Middlesbrough 0 Chelsea 2: Rafa Benitez rages at fans and club hierarchy as Ramires and Victor Moses seal Cup win

Once again the soundtrack of the game was a series of chants in which the visiting supporters made their feelings about the former Liverpool boss clear.

The Spaniard responed in kind following the final whistle. "I have been in charge in football for 26 years," he railed. "I've won nine trophies in three different countries — all you can win at club level. The fans that are signing and wasting time."

Benitez, whose side play Manchester United in the next round, also lashed out at his employers for undermining him and confirmed his exit come the summer.

"They gave me the title of interim manager and I will leave at the club at the end of the season, the fans don't have to worry about that," he added.

"They are wasting time. What they have to do is support their team."

In a tirade reminiscent of his "list of facts" rant while he was at Liverpool, he went on: "The fans have to take responsibility, too, but they put players under pressure. I am the manager and I want to manage players and not names.

"They are wasting time. I have proved in the last three months that I want to win every game."

The Chelsea boss also seemed to take a swipe at the club's hierarchy.

He said: "The title of interim manager was a surprise to me. Someone decided that, I don't know who, but it was a mistake. I am the manager."

It was easy to forget that there had actually been a match before Benitez spoke. The 2-0 scoreline was harsh on Middlesbrough in a game which saw a distinct lack of quality from either side.

For long periods it was hard to tell which team were the Premier League outfit, let alone European champions but in the end the visitors' class shone through.

Six minutes after the break Chelsea landed their first blow. Oscar found Yossi Benayoun on the edge of the Boro area. The Israeli, making only his fourth start in three years for Chelsea, laid it back to Ramires, who curled a shot past Jason Steel into the top right-hand corner.

As the Brazilian was mobbed by his team-mates Fernando Torres made it clear the ball had taken a deflection off his head, yet while it had done just that, no-one really seemed to care.

On 73 minutes the game was lit up by a gem of a goal. Oscar ran straight through the Boro defence and played the ball to Eden Hazard who neatly touched it on to Victor Moses for a tap-in.

Boro refused to go down quietly and both Nicky Bailey and Ishmael Miller went close in the final five minutes. However, the game was already beyond them. It is clear where the club's focus lies now.

"We have to get back to winning football matches," said Tony Mowbray. "Our only ambition is to get out of this league. We've got a 12-game season to get out of this league."