Ex-Chelsea manager Andre Villas-Boas has tipped the Blues for next season’s Premier League title if Jose Mourinho succeeds Rafael Benitez in the managerial hot seat at Stamford Bridge.
Mourinho is certain to leave his current club Real Madrid as things have turned sour for the Portuguese manager in the Spanish capital and it looks as though he’s avoiding the issue and waging war with the local press to the very end as he has cancelled yet another press conference ahead of today’s Copa del Rey final.
Benitez has already let slip that Roman Abramovich is willing to invest this summer to add the final ingredients to a squad that isn’t far off from challenging for a league title and Villas-Boas believes his old club will be favourites under his old boss.
On Chelsea’s title challenging credentials, Villas-Boas said:
“I think [they will be favourites].
“Chelsea next season will be absolutely the team to beat, bearing in mind the manager we expect to come in.
“The reference of the team going for the title will come from Chelsea, the other teams will try to put themselves in the frame. Our step at the moment is to get into the Champions League and probably not be title contenders.”
Both Manchester United and Manchester City will be bedding in new managers at their clubs over the 2013-14 season so could be in for a period of transition and as Sir Alex Ferguson was such a force during his time at Old Trafford there is a power vacuum that could be exploited whilst David Moyes is finding his feet. It’s an opportunity for Chelsea to impose themselves as a threat once again.
The Mourinho to Chelsea story may even be the worst kept secret of the past few months as I struggle to think of a player in the squad that hasn’t openly spoken about him and Benitez hinted that he was coming back when he said everyone knows who will take his place.
There’s also the theory that Mourinho has already pulled a few power moves at Chelsea with Frank Lampard’s recent contract extension being a notable once. The midfielder will deny of any knowledge of the goings on behind the scenes at Chelsea but it’s doubtful that he doesn’t know what’s going on. Being a senior player under Mourinho would appeal to him even if he isn’t regular and the manager wants men that he can trust in the dressing room, which could go some way to explain what is likely to be a change of heart on both sides.
Do you agree with Villas-Boas, would Chelsea be the favourites for next season’s Premier League title under Mourinho’s watch?
Source: Evening Standard
Yes if mourinho could make d chelsea manager next season it will be very hard to beat chelsea bcos of the tactics and logic he will imploy to the team!!!