I’ll still be here next season, insists AVB

Andre Villas-Boas yesterday insisted he had “no doubt” he would get a second season in charge of Chelsea, despite admitting he could spend all summer haunted by the “ghost” of Jose Mourinho.

Mourinho has reportedly expressed an interest in returning to Stamford Bridge should he leave Real Madrid at the end of the current campaign, amid suggestions he is increasingly unhappy in Spain.

Mourinho has made no secret of his desire to manage again in England and his availability would put a host of rival bosses on red alert, according to Villas-Boas.

But the man who worked under Mourinho at Porto, Chelsea and Inter Milan effectively told his former mentor to forget about taking his job, declaring his rebuilding project had the full support of the Blues board.

“I have no doubts in my mind,” said Villas-Boas, who admitted speculation over his future was inevitable with the club 12 points off the pace in the Premier League.

“Speculation will always come when you are unsuccessful and you are unsuccessful at Chelsea when you don’t finish first. It led to all kinds of different managerial changes in all different kinds of countries and all different kinds of top European clubs.”

Villas-Boas insisted it did not bother him that Mourinho was being linked with his job, pointing out the Real boss was also being touted to replace the managers of Manchester City, United, Tottenham, Liverpool and Arsenal.

“It’s perfectly normal bearing in mind our position,” he said. “If you were top of the league or in Man City’s position, you would speculate a little bit less.

“But still, there is speculation also about Man City and United and their future.”

He added: “Jose is always a good ‘selling point’.

“The fact that there is the possibility of his return to England leads to speculation associated with the top clubs, for sure.

“Jose doesn’t take anything rather than the top, because he represents exactly the top in management.

“So whenever he becomes available, he’ll for sure be a ghost on every bench in the Premier League.”

Asked why Mourinho was so enamoured with England, Villas-Boas said: “I think this is the best league in the world — we all agree with that — and after all of these years of absence he will want to make his return.”

Villas-Boas claimed he would love to pit his wits against his former mentor, who he has barely spoken to since deciding to quit a coaching role at Inter to forge his own managerial career.

“It will be exciting,” Villas-Boas said.

“First we have to understand that his coming back would be excellent for the Premier League in terms of excitement and further competition and further competence, so fantastic.”

Chelsea have a chance to ease the pressure on Villas-Boas when they face Manchester United tomorrow. .

They were unfortunate to lose 3-1 at Old Trafford in September, when Alex Ferguson’s men scored two offside goals and survived a second-half onslaught.

But Villas-Boas admitted his side were not playing as well now as they had been four and a half months ago.

“Not really,” he said.

“I think at the beginning of the season were our best results, our best sequence of results, our best football. Solid, creative, positive.

“If I have to recall what has happened this season at the end of the season, I would always reflect to the tipping point being the QPR game. From a position where we could end up three points behind the leader, we ended up six points behind the leader with too much controversy involved.”

Villas-Boas admitted that, since then, this season had ended up being one on transition as a Chelsea side used to competing for the league scrap for a top-four spot.

“I didn’t want to be allowed a transitional period and I think at this level you shouldn’t be allowed a transitional year,” he said.

“But the project for next year is good and is being built and we believe a lot in it, so we will be able to compete at a different level.’’

The Portuguese vowed to have a title challenging team a next season. “Next year, for sure, for sure,” he said.