Battle at the Bridge! Rebels won't be force out
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AVB warns players: Back me or go
ULTIMATUM ... Andre Villas-Boas claims to have the support of owner Roman Abramovich.ANDRE VILLAS-BOAS insists he will boot out his Chelsea troublemakers.
The under-fire Blues boss is clinging on after senior stars questioned him at a stormy team meeting this week.
Even former Chelsea boss Claudio Ranieri now reckons he is a goner.
But AVB said: "If the players want to be part of this club's future, they have to support the project with their performances.
"If some of them don't support me, that's normal.
"Two players have already left and there will be further departures in the future. Contacts will have to be addressed and changes will be made.
"We have to defend the Chelsea badge, because they don't pay us to be a failure and everybody understands the demands to be successful at this club.
"You don't contemplate rewarding people who under-perform in any football team and our objective now is to get the best possible position in the Premier League and continue to fight for two trophies.
"In the situation we are in, we have to demand we do a lot better. We really need some results to put us back on track."
AVB, 34, who faces a crunch FA Cup tie with Birmingham tomorrow, claims to have the support of owner Roman Abramovich.
But Ranieri, now boss of Inter Milan, said last night: "As happened to me when I was not getting results and was sacked, if that is the rule they will also sack him."
AVB insisted: "It's the owner who must back the project. I think he has full trust in me and that he will continue with the ideas we have.
"We had a team meeting because our results haven't been good enough and the responsibility must be shared between players and management.
"The owner was not at that meeting. He can do whatever he wants but, for sure, Roman listens to me ahead of the players. My authority is total because it is Roman's authority."
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which club will want his old, over-rated, non-performing, overpaid and over-priced players? china league?
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In the post mourinho era, it all started with scolari. Tks also to roman that this concept of player power exists.
This will never be the case at some other big clubs.
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Some players got to big when they had direct lines to the owners... This bypass manager concept isn't good for the team / manager relationship.
The players must have no doubt the manager is the main man. If not, they won't respect him in time of difficulties. Having said this, City's owners are quite good that they make it known to the club players that they back the manager whatever happens like in the Tevez case. Otherwise, all the other players or even some may not respect him and gone along with Tevez instead. Like Terry, Lampard, Cole, Cech always sticking together kind... Together they form a powerful circle.
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EXCLUSIVE: Benitez in frame to replace AVB if Chelsea's stock continues to plummet
In the frame: Rafa Benitez could replace Andre Villas-Boas at Chelsea
Former Liverpool manager Rafa Benitez is high on Chelsea’s list of candidates to replace Andre Villas-Boas until the end of the season if Roman Abramovich loses patience with his coach.
Villas-Boas will find himself in a precarious position if things go badly at Napoli in the Champions League.
With his team fifth in the Barclays Premier League and facing a tricky FA Cup replay at Birmingham, Villas-Boas’s debut season at Chelsea continues to go from bad to worse.
Abramovich has also considered Fabio Capello but was told that the former England manager would not be interested in a short-term position.Benitez is believed to be open-minded and would be immediately available, having not worked since leaving Inter Milan at the end of 2010.The Spaniard, 51, has a good track record at big clubs and a good history in the Champions League, the trophy Abramovich covets above all others.
Benitez is also thought to be capable of inspiring £50million misfit striker Fernando Torres, having brought the best out of his fellow Spaniard at Liverpool.
Villas-Boas remains confident that his job is safe, claiming Chelsea have changed their policy which has seen seven different managers in less than nine years under Abramovich.
Up against it: Villas-Boas has struggled in his debut season in the Premier League
Villas-Boas said: ‘Speculation is normal given the cultural past of this club but there’s a different perspective now. There’s a clear indication that there’s a change in the way we approach the projects for the future.
‘We have great belief in what we will do next year. That doesn’t take away any responsibility for what’s happening now. We can do well in the Champions League and the FA Cup. But we had a three-year project to change not only the team, but the culture and structure of the club.’
With Chelsea’s chief executive Ron Gourlay and chairman Bruce Buck in the room, Villas-Boas added: ‘These words would be more valuable coming from the top. I cannot keep saying them, but as the voice of the club, I will continue to perpetuate this message because this is what we believe in.’
Big night: Chelsea face a tough game at Napoli in the Champions League
Chelsea have also been encouraged to think about Valencia’s Unai Emery and Marcelo Bielsa of Athletic Bilbao.
John Terry and Ashley Cole, on their way back from injuries, travelled to Naples and trained in the San Paolo Stadium last night. Terry seemed confident of being fit but Villas-Boas said: ‘John is a major doubt but Ashley has more chance.’
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i bet the next worst thing is for rafa to take over. but then you never know with RA. redknapp is obviously interested in the england job. he will probably leave spurs in the summer. i hope spurs get mourinho. love to see chelsea and RA's reaction to that.
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what if the same thing happens, ie rafa didnt fare as well and roman has to resort replacing him again lol.
why cant roman just give the god damn job to hiddink, who won the fa cup and almost send chelsea into the finals of the CL if not for some dubious refereing.
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Originally posted by Jacky Woo:
what if the same thing happens, ie rafa didnt fare as well and roman has to resort replacing him again lol.
why cant roman just give the god damn job to hiddink, who won the fa cup and almost send chelsea into the finals of the CL if not for some dubious refereing.
i dont understand too. but then hiddink already got himself a job in russia. -
Originally posted by dragg:
i dont understand too. but then hiddink already got himself a job in russia.maybe hiddink realises that working with roman is not worth the effort. I dun think its money cos hiddink is a multi millionaire already.I tink he realises this owner tend to interfere with team affairs, which, any top coach worth his salt, wont enjoy that.
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I am surprised that AVB is still in his job after chelsea's defeat against Napoli. maybe I posted early, but I expect when I log on tommorrow, he wont be in the job no more.
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This must be Rafa's dream job.
Money to spend on all sorts of players.
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Originally posted by charlize:
This must be Rafa's dream job.
Money to spend on all sorts of players.
true, but remember his last stint at Inter? he was in that job for 6 months after his sacking at liverpool. wont roman hire and then need to fire him when his team doesnt fare well -
It would never happen to SAF.Remember why Beckham,Stam,Keane and Van Nistelrooy left?SAF would never lose control of the dressing room.Probably AVB needs more time...But unfortunately,the megabucks owners of football clubs tend to be quite trigger happy and fire the manager when results are not going well.
If you are a manager of eg,RM or Milan,lose a few matches and the fans will be calling for your head.That's what happens in Spain and Italy all the time in the past.In England,the more traditional owners are more tolerant and that's why managers like Arsene Wenger and SAF can last for a long time at their clubs.
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Get out
Rom wants to dump Chelsea rebel Cole
RUTHLESS ... Roman AbramovichASHLEY COLE is heading for the Chelsea exit after openly clashing with boss Andre Villas-Boas.
Owner Roman Abramovich is unhappy with senior stars criticising AVB and is set to stamp out a dressing-room revolt with a summer clear-out.
A club insider said: "When the players question the manager, they are questioning the owner's judgment.
"Andre Villas-Boas was Mr Abramovich's personal choice. In the past, the senior players have sometimes got their way over an unpopular manager.
"But this time Mr Abramovich is fed up with their moaning."
SunSport reported yesterday how Cole, Frank Lampard and Michael Essien were dumped to the bench against Napoli after slamming AVB.
Cole told the boss he would never win trophies with 'your tactics'.
AVB is not safe, either, with doubts over his ability to handle the job.
Cole, 31, and Lamps, 33, are under contract to 2013 but the club will now listen to offers in the summer.
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EXCLUSIVE: Battle at the Bridge! Rebel Frank won't allow AVB to force him out
Left out: Frank Lampard (centre) was benched at Napoli on Tuesday
Chelsea outcast Frank Lampard will resist Andre Villas-Boas' attempts to force him out of the club because of a £1.5million loyalty bonus in his contract.
As the dressing room disharmony deepened, with defender Branislav Ivanovic calling for warring factions to unite behind manager Villas-Boas, Sportsmail can reveal details of Lampard's extravagant bonus.
The 33-year-old negotiated the payment - to be paid at the end of his deal in June 2013 - when he signed a £130,000-a-week contract in 2008.
Lampard was one of three high-profile players axed by Villas-Boas for the Champions League tie against Napoli, which Chelsea lost 3-1.
Ashley Cole and Michael Essien were also dropped in a move widely interpreted as exposing the players Villas-Boas has publicly admitted are 'not with him'.
Club owner Roman Abramovich resisted a quick firing after Tuesday's defeat in Naples but one source said he is 'not a happy man'.
Rafa Benitez has been sounded out as a possible temporary replacement.
Villas-Boas did not dispute reports of a confrontation with Cole before the game in Italy, when the England left back is alleged to have accused the manager of hindering the team with his tactics.
More painful viewing? Andre Villas-Boas was at the Etihad Stadium to watch Manchester City beat his former side Porto on Wednesday night
Lampard also sought an explanation for his omission on Tuesday but Ivanovic issued a plea to his team-mates to put aside their differences with Villas-Boas and pull together to save their season.
'Everybody has to believe still and try to do the right things,' said the Serbian defender. 'This is more about Chelsea. That is more important than the relationship between managers and players.
'The manager who decides who plays is doing his job. We have to do our job. Everyone has to try to make this position better because we have a lot of things wrong. But this is Chelsea. We have to solve these things.
'For me, this is the hardest moment in my four years here. We didn't win a lot of games and the confidence is not in the best way. But it is only by working hard and trying to do things well, keep going and be positive.'
As for the manager, Ivanovic simply added: 'I can say he will stay.'
Lampard has been at Chelsea for over 10 years and is one of the highest paid and most respected players in the dressing room.
Chelsea accepted Lampard's bonus deal in the 2008 contract talks because he argued it would cost the club millions to replace him.
At the time, former Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho wanted to take the midfielder to Inter Milan, but instead Lampard signed the most lucrative deal of his career.
The loyalty bonus was based on Lampard's long service and his existing deal, at the time worth £100,000 a week, was running down.
Lampard will pick up the bonus only if he sees out the five-year deal.
Rallying call: Branislav Ivanovic (right) has said AVB will stay on at Chelsea
Villas-Boas claimed that Lampard's agent Steve Kutner has approached the club about an extension to his client's contract, but the Chelsea manager said he had not made a decision on the midfielder's future.
That surprised Lampard, despite his uneasy relationship with Villas-Boas and the fact that there has been little dialogue between the pair of late.
Villas-Boas originally scheduled training for his players at 11am on Wednesday, but he cancelled the session in what some players interpreted as an attempt to take the sting out of a volatile situation by allowing 24 hours for contemplation.
Instead, the players were given a day off after flying back from Naples through the night.
The manager travelled north to watch Manchester City, who play Chelsea next month.
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he is a dead man walking AVB.
I am still surprised he is still around at Chelsea, expected him to be sacked in January or early February.
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if lampard leaves a lot of smaller teams will want his services.