Drogba: Big man on campus

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Villas-Boas: I’m still in control

Chelsea manager Andre Villas-Boas has slammed suggestions that influential striker Didier Drogba took control of the dressing room during the team’s tepid 1-1 draw with Birmingham in the FA Cup on Saturday.

If not for a second half goal by Daniel Sturridge, Chelsea would have faced the embarrassing prospect of being knocked out of the competition by a team currently playing in the Championship.

An angry Villas-Boas has rubbished claims that the team’s improved second half performance was inspired by Drogba’s oratory.

“This is ridiculous,” said Villas-Boas, according to the BBC. “I have nothing to say on that because it makes no sense at all,” he added.

“We had opportunities to win the game, but it’s never good when you draw at home to a Championship team. It’s a poor result.”

Chelsea have now gone five games without recording a win, with pundits continuing to speculate about the state of relations between the manager and his players.

With owner Roman Abramovich a regular presence at the club’s Cobham training ground of late, rumours continue to abound concerning the manager’s imminent sacking.

The home supporters, clearly disheartened by their team’s abject form, booed the Chelsea team from the pitch after the game against Birmingham, with a section of the crowd seemingly singing the name of former manager Jose Mourinho.

Villas-Boas, whose side are fifth in the Premier League, admitted that the players are suffering from a loss of confidence.

“It is normal,” he said. “We need an extra mental push to feel the confidence. That comes with results and, until you get out of the cycle, it perpetuates. We don’t have enough good results at the moment.

“We are still in two competitions. The game on Tuesday against Napoli is the first leg and we have a wait for the second leg at Stamford Bridge, and regarding the FA Cup we are still in it.

“We have a difficult game against Napoli but we have a chance for sure.”

The manager said there were positives to be taken from the game.

“The team commitment was there straight after the setback,” he added. “And the response was there. If the penalty goes in we have more time to find the winner.

“But, with the game 1-0, we didn’t have too much time to then go on and score the winner. We managed to create some good opportunities but not enough to win.

“The first half was a little bit too much feet to feet and less into space.

“We were much more direct in the second half. We wanted to up the tempo and made the decision to use Didier as a target man.”