Source: Team_Talk
Villas-Boas wants full support
Andre Villas-Boas has told the Chelsea fans the team will need their full support in their bid to win the Premier League this season.[LNB] Some supporters jeered the Blues from the field at half-time of Saturday's 2-1 victory over West Brom, following a dismal opening 45 minutes in Villas-Boas' first home game in charge.[LNB]While the new Chelsea boss could understand fan frustration following a rare trophyless campaign last season, he urged them to show more patience for the remaining 18 league matches at Stamford Bridge.[LNB]"To go past a season in the Premier League, where you have to win it back, you need the full support of everybody," Villas-Boas said.[LNB]"Everybody must get involved.[LNB]"You must feel the presence of the public in a supporting way."[LNB]He added: "This team wants to be champions again. The public wants to be champions and demands it.[LNB]"We are listening to their demands and we want to perform but we need their full support all the time."[LNB]Villas-Boas felt the "anxiety" of supporters - sparked by Shane Long's fourth-minute opener - translated to his players, who failed to perform until a half-time pep talk.[LNB]The Portuguese insisted he had not felt the heat himself, despite staring his first league defeat for 16 months in the face at half-time.[LNB]Villas-Boas' Porto won the Portuguese title without losing a game last season and also claimed the Europa League but the 33-year-old revealed there were plenty of scares along the way.[LNB]"I think I suffered a couple," he said.[LNB]"It just happens. It's a game."[LNB]Villas-Boas also dismissed suggestions Fernando Torres was more anxious than most on Saturday, despite the £50million man being substituted after once again failing to find the net.[LNB]He added: "I think it was a good contribution from everybody, to be fair.[LNB]"How many games have different behaviours from players from one half to another?"[LNB]Villas-Boas played down his own tactical changes, which involved throwing on matchwinner Florent Malouda before half-time and switching from a 4-3-3 to 4-4-2 formation, with Didier Drogba partnering Nicolas Anelka, who had earlier equalised.[LNB]"It's not a question of braveness, it's a question that maybe we wanted to surprise the opponent in some way," said Villas-Boas, whose side looked in need of the type of spark the likes of transfer targets Luka Modric and Juan Mata - the latter reportedly close to joining the Blues - could provide.[LNB]"And, to be fair, when we made the change, it didn't have straight away an impact.[LNB]"Because the players were still suffering from that anxiety.[LNB]"It's all down to them to change their mental attitude.[LNB]"They had more than time to score two goals or more.[LNB]"It was a reality that we just had a fantastic second half and we played in their half, created numerous opportunities, and we were dominant like we should've been in the first half."[LNB]There were also defensive errors from Chelsea, including from Alex, who has been quoted saying he could be interested in a move to Juventus.[LNB]Yossi Benayoun, who did not feature on Saturday, also tweeted in the evening that he expected to hear something about his own future on Wednesday.
