Villas-Boas’ Struggle for Authority
Chelsea icon John Obi Mikel has revealed that Andre Villas-Boas’ attempt to assert his authority led to him losing the dressing room. Villas-Boas, who is now the president of Porto, was once hailed as the ‘Next Jose Mourinho’ after leading the Portuguese side to league, cup, and Europa League glory in the 2010/11 season. Mikel, who won 11 major honors during his 11-year stint at Stamford Bridge, shared insights into the challenges Villas-Boas faced at Chelsea.
Pre-Season Conflict and Team Reactions
In a recent interview with talkSPORT, John Terry discussed the feud with Villas-Boas that began during pre-season in 2011. Villas-Boas attempted to demonstrate his control by asking the club’s senior stars to board an economy flight to Hong Kong, leading to a boycott by the squad. Mikel elaborated on this, stating, “He was there with Jose [Mourinho], he was there when he was in his 20s. He saw the club and the players, he was friends with the players, and then he thought, ‘OK now I’m a manager, I need to do something, I need to show them that they have to respect me.’ But he came in and he did it in a different, totally wrong way.”
Missteps in Management
Mikel detailed how Villas-Boas’ management style created friction within the team. He explained, “JT, being the captain that fights for his players, demands a lot from the club to make sure the players are looked after – especially the players that have been there. Senior players that have built the club like he said, you can’t ask us to fly economy.” The situation escalated as Villas-Boas made further attempts to impose his authority, such as leaving Frank Lampard out of games without explanation. “It’s a bit petty, isn’t it? It started with that and I think in a few games, he left Frank Lampard out. He didn’t explain to him why he wasn’t playing and it was just little things, trying to impose his authority straight away, ‘I am the man now, you have to respect me.'”
Consequences of Mismanagement
Mikel emphasized that Villas-Boas’ approach was detrimental to team morale. “If you come in and try to impose straight away, we’ll figure you out straightaway and you see players start to mumble and grumble. And then it doesn’t go well straight away from there.” Villas-Boas ultimately lasted less than a year at Chelsea, with the Blues going on to win the Champions League and FA Cup shortly after his departure.
