With Rodgers, Deschamps and Frank de Boer ruling themselves out of the Liverpool job, Andre
Villas-Boas and Roberto Martinez have now emerged as clear front-runners for the Liverpool hot
seat.
Lets look at the Tactical formations and systems used by both the managers.
Andre Villas Boas
Andre Villas Boas managed Porto to an undefeated season winning the treble, Primeira Liga,
Portugese Cup, UEFA Europa League in his first season.
From the outside, at least, Liverpool Football Club is in a holding pattern, a theoretical
construct that may or may not field a "squad" to compete in various English and European
footballing "competitions" in the coming season and that at present exists primarily as a vehicle
for endless whisper, rumour, and speculation.
FSG are genius saviours returning the club to glory, they have a plan in place, and the
slightest doubt or skepticism means you're a fool for daring to question them. Just never mind
they've been at the club for eighteen months now and are currently looking to sort their second
managerial and director of football hires, while the man presumed to have the most sway in the
matter will be overseeing a move to his fourth manager in two years.
With Andre Villas-Boas becoming the seventh manager to lose his job since the Roman Abramovich
regime commenced in 2003, speculation surrounds who is being lined up to cross the bridge that has
seen so many stumble and fall. The following candidates top the Chelsea wish list:
JOSE MOURINHO – 49, Real Madrid
‘The Special One' is the players and fans favourite to return to Stamford Bridge, where he
previously won six trophies, including two Premier League titles, crowning him Chelsea's most
successful manager ever.
Rumours of Jose Mourinho wanting to leave Real Madrid for the Premiership would mean only one
thing: he is heading for Manchester. Since his famous Champions League win with Porto in 2004,
Mourinho has had no desire to manage any side lacking truly world-class pedigree. For this very
reason, a return to a depleted Chelsea side is not on the cards.
What has two thumbs and couldn't be more desperate to leave?Hold tight comrades, this is the
serious shit now. Rejuvenated Sunderland came to the Lane on Sunday with a cunning plan to further
derail our campaign after the damage inflicted by Corporal Pulis' Stoke Taskforce the week before
(ably assisted by rear gunner Foy, it must be said).
Written By James Prentice
Follow Me|@MrPrent
Fan's of Arsenal and Chelsea will be hoping for a Michael Cainesque Italian Job if they
are to enter the heady heights of a Champions League quarter-final.
Arsenal, who topped their group, were drawn against 7-time European Champions AC Milan, in a
repeat fixture to that of the 2008 CL round of 16, where, after a 0-0 draw at the Emirates Stadium
in the first leg, Arsenal travelled to the San Siro to silence the home crowd with a little help
from a 30-yard effort from Cesc Fabregas.
Andre Villas-Boas's radical thinking starting to pay dividends for Chelsea Telegraph.
Last night at Stamford Bridge, Chelsea cruised through to the knockout stages of the UEFA
Champions League with a convincing 3-0 win over top La Liga side Valencia. Following the pressure
laden last few weeks for Andre Villas Boas, this win came as a relief to him and the club but in
essence, it means much more than that.
It was all going so well, Newcastle United had just earned a fantastic point at Old Trafford and
were in confident mood ahead of their clash with Chelsea.
However, things change quickly in Football and Alan Pardew's side are now facing an injury
crisis that threatens to derail their fine start to the Premier League season after Chelsea ran out
3-0 winners at St James' Park, a score line which very much flattered Andre Villas-Boas'
charges.
Andre Villas-Boas is confident his Chelsea team can still qualify for the Champions League
knock-out stages, despite last night's 2-1 defeat at Bayer Leverkusen.
But confidence seems to be severely lacking for the Blues so far this season, and last night's
result means they have now lost four of their last seven games.
Chelsea vs Liverpool 16.00. 20/11/2011
Glen Johnson's struck a late winner at Stamford Bridge as Liverpool offered fresh hope
to qualify for the Champions League.
Chelsea's dismal Premier League run under manager Andre-Villas-Boas continued- they have lost
three of their last four games in the league.
After a few weeks off due to international breaks and facing sides nobody really cares
about—or ones we simply find too distasteful to bother talking to—Tea and Crumpets decided it
was about time to shake off the rust, so we headed out for a bite and a chat with Graham MacAree of
We Ain't Got No History, one of the more approachable Chelsea sorts out there and also our
boss.
Playing the long game: Andre Villas Boas and Chelsea is a post from: Just Football
by Andreas Vou
Manchester United are the benchmark to every football club aiming for long term success. The Red
Devils stuck with Sir Alex Ferguson despite winning nothing in his first four years in charge and
have fully reaped the rewards, having overtaken Liverpool's record 18 domestic league titles last
year and winning two Champions League titles in the Scot's ongoing 25 year reign.
Chelsea Supporters: Which doesn't belong and why?It's time to address new Chelsea boss Andre
Villas-Boas.
A lot has been written about this 33-year-old and none of it is fair to the man--most of all his
hiring at Chelsea. You can't blame him for jumping at the opportunity, but this just smacks of a
guy being a little impatient and suffering from a little bit of an over-inflated ego.
Newly appointed Chelsea manager Andre Villas-Boas arrives at Stamford Bridge from FC Porto with
very little managerial experience, but a growing reputation that usurps even the most accomplished
of European coaches. Awaiting the young Portuguese tactician, the toughest job in football – not
the act of managing Chelsea Football Club, but the unenviable task of satisfying Roman Abramovich's
ambition.
Chelsea confirm Porto's Andre Villas Boas will take the reigns at Stamford
Bridge, after signing a 3 year contract.
View Chelsea Shirts here!
This has been in the pipeline for a while now but today it has been confirmed that Andre
Villas-Boas has been given the job as Chelsea manager on a 3 year contract.
Villas-Boas is just 33 years of age and comes to Chelsea (for the second time) with just 3 years
full managerial experience. He has previously been assistant manager at Chelsea, and Porto, and
Inter where he has previously been Jose Mourinho's understudy.
On face value, it seems like a match made in heaven. The young, dashing Porto manager that looks
set to be given a chance to harness Chelsea's millionaire's into a trophy-winning unit it all seems
very familiar doesn't it? The Guardian even report that he will earn the exact same salary as
Jose Mourinho did during his time in London.
We lamented a bit last week over the close of the (European) club season, with most of the big
leagues decided (and after the weekend, France (Lille) and the Netherlands (Ajax) also crowning
champions). So what else is a CultFootball fan to look to, aside from the upcoming Champions League
final (10 days away!
He has worked at Porto, Chelsea and Inter Milan while studying the game under the guidance of
the late great Sir Bobby Robson. The same man has broken countless records with Porto and continues
to prove his worth on the managerial stage. No, I am not talking about current Real Madrid coach
Jose Mourinho but rather his protégé and current FC Porto head coach André Villas Boas.
