Chelsea manager Andre Villas-Boas admits the pressure is piling on after shock defeat at West Brom
Andre Villas-Boas accepted last night that he was under greater pressure than ever after his Chelsea side succumbed to a 1-0 defeat to West Bromwich Albion, leaving his future as the club’s manager at the mercy of billionaire owner Roman Abramovich.
The result extended Chelsea’s dreadful run of form in the Premier League and left them three points adrift of Arsenal in fifth place.
Asked if he felt under increased pressure, the Portuguese replied: “I think so. Every defeat that Chelsea suffers piles more pressure on any manager.
“So it’s acceptable that pressure piles on a little bit more. It’s completely acceptable. We have responsibilities towards the fans and club, and we are not doing it.”
Abramovich has so far failed to issue any public statement of support for Villas-Boas, and this latest setback raises the question of whether the 34 year-old will still be in a job for Tuesday night’s FA Cup fifth-round replay at Birmingham City.
Rafael Benìtez and Fabio Capello are both in the frame to replace Villas-Boas should Abramovich wield the axe in the coming days, although it is likely that either would only be offered the position at Chelsea on a short-term basis, with the possibility of Jose Mourinho and Pep Guardiola both becoming available in the summer.