AVB: We’re not good enough

ANDRE VILLAS-BOAS is facing a full-blown crisis at Chelsea, admitting his side are not good enough to win the Premier League.

Saturday’s defeat by Aston Villa, who were inspired by a revitalised Stephen Ireland, showed the problems that are all too apparent at Stamford Bridge, the former fortress where the Blues have now lost three league games already this season.

Having beaten Manchester City only a month ago, Chelsea have gone backwards to such an extent that Villas-Boas concedes his side cannot catch the league leaders.

“Our squad is not good enough to win the league. Not this year, not with this distance of points,” he admitted.

Villas-Boas is expected to sign Gary Cahill from Bolton imminently, but the England defender cannot transform single handedly a side that is not playing as a team, and were booed off the pitch by their own supporters.

“I don’t see that performance being only related to defensive problems,” added Villas-Boas.

“If there is something to correct, we need to regain that confidence in the way we build up from the back. It’s an easy thing to solve with players of this technical ability.”

They surprised their critics by beating Newcastle, Valencia and City in the space of 10 days at the start of December, but have not won in four games since then. Their visit to Wolves today is a real test, as the manager concedes: “We have to dig deep in ourselves to show the right strength of character we showed when we played at Newcastle and people expected us to slip. We will have to find that motivation once again and it’s a plus that we play within 48 hours.

“The December fixtures were always going to be difficult and are proving so for all the top clubs. We haven’t made the most of the opportunities. If we had continued to be competent from what we did against Manchester City we would maybe be challenging for the League. You can say we might have lost it in December.

“Two weeks ago we were playing for first, and at the moment we are playing for fourth. What we need is points. At the moment it’s not good enough — three points from four games is not up to Chelsea’s standards. We want to avoid going past a period like we had last year.

“At Wolves we need to get three points, we need to find that strength of character and belief. It will be a lot about motivation because physically the players will be exhausted.”

There are other problems ahead. Didier Drogba, who scored his 150th goal for the club to put them ahead from the penalty spot, is wanted in China and by Paris St Germain, where his former manager Carlo Ancelotti has been installed. The French club are also linked with Florent Malouda, while LA Galaxy are reportedly interested in Frank Lampard, whom Villas-Boas insists is needed at Stamford Bridge: “Yes, for sure, because he is one of the best players in the world.”

Alex McLeish is just as insistent Darren Bent will remain at Villa, despite stories linking the England striker with a transfer. “He won’t be leaving,” said the manager.

He is more concerned at continuing the rebuilding job at Villa Park, and restoring the confidence of players such as Ireland, who shone on Saturday just a few days after pictures appeared on Twitter of the Corkman smoking a Shisha pipe. Ireland scored Villa’s equaliser and set up Bent for their third goal, shortly after Stillyan Petrov had put them ahead, and McLeish said: “He was fantastic. He said about smoking Shisha pipes and having alcohol — I think the quote was — that it doesn’t get any better than that.

“But I’ll tell you what’s better than that, coming here to Chelsea and winning football matches. That’s what every single player should be aspiring to. Getting that feeling. Forget about all the trappings.”

It is a lesson Villas-Boas needs to drill into his players.

He said: “This is the squad we chose to attack four trophies so it’s fair criticism to say they’re not good enough to win the league.

“When criticism is fair, and valid and argumentative I take it. But when it’s ridiculous I don’t accept it. Criticism is valid always, based on the fact we’re not getting performances to win games. We still have two major trophies to play for, the most prestigious cup in England and the most prestigious one in Europe. We need to get our act together. We need to get the results and show the talent and quality that we have.”