Source: Team_Talk
AVB predicts Barca downfall
Chelsea manager Andre Villas-Boas has predicted Barcelona's dominance of European football will come to an end before long.[LNB] Villas-Boas admitted Barca had set the "benchmark" for how the game should be played in the past five years, which have seen them win the Champions League three times.[LNB]But despite acknowledging the firm foundations the Catalan giants had laid in order to achieve their remarkable recent success, the Portuguese could foresee their eventual downfall.[LNB]"These past years of Barcelona's success has collided with a multitude of events that has provided this team with the ability to play so well," said Villas-Boas, who has already admitted Chelsea may need to beat the Spanish giants this season if they are to end their agonising wait for Champions League glory.[LNB]"The amount of talent which came through their youth teams which comes together now in the first team, a manager that defends the values of the club like nobody else...[LNB]"These past four or five years of Barcelona will be, for sure, the exception.[LNB]"Eventually, there are years of better talent (elsewhere) and years of drought."[LNB]Barca have managed the all-too-rare feat of being vastly successful at the same time as playing jaw-dropping football.[LNB]Villas-Boas is aiming to pull off a similar trick at Chelsea and admitted he would never forgive himself if his philosophy failed to bring silverware to Chelsea.[LNB]The past month has seen the Blues' performances begin to reflect the way Villas-Boas - and, more importantly, billionaire owner Roman Abramovich - wants to see the game played.[LNB]But the elephant in the room since the Russian bought the club has always been his unrelenting demand for trophies, and while Villas-Boas would be happy to be cherished for the quality of his football, it is the quantity of silverware on his CV that is more important.[LNB]"The trophy cabinet is something that is more visible," he said.[LNB]"The way you achieve it is something very, very valuable and respectful and, for sure, I respect it more than the rest.[LNB]"But what is expected of me is to win trophies, particularly at a massive club like this one.[LNB]"So I wouldn't forgive myself if I missed the opportunity to win major trophies at this club."[LNB]Villas-Boas, who plans to quit his profession in the next 15 years, added: "The time will come when I feel proud of what I have achieved and I will leave my position.[LNB]"I want to have something that I can be proud of and I will try to get it."[LNB]Nothing would make Villas-Boas - or Abramovich - more proud than lifting the European Cup.[LNB]The Blues are in the midst of their latest attempt to win the Champions League and can take a huge step towards that goal with victories in their Group E double-header against Genk.[LNB]They meet on Wednesday night in a game Chelsea will be expected to win, regardless of what team Villas-Boas fields.[LNB]Indeed, several changes are expected, with Fernando Torres almost certain to start in the midst of his domestic three-match ban.[LNB]Several first-team stars are likely to be rested, possibly even captain John Terry and vice-captain Frank Lampard.[LNB]"The most important thing for us is that we are aware of the amount of talent that we have at our disposal," said Villas-Boas, who will be without Ramires, with the midfielder rated 50-50 for Sunday's Premier League trip to QPR.[LNB]"Any XI that we put across is a very, very strong XI.[LNB]"This puts us in a position of comfort to have always a good rest.[LNB]"There are situations that might happen regarding the Queens Park Rangers game."[LNB]Wednesday's match will also give Villas-Boas another chance to run the rule over Genk star Kevin de Bruyne, who revealed in the summer that he was in negotiations to join Chelsea.[LNB]Villas-Boas said: "He's exceptionally gifted technically and reminds me of the old technical Belgian players like Enzo Scifo.[LNB]"We've not only scouted him but we've scouted numerous different players before.[LNB]"It doesn't mean that all of them we scout will eventually join us."
