Chelsea FC Transfer Rumors: Villa-Boas Happy with His Current Squad

Chelsea manager Andre Villa-Boas has split fan opinion over his decision to remain inactive in the transfer market up to this point. Many find last mid-season's poor run of form a sign that the aging and weary legs that made the club relevant are finally reaching their breaking point. Others seem to think that the failure to win silverware was more having to do with coaching and an unhappy locker room. Whatever the issue may have been, Villa-Boas believes in the players he has right now.

From the moment the Portuguese man stepped foot on English soil, the rumors over signings began to take life. Many of them had to do with marquee and big name forwards including Neymar, Falcao and Sergio Aguero. It is easy to see why: They are great players on mid- to upper-level squads looking to break into a big time team, and it is always fun to speculate over players who can have a tangible effect on your squad.

However, Villa-Boas has made no indication that he will not sign any of these players, and flat out told the press in a post-match interview that he will not "go into the market and make mistakes."

“We have plenty of availability in terms of forwards who can play in different positions—with Anelka, with Kalou, Didier, Torres and Sturridge. This is the reality at the moment of our squad. We need to find the correct balance and this is why preseason is important. On that decision, to bring in another forward, at the moment I don't think we will.”

Though they were not able to capitalize with goals, the forwards did perform decently overall. They were all able to get behind the back line of Malaysia with ease and created a fair share of opportunities. Anelka, Sturridge and Kalou all proved that they are capable of playing out wide. Drogba and Torres did fine in the middle.

To bring in another forward at this moment would seem to clutter an already full house. With the exception of Torres, any of the forwards mentioned have the capability to play in the wide position, making crosses or cutting inside behind the wide backs. But once on the field, if the run of the game calls for it, they could easily be adjusted to a two-man front and not lose a step in doing so. The versatility is being valued by Villa-Boas, as opposed to bringing in a true winger that if they cannot beat their defender essentially become useless.

With that said there is also the issue staring Villa-Boas, the team, and the fans all in the face. Chelsea's preseason record is 3-0-0, but it really should be 1-2-0. Luck against Portsmouth and a poor call yesterday against Malaysia gave Chelsea two wins they should not have had. A lack of goals, even with this supposedly high-powered offensive mind has been the looming question at the Chelsea camp.

Granted these are preseason matches and as Villa-Boas states, he is still trying to find the right combinations. But both Liverpool and Arsenal handled this same team (6-3 and 4-0 respectively) with the same type of rotation of the squad.

The new formation and style of play has become a hurdle for the team that they are racing to get over before the season starts. It is obvious that they are still trying to understand exactly how the system works. Yesterday showed good play on the back line, in the midfield and between the forwards. The problem was linking the three lines together to play as a homogeneous unit.

The midfield had to track back to receive the ball from the defense, but then was too far from the forwards to deliver effective passes. Malaysia's stacked midfield had too many bodies to maneuver through. Long passes over the top were the only way they seemed to be able to reach them.

This worked yesterday, but they also physically outmatched this essentially U-23 Malaysian side in height and strength. When they are facing the Premier League backs, this will not be nearly as easy of a way to move the ball as it was yesterday.

It really calls into question that should this formation not work what will he abandon first, his style or his promise of a quiet transfer market?