Chelsea FC: 5 Reasons to Be Excited About Andres Villa-Boas so Far

Andre Villa-Boas has been the manager for Chelsea for under two weeks, but he is already being praised as a savior to a club that may not really need one.

However, he has certainly earned the praise. In his very very short tenure he has made him self a reliable and amicable character that the media has not been able to trash and made the fans optimistic about the future.

At only 33 years old, the obvious worries about how such an inexperienced man could handle the pressures of top European football are being quelled for now. Though a ball has yet to been kicked under his reign, at the rate things are going, there should be relative ease in the air when it finally is.

It would be foolish to suggest that these past two weeks are foretelling a similarly smooth season, but establishing this kind of repertoire early can only help when times become tough as the Chelsea manager.

1. Attitude

The six previous coaches who have walked the halls of czar Abramovich's palace did so as if the floor was covered in egg shells or either stomped loudly through waking the entire court.

Villa-Boas has seem to find a perfect balance in the middle.

He is not calling a press conference every day to discuss how he is going to change this or sign him. He is also not a fly on the wall attempting to ride out the chaos of the pre-season until the games start. He has been a candid individual, but has always kept focus on the club.

In interviews he has given, he reminds the fans that he is only a small part in organism that is Chelsea FC.

Mourinho often made himself the center of attention to the point where it could become a distraction. Ancelotti on the opposite end seemed to avoid answering difficult questions. Villa-Boas has brought together the best of both worlds when dealing with the press. Hopefully he can find that same synthesis on the pitch.

2. Priorities

For being so young, you would expect Villa-Boas to look at Abramovich's checkbook like an open tab at a candy store. But he has not and understood where his priorities lie.

His first signing as the new Chelsea manager was not one of the multiple big name transfer rumors that have been swirling all summer. It was the appointment of his all important back room staff.

A manager is somewhat like a President (or prime minister for our British friends). He is a decision maker who acts on the information and tactics developed from his assistants. If the team does well he will receive all the praise. If they fail, he will be scorned.

The fact that Villa-Boas recognized this shows a level of maturity you may not expect from him. Furthermore, the fact that he made this such a public unveiling presents him as a very modest individual who understands the importance of the men behind the scene and how much they contribute to the teams performance.

3. Handling of the Transfer Window

Before he was even appointed manger, there was speculation that everyone from Luka Modric and Neymar to Rolemlu Lukaku and Adel Taarabt would be wearing Chelsea blue next year.

Once he arrived at Stamford Bridge, that list jumped to about 10 more names, what some how included half the starting line up for Porto last season and apparently every striker to ever score a goal.

But none of these rumors have come from Villa-Boas mouth directly.

He realizes that to open your mouth about another teams player, even in the slightest of praise in this time of the year, will set off a fire storm of speculation and reports written by young journalists twisting words to make a name for themselves. Rather he has sat quietly and absorbed the rumors and patiently plotted out his scheme.

Two weeks in, Villa-Boas still hasn't made a single move.

On this site alone there are usually twice daily updates about who is going where and constant re-working of lists to fit the newest tip. When all is said and done at Stamford Bridge we really won't be able to look at any of these and say we saw it coming.

4. Handling of the Current Players

By coming in and not signing every hot target under the sun, Villa-Boas is also showing respect to the team that is currently there. Unlike his mentor Jose Mourinho seven years earlier, he did not come in and gut the squad.

As a matter of fact he has done the exact opposite by encouraging the potential for the veterans to adapt to his style The Guardian reports:

"We can find things in players' talent that they thought they didn't have," he said. "We think there's something extra we can get out of them, so that is why we focus on ambition and motivation. That is the philosophy we have from top to bottom in all our departments. It is a question of creating empathy, motivation and raising ambitions in everybody."

Though the squad is quickly aging there is plenty of ability left in them. Many see the likes of Drogba, Malouda, Anelka, and even Lampard being sold away or forced to the bench. If the rumors have discouraged them, Villa-Boas is doing the exact right thing to bring them back to their top form.

It is also essential to win over the elders of the club as they have the ability to sway opinion and cause disruptions in the locker room. The Scolari fiasco was intensified by the players publicly rallying against the coach. If Villa-Boas wants to ensure he won't meet a similar fate, getting the veterans on your side is a good way to start.

5. Motivation

These players are professional athletes and should not need motivation from beyond their own passion to play. But making millions of dollars, long arduous seasons, and a manipulative media can drain the energy out of the fiercest of competitors.

Villa-Boas has branded a new technique in an attempt to get his players to play at 110 percent

Mirrorfootball.com reported that at the first official team meeting on Wednesday, Villa-Boas is planning to show a DVD of Manchester United celebrating last year's Premier League title.

The strategy is not new to boss. He did the same thing at Porto with rival Benifca serving as the antagonists.

But even in such a simple idea as showing the squad a video there are deeply rooted psychological tactics:

"If we are going to provoke them in that way, that's for our technical staff to decide. Most of them might think it's rubbish and let's just play. That's the key, he said. "It's not us shouting from the technical area that decides the success. Let's free them on their decision-making and see how they respond to motivation and ambition. We are people who like to focus a lot of motivation and ambition."

All five of these notions point to the overall effect Villa-Boas has brought to Chelsea: a new youthful energy and an approach to the game that may one day become the new standard of football managing.