CHELSEA NEWS

Ramires adapting to Chelsea pressure

By ESPNsoccernet staff

October 27, 2010

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Ramires says he is still having to adjust to life in the spotlight at Chelsea but feels he is settling well into the Premier League.

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Ramires says his Chelsea team-mates have helped him settle in

Ramires, who left Benfica this summer, had faced criticism for some of his early performances with the Blues, such as in the 1-0 defeat to Manchester City, and he says he is not used to such widespread scrutiny.
"At Cruzeiro and Benfica, there was also huge pressure to get good results," he said. "The difference at Chelsea is that the level of visibility is so much greater. That means you're singled out more when you play badly and there's more hype when you play well."
He added: "I'd never played in a country with a different language before, which makes things a bit trickier, but I'm taking English classes and hope to get a handle on it soon.
"There are times when I'll have an off day or not perform as well as expected, just like any other player, but that won't have anything to do with how I've adapted or not.
"The players here at Chelsea couldn't have welcomed me any better and the club provide me with everything I could need."
Ramires now appears to have settled in at Stamford Bridge and feels the way he plays is well-suited to the English game.
"As well as being a player who tries to start moves when I have the ball, I've always liked a tackle, so that's why I'm not finding it very hard to adapt," he said. "I'm already getting used to the speed of the game over here.
"All I need to do now is to keep working hard to earn my spot in the side and help the team stay as successful as they've been in recent years."
An injury to Frank Lampard two months ago gave Ramires his chance at Chelsea.
"Since then, I've played a few times as a box-to-box midfielder, which is my original position and the same one where Mano Menezes has been using me for the national team but, to be honest, it's not hard for me to play anywhere in midfield," he said.
"I'll play whichever way Ancelotti thinks works best for the team at any given time."