Enzo Maresca has urged dissenting fans to resist the urge to protest against Chelsea's ownership and said victory in all seven home games will be enough to secure Champions League qualification.
Chelsea travel to Aston Villa on Saturday aiming to improve on a run of just three wins from 12 games across all competitions which has seen Chelsea fall off the pace in the title race and drop to sixth place in the table. A group of supporters are planning to protest against the club's owners Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital before next Tuesday's game against Southampton at Stamford Bridge, although it is unclear how significant the movement will be.
Speaking at a news conference on Friday, Maresca called on fans to remain united and set a target of maximum points in their matches at Stamford Bridge to secure a top four finish.
"The only thing I can say is that every time the fans have been behind us, we really appreciate because we are sure that with the fans behind we can achieve soon our target," he said. "We have, I think, 13 games to go until the end [of the season], seven of them at home and I think winning the seven at home can be enough to finish top four so it is a motivation for them, it is a motivation for us and it is something that after the game inside the changing room we mention many times that when you can hear the fans pushing in behind, it is a nice feeling.
"The last two Premier League games at home against Wolves and West Ham, both we won and especially the West Ham one we were 1-0 down but with them in behind we were able to win the game so we appreciate the fans in behind us and we ask them to be with us until the end because for sure we are going to finish happy all of us."
Maresca received a public show of support from the Chelsea hierarchy this week after director Jonathan Goldstein insisted the Italian would "100 per cent" remain in charge for the rest of the season.
The Blues produced arguably their worst performance of the season when losing 3-0 at Brighton last Friday but Goldstein told Bloomberg TV that Maresca "is doing a great job."
Asked for his response to those comments, Maresca said: "It is nice. I really appreciate to be honest the relations with the club when we start in a better moment in terms of results and in a worse moment in terms of results as now. They always support me: the sporting director, the owner, all the club to be honest.
"I've been always clear since day one. I'm not here -- and I said already this a few times -- I'm not here to survive. I'm here to win games. I'm here to bring this club to fight for titles and I said this already many times.
"The problem is that when you win games you look humble and when you don't win games you look like you lack ambition. Since day one I joined this club, my intention is to win games, to win titles and bring this club where this club deserves to be. I said this since day one and if you review all my press conferences, I always repeat the same.
"I am ambitious. The club is ambitious. We have the same manager, same players, same sporting directors, same owners as two months ago when we were second in the league. So nothing changed. The only thing that changed is unfortunately we are dealing with many injuries and this affects a little bit the level of the team."
Noni Madueke will be sidelined until after the international break with a hamstring injury, joining Nicolas Jackson, Romeo Lavia, Wesley Fofana, Mykhailo Mudryk and Marc Guiu among those on the sidelines.