Give Villa-Boas breathing space says Valencia boss

Last updated : 05 December 2011 By AFP

Andre Villas-Boas has received support from his close friend Unai Emery whose Valencia team could inflict yet further pain on the under-fire Chelsea boss at Stamford Bridge on Tuesday.

Villas-Boas is trying to bounce back from the worst start made to a season by a Chelsea manager since Roman Abramovich bought the club, a run that has triggered speculation about the safety of his job.

The pressure will only increase if Emery helps dump Chelsea out of the Champions League in Tuesday's final Group E game at Stamford Bridge.

Chelsea need either a goalless draw or a win to avoid being knocked out of the competition at the group stages for the first time in the club's history.

But the Valencia boss insisted Villas-Boas' ideas needed to be given time to take hold, regardless of the outcome.

"Coming to a big club like this and trying to implement his style and his game takes time," Emery said.

"With the way he works, the results will be there in the future.

"It's not going to be good, it's going to be very good. I'm sure of that.

"They might have struggled a bit so far, but when you want to achieve excellence, as Andre and the club wants, it takes a bit more time."

Emery was philosophical about going up against his friend in a match that will see one of their clubs eliminated from the Champions League.

"It would have been nice to see both teams through," he said.

"There's a final tomorrow - Chelsea v Valencia and one of the two will have to go out."

Valencia travel to Stamford Bridge in good form, having won seven of their last eight games.

They will also be facing a side who have lost three of their last four home matches and whose defence has looked vulnerable all season.

Emery said: "They might have had small problems or doubts in the past, but they scored three at Newcastle at the weekend so we can't count on ups and downs.

"We need to put very strong arguments tomorrow to go through.

"We respect Chelsea for their greatness, their history, their top-level players and manager, and we can't count on recent form.

"But this is an opportunity."

Source: AFP

Source: AFP