Villas-Boas: Under pressure

Share this article:

Under-fire AVB in Blues row

Chelsea boss Andre Villas-Boas has been criticised by his players in a meeting with Roman Abramovich after their defeat against Everton.

The Blues slumped to a 2-0 loss at Goodison Park, prompting Abramovich to express his concern about their dismal form after their fourth Premier League game without a win.

The Russian pointed to the players after watching his team slide down the table into fifth place.

However, although Villas-Boas claimed “full responsibility” for the defeat he did not hesitate to haul his squad over the coals on their day off on Sunday.

The Portuguese tactician slammed his players in front of club owner Abramovich, but sources say the players retorted, expressing their disdain for his training methods and tactics.

“The players stuck with AVB until the New Year because they realise he was under orders to change things,” a club source is quoted in The Sun.

“But his plans are obviously not working, the atmosphere in the dressing room is tense and more and more players are beginning to wonder if he’s the right man for the job. It’s reached a stage where many of them don’t care whether he’s there or not.

“No one foresaw this situation - but the results simply aren’t there and he’s suffering because of them.”

Meanwhile midfield stalwart Frank Lampard has asked the players to do some reflection after their Goodison Park defeat.

“It was a bad performance from start to finish. When you come to Everton, the one thing you know they’re going to do is fight you, press you and make things tough and we didn’t react to that,” Lampard told Sky Sports.

“We can only take that on the chin and apologise to the people who came up and watched.

“We know we are in a bad way and we have to dig ourselves out of it. Different players do come in but whoever plays has to live up to the standards we have set.”