André Villas-Boas admitted he is unsure of his position at Chelsea – a revelation that has not gone down well at the club. Photograph: Andy Rain/EPA
The Chelsea hierarchy have been left unimpressed by comments made by the manager, André Villas-Boas, in an interview with a Portuguese radio station and his position has effectively been rendered even more vulnerable as a result.
Villas-Boas's piece with the Lisbon based TSF, broadcast on Monday night, included the admission that he was unsure whether he would be granted time by the owner, Roman Abramovich, to implement any long-term plans at Stamford Bridge. Just as damaging, apparently, were his observations on Fernando Torres's travails since his move from Liverpool for a British record £50m last January. The comparisons he drew with the lack of impact made by Andriy Shevchenko and Mateja Kezman at the club were deemed unhelpful.
The fall-out from what might otherwise have been perceived as a brutally honest interview was being digested yesterday as reports emerged from Spain, with excruciating timing, that the former Chelsea manager José Mourinho was in London looking at properties. The two-times European Cup winner is expected to depart Real Madrid in the summer and has made it known publicly of his desire to return to the Premier League. Villas-Boas worked as opposition scout during his compatriot's glittering spell at the club, but the pair have rarely spoken since the protege departed Mourinho's coaching staff at Internazionale to pursue his own managerial career with Académica in 2009.
The 34-year-old had previously been insistent that he benefited from the backing of Abramovich and would be allowed to pursue a three-year project aimed at rejuvenating Chelsea. However, a run of four wins in 14 games prior to Saturday's dismissal of Bolton Wanderers has eroded that faith. The London side trail Manchester City by 17 points in the Premier League and are currently out of the top four on goals scored, while trailing 3-1 from the first leg of their Champions League knock-out tie against Napoli with the return to come next month.
There has also been grumbling discontent within the squad, with senior players feeling marginalised as they are used more sparingly under the Portuguese. The observations on Torres hardly helped given that one of Villas-Boas's principal tasks upon his appointment last summer was to coax form from a player whose impact had been negligible since his eye-catching mid-season arrival from Anfield. Torres has scored only three Premier League goals in his 13 months at the club, and none since the visit of Swansea City on 24 September.
"We've been through this Torres situation before, with Kezman and Shevchenko," he said. "We continue to work on his motivation, his specific movements on the field, and his trust. There is only one atmosphere which will make him regain his trust, and that is a competitive atmosphere. For me, there was a key moment for Torres: his sending-off against Swansea. He was playing well and he was motivated at the time, he had returned to goals [scoring], also in that match. But he was sent off and got a three-match ban. There was also an international match in between, so he did not play for Chelsea for one month.
"I do not know how much that affected him, but when he got back, we had two disappointments in terms of results, and he returned to this disbelief in himself, and that may have been when he lost his understanding with the group and that way which made him feel well with the group."
While much will depend upon the team's immediate results, starting with Saturday's trip to West Bromwich Albion, and their fate in the Champions League tie against Napoli, Chelsea have already taken steps behind the scenes to draw up contingency plans should Abramovich decide to dispense with his manager of eight months. The likes of Rafael Benítez and Fabio Capello have been sounded out on some level, though it is understood neither would be willing to take up the reins merely until the end of the current season when the likes of Mourinho or Pep Guardiola may be more readily available.
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