New start not smart
Blues must back - not sack - Villas-Boas, says Ray
Last updated: 23rd February 2012
Villas-Boas: plenty to ponder
"If Chelsea are going to give Andre the opportunity, then let him do it for the three years and see where they go."
Ray Wilkins
Quotes of the week
Chelsea risk going back to square one if they dismiss Andre Villas-Boas, says Ray Wilkins.
The Blues have won just one of their last seven games in all competitions after losing 3-1 in the first leg of their last-16 Champions League clash against Napoli.
Villas-Boas, appointed boss last June, chose to leave Ashley Cole, Michael Essien, Frank Lampard and Fernando Torres out of his starting XI for the game but maintains he picked the best team for the occasion despite the defeat.
But while former Blues assistant coach Wilkins told Sky Sports News that he didn't agree with Villas-Boas' selection, he still believes that Chelsea should stick with the Portuguese manager.
Difficult
"I don't have too many qualms about Andre, to be perfectly honest, but I would have questioned the selection," Wilkins admitted.
"I thought Frank Lampard, Ashley Cole and Michael Essien should have played last night - especially in that type of [intimidating and hostile] environment - and then the result might have been slightly more favourable.
"It's extremely difficult for him. He had a wonderful season at Porto last year, winning everything, not even losing games so as far as that's concerned he's had a fantastic time.
"Obviously Roman Abramovich saw this in him and brought him to Chelsea. Now, if he's given him three years with the plan they have, he's already spent a vast amount of money this year.
"So if they were to get rid of him it only means somebody else coming in. The players that he's bought might not be that guy's cup of tea, so it's back to square one again - we start from fresh.
"If they are going to give Andre the opportunity, then let him do it for the three years and see where they go."
Performances
Last week Porto's president Jorge Nuno Pinto da Costa was quoted as saying that Villas-Boas would struggle to succeed at Chelsea as some of his players are still in text contact with former boss Jose Mourinho.
But Wilkins said it is more important that the Chelsea players get the message that they need to up their game.
"I am in contact with several of the guys and I don't think it is anything outrageous that Jose would be in contact with them because he was first and foremost their coach but I think also a bit of a chum as well, a bit of a friend to these guys and they would be in contact," he said.
"I don't think they would be saying anything derogatory about what is going on at the club. If you look at the individual performances of the players they are not quite up to scratch at the moment and I think that is possibly part of the reason why Chelsea aren't doing as well as they should be."
Discussion
According to The Sun, Cole - angry at not starting against Naples - told Villas-Boas: 'I came here to win medals and trophies, but I'm never going to do that with your tactics'.
But Wilkins dismissed the quote, countering: "How on earth would that paper have got to hear something like that? Knowing Ashley Cole as well as I do, I wouldn't have thought that was an Ashley stance to be perfectly honest. I wouldn't exactly say that Ashley has won nothing since he's been with Chelsea either."
The 55-year-old added that, as far as he's concerned, reports of stand-up rows between Villas-Boas and some senior players should not be taken seriously.
"I wouldn't imagine it would have been an argument, more so a discussion as to what was going on," he said.
"I think it is very, very important from Andre's point of view that when he's dealing with the senior players especially then those discussions have to take place.
"You see how well Sir Alex Ferguson manages the likes of Paul Scholes and Ryan Giggs and Rio Ferdinand. He manages them magnificently well, not only the playing time but also as human beings, and I think if there is going to be conversation and Andre is asking for their opinion then he shouldn't be too shocked when the opinion comes back because they have very powerful and strong personalities, these guys he's dealing with."
Post to your View!
Be the first to post a comment on this story