Chelsea boss Andre Villas-Boas insists the pressure and expectation he faces at Stamford Bridge is nothing new to him.
The Blues touched down in Kuala Lumpur on Monday afternoon for their tour of the Far East, which starts with a match against a Malaysia XI on 21 July.
Villas-Boas, who was recently appointed Chelsea’s new manager, is expected to deliver success both in the Barclays Premier League and the Champions League next season.
Speaking in a press conference, the 33-year-old believes pressure – especially at a club like Chelsea – is part and parcel of a manager’s job.
“The standards at Chelsea are high but expectations are nothing new to me. Anyone who is taking the hot seat at Stamford Bridge is naturally expected to win,” he said.
After their match on Friday, the Blues will travel to Bangkok to play a Thailand XI on 24 July before heading to Hong Kong to participate in the Barclays Asia Trophy which takes place from 27-30 July.
And Villas-Boas is expecting an intense outing for his side.
“It’s going to be a tense 15 days of pre-season preparation. We can do it in Asia, Europe or America but it’s always important to reach out to our fans who are far away from us.”
Meanwhile, midfielder Frank Lampard insists that although the club have been strangely quiet in the summer transfer market, the current squad is strong enough to challenge on all fronts.
“Manchester United, Manchester City and Liverpool have spent fortunes this summer. But we are different as we have strong squad,” the England international added.
“The manger is still evaluating the squad to decide if we need new signings. But irregardless, we have full belief in ourselves and our abilities.?
Chelsea begin their Barclays Premier League campaign away to Stoke City on 13 August.