Chelsea goalkeeper Petr Cech insists under-pressure manager Andre Villas-Boas should not be judged until the end of the season.
Chelsea goalkeeper insists manager should not be judged now
Chelsea goalkeeper Petr Cech insists under-pressure manager Andre Villas-Boas should not be judged until the end of the season.
The 33-year-old Portuguese coach, who was appointed in the summer after being lured from Porto, has seen his position already come under scrutiny.
The Blues slipped out of the top four in the Premier League on Saturday after going down 3-1 at home to Aston Villa, their third defeat of the season at Stamford Bridge.
After a thrilling victory over Manchester City midway through December, Chelsea have slipped out of the title reckoning after failing to win any of their four following fixtures, with draws against Wigan, Tottenham and Fulham prior to the Villa setback.
Villas-Boas refused to be drawn on his future in the immediate aftermath of Saturday's shock setback, insisting any questions over his long-term job prospects should be directed to club owner Roman Abramovich, who is hardly noted for his patience when results are not what he expects.
But Cech wants the club's sixth manager in five years to be given time to guide the squad through what is proving to be a transitional phase.
Potential
He told the
Daily Star Sunday: "He has brought a different philosophy of football and he tries to do things his way.
"Now we need to wait until the end of the season and then judge - because I think there's a lot of potential here.
"We've shown that many times this season and that we can play good football. Hopefully, this will get even better."
And Cech has rejected claims that Villas-Boas' age is a factor, with the Premier League rookie younger than some of the senior players he now holds sway over.
The shot-stopper added: "It comes down to the personality and character. If players are 16 and good enough, then they play.
"And it's the same with the manager. He came here at the age of 33, not because someone is trying to see a miracle but because everybody knew about his quality."
