Youth does not necessarily equate to radicalism. When Andre Villas-Boas was appointed as Chelsea manager, it was speculated that the 33-year-old Portuguese was to be charged with a fearless dismantling of the club’s influential old guard.
After winning his first game in charge, a 1-0 victory over a stubborn Portsmouth at Fratton Park, Villas-Boas said that there will be no overhaul of the squad but rather an effort to rejuvenate the players already there, aided, of course, by a few key acquisitions.
“Our arrival here is much more about freeing these players and finding their talent, rather than making radical changes,” Villas-Boas said. “I’m still evaluating things. I’m not going to change things radically just 10 days into the season. I’m taking things step by step. It’s pretty obvious that we will go into the market at some point but not with any radical changes to the team.
“We don’t want to build a squad that is too high in numbers. We have to understand that all the competitions we are in will bring injuries. The balance will always be a squad of 24 players.”
Chelsea are seeking recruits in midfield, with Luka Modric their primary target. The Croatian midfielder has apparently handed in a transfer request and Chelsea have upped their bid to £30 million, but Tottenham have not softened their stance. Villas-Boas spoke of the impasse with phlegmatic fatalism.
“It doesn’t depend on our will, just on our part,” Villas-Boas said. “Spurs has the right to defend their player. He is their property, you could say. If it happens it happens, if it doesn’t happen, it doesn’t happen. We respect whatever position Tottenham take. The prices we are talking about are incredible amounts of money. So let’s judge it carefully and make the right decision.-Telegraph
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