Chelsea boss Villas-Boas takes step into unknown

26 August 2011 01:30

Chelsea manager Andre Villas-Boas admits he will be taking a step into the unknown when the Blues face Norwich at Stamford Bridge on Saturday.

Villas-Boas started his career in the professional game as an opposition scout for Jose Mourinho at Porto, Chelsea and Inter Milan before becoming a manager in his own right.

The 33-year-old Portuguese coach was renowned for compiling remarkably detailed scouting reports on opposing teams that played a key role in Mourinho's gameplan.

But, just two Premier League games into his new role as Chelsea boss, Villas-Boas is still finding his feet in England and he admits he hasn't got a full grasp of newly-promoted Norwich's style with just three games this season to learn from.

"I cannot go in depth on Norwich last season, but I know they had a fantastic season," Villas-Boas said.

"They scored an incredible amount of goals, have come up twice, and Paul Lambert likes to organise his teams and play good attacking football, which is why they finished as the highest scorers last season.

"I can only assess them from the first three games this season. There were some changes that Paul made in those matches, so that leaves us guessing a bit trying to find out what he's going to do.

"To get the starting XI right would be difficult for us. I look forward to playing against him.

"He has his experiences in European football, which is why he maybe defends this mixture of European flair and solid organisation."

On paper, Chelsea should be far superior to Norwich but the Blues have made an unconvincing start to the Villas-Boas era, drawing with Stoke and winning narrowly against West Brom.

Villas-Boas is determined to bring a more open, attacking style to a Chelsea team that has specialised in grinding opponents into submission for years.

The transition is yet to be completely successful and this week's signing of Spain winger Juan Mata from Valencia suggests Villas-Boas knows he will need new players to make his philosophy work.

Mata may be on the bench on Saturday and Villas-Boas said: "We were looking for a player that gives us some creativity in the final third - not that we don't have that, but you always want to add it when you can find talent of this nature.

"He's an addition that everybody was looking forward to. Criticism was coming from all fronts at a lack of market activity, so you can lay off us now!

"It allows us to make necessary changes. He can play right, left, through the middle, and has been tested in a 4-4-2 as well as a 4-3-3, so that gives us flexibility.

"He has an eye for goal and a magnificent record for assists throughout his career since joining Valencia from Real Madrid B.

"This will be one of the biggest challenges of his career coming to the Premiership, and this is step up for him as he's admitted."

Meanwhile, Norwich manager Paul Lambert heads into the game off the back of a humbling 4-0 League Cup defeat at the hands of Milton Keynes Dons, who are two leagues below the Canaries.

The team he fielded against the Dons on Tuesday is likely to be vastly different to the one that will walk out at Stamford Bridge, but nonetheless he is expecting a reaction.

"When you suffer a defeat like this you always expect a reaction in your next game and I am sure we will get one," Lambert said.

"I am sure my players will react to this in the right way. Rest assured when we play Chelsea on Saturday we will be ready for the challenge."

Source: AFP