Will Andre Villas-Boas go the way of Mick McCarthy?

Chelsea are on a poor run of form, and with visits to the training ground become increasingly frequent, the shadow of Roman Abramovich is starting to loom large over Andre Villas-Boas. Please allow a frustrated Chelsea fan to rant about where things might be going wrong at Stamford Bridge.

As a Chelsea fan, I am deeply concerned at the moment. It is hard to know exactly where to start, meaning this will probably turn into an unstructured stream of frustration which has little interest to anyone who supports a team outside of SW6. But hopefully I can put some cohesive thoughts together.

I am conscious of not recklessly jumping to conclusions either. As has been discussed on these pages before, football fans have a tendency to hugely overreact to one or two bad results. But something just does not seem right at Stamford Bridge. The not too eloquent phrase that comes to my mind is: rudderless. Who is in charge? Where is the leadership? Because it does not appear to be coming from Andre Villas-Boas. Particularly when John Terry is absent, there seems to be no direction; no one taking accountability. I know Terry is not exactly the most popular character around (clearly something of an understatement there), but you can never deny his commitment to Chelsea, and his ability to lead and direct a team. Indeed, it sometimes feels like Terry is really the one in charge.

This is one of the main issues with Chelsea; there are a number of players that simply do not take responsibility. They do not show the drive or passion to take hold of a game. I am not talking about “getting stuck in” either; it is more than that. It is wanting the ball and being willing to take a chance. For example, Juan Mata is not exactly a man for a 50-50, but he is one of very few in the current squad that is always willing to hold up his hand and be counted. He always wants the ball – he is prepared to make a mistake. This current Chelsea side has too many players that look good when you are winning, but go missing when the chips are down. Raul Meireles, Daniel Sturridge, David Luiz and Jose Bosingwa all fall into this category.

It is undoubtedly a difficult job breaking up an ageing team and changing a playing style. Especially considering the big egos involved. There is some sympathy here for what Villas-Boas has to do. In the first few months it all seemed to make some sort of sense as well. The team was woeful defensively, but playing some very attractive football. Goals were flying in at both ends. There seemed to be a change in philosophy. Yet recently, this has all gone downhill and Chelsea are simply an inferior version of what they used to be. The attacking, free-flowing football has gone, yet there are still massive inadequacies defensively. The team continues to try and play from the back, but there is no conviction in what they are doing. No one really appears to understand what the master plan is.

Villas-Boas is starting to look lost on the sidelines. A Champions League place is now in serious doubt, and Roman Abramovich is poking around at the training ground every other day. Things do not look rosy.

Crucially, it feels like Villas-Boas has not really committed to the philosophies he continually talks about. He has not been totally devoted to expansive passing football. And he has not committed to youth. There have been opportunities to give younger players a chance, but he has turned these down, as if believing that he needs to play it safe. If Ashley Cole is injured, why not play Ryan Bertrand at left back, rather than put the calamitous Bosingwa out of position? Why give games to the pitiful Florent Malouda and send Josh McEachran out on loan? Why buy Gary Cahill and then leave him sitting on the bench? Why not give Sturridge a chance in the central striker position, given that Fernando Torres is utterly useless. (Although I must caveat that last sentence by stating that I believe Sturridge is unconvincing as a player and vastly overrated; it is more a point that even Salomon Kalou could do more damage in that central position than Torres, especially if given a free run in the side).

There are problems everywhere you look. The weekend defeat at Everton highlighted many of these. It is shameful to see the lack of devotion by some players. When a pass was misplaced on the edge of the penalty area, Luiz’s pathetic attempt to avert the danger and block the shot was nothing short of embarrassing. Bosingwa’s general approach to defending is appalling. As a fan, it is hard to get behind these players.

Weaknesses are all over the pitch. Despite being excellent last season, Petr Cech is horribly out of form and there is a serious question mark over his head. Could next season be the time to recall Thibaut Courtois from Atletico Madrid, where he has been highly impressive by all accounts. At the back, Luiz does just not convince. He has got so much ability, but there is something about his body language and lack of interest in actual defending that does not look right. Boswingwa is horrendous defensively, and I cannot understand why he is preferred to Branislav Ivanovic, who always looks at his best at right back. The less said about Torres the better.

Of course all is not lost, and there are certainly football clubs in worse positions. There are also some exciting players around which the team must be built around in the future, notably Mata and Ramires, Chelsea’s best performers this season by a long way. Also, Villas-Boas has not become a bad manager overnight. Of course he remains relatively unproven, but it was under a year ago that he lifted all those trophies with Porto. How has it all gone downhill so quickly?

It is apparent to everyone that Abramovich’s revolving door policy with managers has not helped the club over the last few years. It is the right thing to give someone time to rebuild. The problem is that it is starting to look like Villas-Boas might not be the man to do this. It feels like he is losing control, like his strategy is falling apart. If the season ends with no trophy and no Champions League place, will Villas-Boas be in charge come August? And will it be a big loss if he is not…