Premier League - Vialli: Chelsea don't need Jose
Reports linking Jose Mourinho with a return to Chelsea in the summer may be firmly gathering momentum, but former Blues manager Gianluca Vialli believes the club should stand by current incumbent Andre Villas-Boas and allow him to complete his "work in progress".
It is widely expected that this season will be Mourinho's last at Real Madrid, with the Portuguese having tired of internal politics at the Bernabeu and now seeking a return to the more liberated working environment that England provides for a manager of his intensity and attention to detail.
It was suggested in Friday's edition of The Sun that his first choice will be Chelsea, the club he departed in September 2007 after a rupture in his relationship with owner Roman Abramovich, ending a fruitful partnership that had delivered back-to-back titles, one FA Cup and two League Cups in little over three years at Stamford Bridge.
His former assistant Villas-Boas is now in situ of course, having been lured from Porto in the summer when his 15 million euro release clause was activated, but it has been a difficult season for the new manager, with Chelsea falling 12 points behind the league leaders amid concerns about their defensive qualities and their potency in attack.
Though Mourinho will likely have his pick of clubs should he indeed walk out on Madrid, Vialli, who himself won three major trophies at Stamford Bridge, believes the club must give Villas-Boas the time to carve out his own legacy with the club.
"Will Chelsea back Villas-Boas? I hope so," Vialli told Yahoo!-Eurosport. "It is essential that you have the backing of the club, the directors, the players, the fans and possibly the press as well. Things can change very quickly. If Chelsea beat Manchester United [on Sunday] for example, and qualify for the final of the Champions League, things can change. I know that and Villas-Boas knows that as well. It is in their hands to change the season.
"I don't really believe that is the case [that Mourinho wants to quit]. Mourinho is happy at Real Madrid: I think he wants to win the league and then the Champions League, and then he will probably think about his next move, but I don't see him leaving Real Madrid right at the end of this season.
"I think [Mourinho and Abramovich] had some differences but I think that now they are on very good terms and I don't think they would have a problem working together in the future. But having said that, I think Abramovich right now shows that Villas-Boas is the right guy to be in charge of the club and carry on this work in progress."
In his weekly press conference on Friday, Villas-Boas was pressed on the Mourinho speculation and admitted that all elite managers are "under pressure" given his former boss's likely availability in the summer, but stressed that "at the moment, there is not a vacancy at this club."
The prospect of the Special One's return to the Premier League is likely to loom over Villas-Boas until such rumours are dismissed - with Mourinho remaining curiously silent on the matter so far. However, Vialli does not expect Chelsea's current coach to be distracted by speculation regarding his job.
He added: "In Italy we say there are three categories of managers: the ones who have been sacked, the ones who are about to get sacked, and then you have Sir Alex Ferguson.
"Therefore I think that if you want to manage a club like Chelsea or any big club you know that these kinds of rumours are going to fly around, especially if the team is not performing. You can't be successful as a top manager if you can't live with that. I am sure that Villas-Boas is absolutely fine with these rumours."
Sunday presents another stern test for Villas-Boas as Manchester United visit Stamford Bridge. Chelsea approach the game no less than 12 points behind their rivals, and are mostly focused on holding onto fourth place to guarantee Champions League qualification - they are just three points ahead of Newcastle - rather than entertaining aspirations for a title challenge.
According to Vialli, Chelsea's decidedly mixed league form has stemmed from the manager's attempts to effect a change in the club's tactical approach and the complexion of his squad. A move to phase out Frank Lampard and tinkering with Chelsea's defensive strategy have both resulted in Villas-Boas receiving criticism, but Vialli believes growing pains are likely to occur when the manager has been tasked with transforming the make-up of a team.
"Chelsea are a work in progress. They are trying to change the side a little bit - making it younger and a bit more energetic, and it takes time. So when you do that you know you are going to have some hiccups and lose some points, but it is something that you have to do in order to have a successful future so I think it is a price that has to be paid.
"There is no doubt that he is a very talented manager, and he has won more trophies than 99 per cent of the managers throughout their careers. He is a good and talented and he has been given a very difficult task because Abramovich wants to make a few changes and he wants the club to be successful at the same time, and sometimes that is very difficult.
"I think he needs to be given a bit more time, and next season could be the season when they actually start progressing and could be the season that they get back to the top."
However, whether Villas-Boas is still responsible for Chelsea's fate at the start of the 2012-13 campaign may very well rest on events in Madrid, and the mindset of his former mentor.
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Comment 12 - 31 of 31
Jose is going to get the England job....he is so obviously to best choice, assuming of course that he pays his taxes!!!!
The press rumour mill is in full swing again!
As far as Boas is concerend; I was originally quite pleased when Chelsea appointed him. However, I'm not so sure now. Watching him prancing around the technical area and touchline is so annoying. What's with all the group hugs when someone scores! I suppose every coach has his methods. I reckon Boas tried to implement a new system in the beginning. Playing a high line defence and speeding it up in the midfield. It was obvious that his system either didn't work in the Prem League or that he hasn't the players to do it. So, he reverted back almost to the same old Chelsea style of playing. Knocking it around and building up slowly. The only real difference this season is Mata addding creativity. Need a couple of others like him and a striker that is on form.Look at RVP of Arsenal...he's on fire. Imagine where Arsenal would be without him at the moment. Even worse than Chelsea!
comment #12 : how is luca a backstabber ? fairly successful boss ,played some great football under his reign . only really fired as he was (allegedly) more popular then and not a favourite of mr bates ......he may be b4 your time though !
still first love mourinho and all that cling to your hope of his return as it will not happen .
as for brendan rogers ,hindsight is great isnt it ? im sure youd have been howling at the board if he had been appointed ,big enough name ,etc .
All Mourinho haters would never so NO if he's appointed their manager.
Well it seems the person to reviews comments before putting them on here is a Mouronho fan as well as he chose not to put my reply to Shazim and JJJones on where I explained why I thought he would be bad for the game in the UK.
But since then I notice yet more people wading in e.g. Pedro telling me I know nothing and to keep out of it or even switch off my telly if I dont like him. Why should I ? Last time I checked the UK was a democracy and I dont see why I cant state my opinion without people telling me off. Pedro - why the need to tell me I know nothing about football and the team I support must be losers....just because I dont like the Special one. Excuse me for saying this but maybe, just maybe you are showing some of his arrogance in that!! Hope its not a national trait ( don't think so as the Portuguese I've met were pretty nice people ).
AVB is not a top drawer manager. He is tactically inept, arrogant , don't relate to and can't motivate his players. Had Harry R, Sir Alex F, Arsne Wenger, Martin O'Neal Carlo Ancoletti, Guss Hiddink, Frank Riikard or especially Brendan Rogers been in charge of the same side, thChels would have been toe-to-toe with the Mancs at the top of the tree rather than a precarious fourth.
The Special oNe has been, seen and conquered. For the next dynasty we nee the one we shuld have appointed in June. Brendan Rogers. I'm sure Man U will snap him up if Chels don't.
Why would Pep want to go to United, when City are on the rise.
I agree, Mouriniho is too controversial, there's enough hatred among the fans, mourinhio will just cause more trouble.
my bet is he will go to arsenal, not chelsea
@TheNim- comment13
Jeez bro, it sounds like Mourinho wine'd and dined your girl or something as you seem to have pretty strong feelings about a guy you have "only have seen and heard from"?
I respect (but dont necessarily agree with) your opinion, but was just wondering if you could humour me and tell me how exactly Jose "brings this game into disrepute"?
Love or hate the guys tactics he's a born winner...
TheNim .. despite being from the same country as mourinho i can't stand him.. nor chelsea.. but you want him out of the league why? obviously not based on sports success... so i gather your team hasn't won much and you afraid of competition.. i might be wrong and basically you just don't understand anything about football.. then i'll have to apologize ...
he is just p issed off that no matter how much he tries he just cannot beat barca
chelsea are welcome to him , man utd to get pep from barca when SAF leaves
utd for life
chelsea need mourinho so bad because they are a small club
Well TheNim I completely hate watching Craig Bellamy play football on the pitch but you do not see me saying he should be hung, drawn and quartered for his style of football.
If you do not like Jose's style of football then turn your tele off or do not go to the ground or any Pub that has live football coverage.
I do not like Jose's style of football neither do I like a few of the things he has said but it is not enough to keep him out of English football.
Would I watch any team he manages? Yes I would because I like football. Would I be a bit disappointed with some of the play? Yes it is natural, but guess what Jose also plays some fantastic stuff which the sensational journalist chose to not report about.
Oh by the way I am an AFC Wimbledon fan and would kill to have Jose as manager!!!!
So acknowledge that every manager is guilty of the off field antics just like Jose or forever be quiet if you cannot have an objective view on anything!
Mr.Boas is way out of his depth.He stupidly admits to allowing player power because he is a young manager.Mate you're a bad manager.Terry and Lampard should have been out the door months ago.You really don't have a clue do you?
Taxi for Mr.Boas please.
Please bring the Special One back!
jose as manager and avb as assistant
Might aswell stick vialli up front and see if he can score!!! No other @#$% can when lampard is off the pitch!!
re12 : jjjjones ....so you think I am biaised. I don't dislike him because of what team he managed but my feelings are based on what I have seen and heard from him. If you like managers who poke other in the eye then sio be it. Everyone is entitled to their opinions and mine is that I dislike this man who to me brings this game into disrepute. Oh and he may have been successful but I didn't particularly enjoy watching his teams play. Effective yes but entertaining ...not to me.
@ comment 5 from TheNim,
I also hate off field distractions however your view on Jose Mourhino is dangerously biased.
He achieved a lot in a very short time at Chelsea than Vialli did, hence Vialli the back stabbers opinion does not count.
Furthermore, every manager on the planet engages in what you have accused Jose of, so it would be fair if you acknowledge this.
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