It’s a question that’s likely to provoke dismissal and laughter from a majority of Chelsea fans, but considering how little we’ve achieved this season, can we confidently say it was right to dismiss Villas Boas?
My immediate response is yes. We were right to sack him. An exceedingly long run of poor performances could only lead to a complete loss in confidence from the owner and fans, and at that moment in time it was the logical action to take.
Despite his inability to find form with the team, it was his alleged fallout with some of the senior players that ultimately sealed his fate. So we’re a club that protects our veteran players, right? Well, why are we letting our greatest ever player go then?
Villas Boas frequently left Frank Lampard out of his starting eleven, even when the Englishman was fit and ready to play.
Whilst this used to infuriate me, I could understand that Boas had been asked to be part of a project – an attempt to rejuvenate our aging squad. When things didn’t go according to plan for the Portuguese tactician, he was the only one left to blame, but now that the club are supposedly not renewing Frank’s contract it seems redundant to sack the man who was only trying to achieve what his many successors will now try and replicate.
Looking at Villas Boas now, I can’t help but feel slightly envious of Tottenham. They have a young, tactical and calculated manager who certainly seems to be keen on an attacking style of football.
He was also the man who brought us our most influential player, Juan Mata, and now that Hazard and Oscar have joined the Spaniard in midfield, haven’t we just created something that so closely emulates the style Boas wanted to incorporate?
The only difference now is that we’re likely to float from one manager to the next, with no one willing to see out a rejuvenation project.
Spurs are currently fourth in the Premier League, and seem to be a larger threat than previous years. A win and a draw against Manchester United with a practically unchanged squad since Harry Redknapp’s side can only be down to managerial influence.
The utilisation of wide play and creativity in the centre is something we have been crying out for at the Bridge. At White Hart Lane they have this in the form of Aaron Lennon, Gareth Bale and Mousa Dembele, three players that Boas has managed to unleash the potential of.
With our ‘three amigos’ and the inclusion of David Luiz in midfield, I’m sure Boas would have been able to find form, with the strong possibility of developing the squad.
I’m not necessarily a major fan of the 35 year-old, but for the sake of the club’s future, I think it’s vital that we find someone who will stick with us for more than three seasons, someone who can really make their mark on the team, and reinvent the champions of Europe.
Written By Chris Edwards
