsea.
"In terms of how they handled the Clattenburg situation I had some sympathy for them because they had to do what they did, but it's just been handled so badly.
"Then you get rid of Di Matteo and get Benitez in. It's just been calamity after calamity at the moment."
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