Villas-Boas: I need trophies to avoid axe

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DAUNTING TASK: Villas-Boas (left) attends a press conference, at Stamford Bridge, west London. — AFP photo

LONDON: Chelsea manager Andre Villas-Boas admits he will need to deliver immediate success to avoid becoming the latest victim of demanding Blues owner Roman Abramovich.

Even though Villas-Boas’s predecessor Carlo Ancelotti won Chelsea’s first ever Premier League and FA Cup double in 2010, the Italian was axed by Abramovich for finishing empty-handed last season.

Abramovich has repeatedly shown no mercy with under-performing managers and has already gone through seven bosses in the eight years since he bought Chelsea.

Villas-Boas has first-hand experience of the way Abramovich works as he was part of Jose Mourinho’s backroom staff when his fellow Portuguese was sacked by the Russian in 2007.

The 33-year-old, who was officially unveiled as Chelsea coach yesterday, is well aware that only regaining the Premier League title from Manchester United, and ideally winning the club’s first Champions League crown as well, will guarantee that he stays for the duration of his three-year contract.

“What you expect at this club is to be successful straightaway. It is the same at any top club, you have to win every week,” he said.

“There is no running away from that. I will surprised if I am kept on the job I don’t win.

“It is something that is expected for me. I have to be successful. Who expects to stay at chelsea if you don’t win anything?

“The expectations for the club, we know what they are, they are for the maximum success.

“The managers that have sat in this chair for the last seven years have been challenged to win trophies. I am no different. We didn’t come here just to pass time because the city is good.”

After failing to conclude a deal for Guus Hiddink, Abramovich took the bold decision to appoint Villas-Boas, who has only been a top-flight manager for two years. But reports suggest former Chelsea caretaker boss Hiddink could still return as a technical director and Villas-Boas would have no problem working with the someone in that role.

“We are in the process of restructuring the club. I have no problem to work with a technical director. The main thing is not to put someone there to disrupt the manager, it is to help the club,” he said.

“I don’t see why any manager shouldn’t be in control of transfers. This is a club that everybody wants to play for, we have to make wise decisions when we move. There are no players imposed.”

Villas-Boas has enjoyed a meteoric rise since leaving his role as Mourinho’s opposition scout at Inter Milan in 2009 to take up his first manager’s job with Portuguese club Academica de Coimbra.

He saved Academica from relegation and then lead a treble-winning campaign at Porto last season, including becoming the youngest coach to win a European trophy as Porto beat Braga in the Europa League final.

Villas-Boas, who confirmed the appointment of former Chelsea star and West Brom boss Roberto Di Matteo as his assistant, will be the youngest manager in the Premier League this season.

He is the same age as the likes of Chelsea stars Frank Lampard and Didier Drogba and not much older than Blues captain John Terry.

Asked how he will command respect from a group of players who have never been shy of making their opinions known, Villas-Boas insisted he will be able to deal with the star-studded dressing room.

“It’s normal for people to judge my age because it all happened at a very young age for me,” said Villas-Boas, who also made it clear that Terry will continue as captain for as long as he is good enough to merit a place in the team. — AFP

“The players are responsible and professional enough to respect the position of manager. If those lose that respect something is wrong. In the end you have to show respect for what they do.

“I spoke to a couple of them on the phone and they are willing to come back and start this new life. most of them told me it is a fresh start and they are willing.” — AFP