After enjoying a glorious vacation in London where I attended the Champions League final match and probably spent way too much, it’s back to the states for this guy.

As mentioned in a previous blog post about who Chelsea should hire to replace Carlo Ancelotti, the name of some squirrly-looking man who isn’t much older than me came up…

• Andre Villas-Boas – To the credit of my friend (and faithful reader) Jens, he introduced me to the concept of Villas-Boas early in the season before his Europe League and domestic triumphs led him to be a recognized figure in the coaching world. Young, smart, and enthusiastic, I think he could capture similar success that Mourinho had and get even star players to truly buy in to his managerial style. The only problem is that he’s sworn his allegiance to Porto, but as we all know, words and contracts mean nothing among coaches in this sport.

Well ladies and gentleman, this man is now the new Chelsea manager. Again cheers to Jens for mentioning his name way before anyone else in the mass media did and the last line in the paragraph above certainly holds true: words and contracts mean nothing among coaches in this sport. Although I’m sure it will take awhile for him to mend relations with Porto, the bottom line is that when it comes to managers people need to differentiate them from players regarding the transfer market. A player has maybe 10 years on average in his legs, sometimes more or less, whereas a manager like Villas-Boas probably has another thirty years left (if not more) to manage at the highest level. Playing is a stop-gap for many whereas managing is a life-long profession for someone like Villas-Boas. Huge difference.

The obvious man would initially draw comparisons to Mourinho given their past relationship and how Villas-Boas has worked his way up the ladder in a similar career progression as Mourinho. But I’m not going to go that route. Instead I’m going to take a moment and compare something which may or may not even be directly related between the two managers – the way each manager has an impact of the culture and organization of their clubs by imprinting their style immediately.

When Mourinho took over for Claudio Ranieri in 2004, he inherited a solid squad which was certainly serviceable to allow Mourinho to have success at the club. Yet Mourinho went on a spending spree bringing in the likes of Didier Drogba, Michael Essien, and Ricardo Carvalho. He went on to do the same at Inter and Real Madrid as well, letting go of key veteran players such as Raul and Guti at the latter. Villas-Boas did the same exact thing when he became the manager of Porto last year. He let players such as Bruno Alves and Raul Merieles leave the club after a disappointing season before he arrived and brought in players such as Joao Moutinho to help change the culture of the club.

My point in comparing the two is that we would be silly not to think that all the veteran players in the past for Chelsea will be around for much longer. Some will stay and some will certainly be on their way out, so let’s take a look at some realistic candidates…

• Paulo Fererria - Unless he sticks around for a mentorship-style role, he’s gone. Even though he appears to be a leader for some of the Portuguese and Spanish speaking players at the club, his time at Chelsea is up.
• Florent Malouda - No Chelsea player in recent memory has ever been more hot or cold in my opinion than Malouda. He will go on streaks that give defences nightmares then go several matches where he dribbles too much and turns it over every time he touches the ball. A Mourinho purchase, maybe Villas-Boas will have a soft spot for him and keep him around.
• Nicolas Anelka – This was an Avram Grant buy and I personally don’t think he really fits with the style of play Villas-Boas wants to utilize with the possession 4-3-3 and quick wide players. I think he will be transferred away from the club, but he is a versatile player that can play out wide and up front so who knows.
• Didier Drogba – This is the toughest one in my opinion… probably the “cornerstore” buy from the Mourinho era, he certainly still has a couple season left in his legs. But other clubs know this too and he will be one of the easier players to move. Milan and Madrid are both realistic targets and if he stays surely Anelka will be gone.
• Frank Lampard – Yes, I’m going here. A Chelsea legend, he’s getting up there in age and although he makes up for his lack of athleticism with instinct and intelligence, I’m not sure if he fits very well with the tactical plans of Villas-Boas this late in his career. His liabilities could be easier disguised in a 4-4-2, like what Manchester United does with Ryan Giggs, but that’s not going to happen. Although the Chelsea midfield is crowded I think he’ll stay based on legacy.
• Yuri Zhirkov - If Lampard stays then there’s a very real chance Zhirkov will be transferred away from the club. I like the guy personally, probably more than most as he’s a smart and versatile player, but he hasn’t taken the Premier League by storm since arriving from Russia. The keyword in the last sentence was “Russia”, which could make him immune to transfers due to connections with the boss upstairs.

At the end of the day though I think the Villas-Boas appointment is a good one, IF Chelsea management is willing to give him more time to put his mark on the club than his predecessors. He will be going up against the best of the best not only on the field but in preparation and managerial talent, something which he has never experienced before. He will get schooled, he will take his knocks, and he won’t be perfect. Mourinho wasn’t when he came to Chelsea, so let’s hope that Villas-Boas isn’t held to the standards of perfection either and shown the door too soon.

What do you think of the Villas-Boas appointment? Is he a good fit for Chelsea? Feel free to comment below…

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