We're hurting after Cup exit but Chelsea are not in crisis, insists Grant

Chelsea face rock-bottom Derby tomorrow at Stamford Bridge and Grant wants his side to show the same fighting spirit that saw them recover from their Carling Cup final defeat by Tottenham.

The loss to Spurs at Wembley was followed by victories over West Ham in the top flight and Olympiacos in the Champions League and Grant wants his team to demonstrate the same character and spirit against Derby.

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The 52-year-old coach admits the players have been left hurt and disappointed by their shock exit from the FA Cup but he insists there is no panic within the club.

"I know that at Chelsea, like a lot of big clubs, every loss is a crisis but it's not like that," said Grant.

"We're a big club. We know how to behave inside after winning and after losing games.

"We are very disappointed to have lost on Saturday, even if we're in good company with the other clubs in the Premier League who have gone out. We wanted to win that game.

"I'm not under any more pressure than I was before, and I'm not under any less. Any loss at Chelsea is like a World War.

"But you can look at it from a negative side or from a positive one. I've spoken with the players. They're very disappointed. I told them I took the responsibility. They said they took the responsibility also.

"After losing in the Carling Cup we won two games, one with a great performance with 10 players. Then Barnsley. We've analysed it, and we want to be as consistent as we were before.

"We were the only team of the four big teams to reach the final of the Carling Cup. Now we're in the same company with the other big clubs in not reaching the semi-finals of the FA Cup.

"That happens. We can only look at the championship and the Champions League. We're very proud with what we've achieved so far.

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"The players were very hurt. They're very proud, and it was embarrassing losing a game like that.

"But it doesn't happen very much for us. We've won 80% of the league and Champions League games. In the cup, you can't fix it if things don't go for you. You're out.

"I want to win a trophy this season. I wanted it before. The pressure to win trophies is better than the pressure at the bottom of the league. I don't want that. This is a good life.

"We need to be more consistent but, sometimes, when you change to a different style of football there are problems in the way. I never enjoy losing, but I still enjoy this."

The club's billionaire owner Roman Abramovich was alleged to have been 'incensed' by their defeat at Barnsley and Grant admits the Russian was just as disappointed with the result as everyone else.

Grant added: "He was disappointed for the game, like all of us. No more than this.

"A big club doesn't change targets because it lost matches or won nine games in a row. We share the same vision. I came here to take this team forward and that's what I'm going to do.

"If we win the two games in hand in the league, we are close to Manchester United and Arsenal.

"Roman is a very strong guy. He does not change his mind if he loses a game or if we win a game. He thinks about the vision of the club and how we handle this.

"We are a big club and we don't change our way because we have one bad week or two bad weeks. The players told me after the Carling Cup that it was also their responsibility that they didn't win the game. I told them we have to come out fighting like we did after the Carling Cup. They agree with me.

"We are a team, we win as a team and lose as a team. We want to fight for the titles. That's why we're here."

Grant will have both Frank Lampard and Didier Drogba back against Derby but remains without goalkeeper Petr Cech for a further fortnight.

Victory against Derby will ease some of the pressure on Grant and put them right back in the hunt for the title but the Israeli is under no illusions about the task facing him or his adversaries.

"It'll be tough for everybody," he said. "It'll be tough and very interesting until the end of the season. I just want us to continue to do the job we've been doing in the league.

"We're always closing the gap and winning games. I came for this job to take the team forward. The minute I believe I can't take the team forward, or someone else tells me that, I'll accept it.

"We're moving forward. We're disappointed with what happened on Saturday, but that didn't change the vision of the club."