Chelsea Transfer News: Villas-Boas Needs More Than Marquee Signings to Contend

There was something special about the quality of play when Jose Mourinho ruled Stamford Bridge. Now, the key to success will be whether Andre Villas-Boas can replicate that special quality. 

So far, Chelsea have gone about the summer transfer period in the same way they have in the past few iterations.

They welcome yet another new manager and have once again gone back to the deep pockets of owner Roman Abramovich to solve their problems. 

They have lobbed grenades of cash at just about any team that has a youthful promising star. There is no certainty that they will be able to pull off signing anyone of them.

There is Neymar, who is apparently no longer for sale. That is despite Chelsea promising to sell them the world in a buyout deal. 

Even if he was available, there is no certainty that he wouldn't much rather play in the hallowed confines offered by Real Madrid. 

Chelsea is also in hot pursuit of Palermo attacking maestro Javiar Pastore. The midfielder has a flair for the dramatic, and his production at Palermo has made the Argentine the darling of the transfer period. 

Yet, the Blues have already signed high-priced talent, and that road has lead them here. The purchase of Fernando Torres was supposed to spur the Blues to the heights that their owner demands.

They were supposed t finally get over in their pursuit for Champions League glory. Instead, they brought on a piece that is still yet to really fit in this strange mysterious puzzle. 

The key for Villas-Boas is simple, if not profoundly difficult to produce. Chelsea needs to be remolded in his vision. For too long we have seen manager after manager come in and attempt to make the fans and brass happy. 

You cannot manage by appeasing or being a lame-duck chief with no real power. Villas-Boas must be allowed to work his magic—if he indeed did glean some from Mourinho when he was last at Stamford Bridge.

There will be some that need to go. Rumors have bubbled that Michael Essien has found his way to the bottom of the manager's pile of players. Yet, Essien remains, a fixture from the past. 

If Torres is indeed the man of the hour, the team must be shaped to appease his talents. There needs to be more flair from a team that looked drab and sluggish for a good portion of the season. 

Simply, the club cannot be afraid to shake things up as to the roster or style of play. The Blues have been a top-flight team for quite some time.

However, they have grown stagnant in their progress. It is time for some actual change that will bring in a multitude of trophies. 

The only thing that matters to Chelsea and its boss is the Champions League. The old way has not worked, so it is time for a complete change to take form. 

Villas-Boas now takes the reins, but we cannot have this chapter end the way the last few have. Bring the passion and fire back to the pitch, and the rest will follow.