Chelsea FC: Andre Villas-Boas' 10 Best Moves Thus Far

Andre Villas-Boas has been the Chelsea manager for just over four months now, and so far, he has had some decent success. Boasting a 7-2-1 record in all competitions through his first 10 games, with the only loss coming away to Manchester United, has him on the path toward a good finish.

Few speculated that Villas-Boas would not be able to do well in what could be deemed one of the most difficult managerial positions in the game. His vision as young man, who learned the game by studying it relentlessly, made him one of the hottest names in football through his success at Porto.  Taking on a big time London based club never looked to be easy, but he has handled the stress of dealing with players, owners and fans exceptionally.

Though it has been a relatively short time in charge, with the second international break this weekend, I thought it may be interesting to look back on what he has done so far and see where he had his greatest moves. Here are the top 10 decisions he has made thus far.

10. Building for the Future

Since Abramovic took over the club in 2003, the main knock rivals would make on the club is that they are indeed not a club at all. They are stock exchange that buys up talent for whatever the cost, gets the best out of some and dumps the rest. Russian has spent nearly 700 million on the club to date, most of which has gone into the purchasing of players.

For the most part, it has been a successful feat. Critics may look at him and the club and gawk at the methods, but it is difficult to argue the unprecedented success it has brought. However, since Villas-Boas has been in charge, there seems to be more of a cap on the amount of money that could be spent. Perhaps it is due to the new fair play rules or the fact that Chelsea has spent more than any other English club over the last few transfer windows. Whatever it is, Villas-Boas has not been spending like the mad managers of the past.

Instead, he has become creative and is attempting to cement his place in charge not for just the nest few seasons, but the next decade. All of his early purchases were young players that you could deem would not have an immediate role in the season beyond early Carling and FA Cup games. In fact, of the seven players, he brought in only Raul Meireles over the age of 23.

With Manchester United already rubbing their youth in the faces of their Premier League rivals, it is not enough for a manager to only be concerned about the season before them. They must look toward the future and realize that job security is based on how long you can grow a team, not just sustain the one you have. It appears that Villas-Boas understands this and hopefully will have the chance to make it happen.

9. Loan, Loan, Loan...

One of the biggest difficulties in handling a team with this much talent is walking the careful balancing act of keeping all the players happy, fresh and ready to play. The easy way to do this is just keep enough stars and egos so you do not upset anyone. But then of course you run the risk of lacking depth when injuries occur. The other way of doing this, the way Villas-Boas decided to go, is to loan and loan at will.

Chelsea has an odd mix of young and up and coming talent and established veterans on the twilight of their career. You cannot stymie the growth of the future, but you also can’t insult the players that put in their time. By loaning out a good lot of his youngsters, he has solved the problem with little risk in doing so.

Chelsea currently has on loan 11 players, all but one of which is 21 years old or younger. These players would not get the slightest chance of playing for Chelsea in even the most remedial of matches during the season. It suits them and the club better if they are off with lower division sides getting some much needed experience under their belt.

Some of the more advanced players like Gael Kakuta, Jeffery Bruma, Thibaut Courtois and Patrick van Aanholt have been loaned out to first division clubs across Europe and excelled in their short time there thus far. Similar to the way Daniel Sturridge improved leaps and bounds at Bolton, the same is expected of these players so they are ready to take over in a year or two.

It is not exactly rocket science to see this as the most obvious conclusion in keeping players happy and developing. But Villas-Boas pulled the trigger on the decision nonetheless, and it looks like it will pay off in the near future.

8. His Approach to the Media

With a resume that features the British Virgin Islands, Académica and Porto, Villas-Boas never had to deal with the extreme scrutiny that goes with coaching a big time club. Yes, Porto is a European power, but when you have a historical season from the first to last game like he did, you position is never really challenged by the media. The thing about being in London is that success doesn’t always gain you immunity.

There was some murmurs about Villas-Boas coming to manage a club where some of the players were only a few months his senior. He is by no means the youngest manager to ever coach in this position, but he was very young considering his experience, or lack thereof.

Any speculation that arose was only fueled by the first few results. A draw to Stoke to open, an unconvincing win over West Brom, followed by two more games that stayed close far too long against Norwich and Sunderland, had some suggesting this may not work. Welcome to a world where 3-1-0 is just not good enough.

But in every postgame interview, every questioning of his methods, every attempt to derail the course he had the team on was met with a response that implied that he had his team exactly where he wanted them.

Questions came down about the ineffectiveness of Torres. He dismissed them immediately and now the Spaniard looks to have finally found his form.

Questions were asked about how he would handle the many strikers he had on the roster. He promised that they would be taken care of, and so far, they are all happy and scoring.

This is even more amazing given the so called "apprenticeship" he served under one of the men most hostile to the media in the modern game, Jose Mourinho. Villas-Boas must have taken a look at the amount of nonessential extra stress Mourinho brought upon himself by not being cordial and respective to the media. It is obvious that the 33-year-old understands that his charming smile can go a long way in easing the anxieties of both the fans and the media alike.

7. Making Sturridge a Primary Starter

The 4-3-3 system that Villas-Boas used to great effect at Porto was not going to be easily translated into the Chelsea team. The biggest problem he faced was trying to figure out a way to transform a plethora of talented center strikers into the adapted role of winger. Chelsea did not have any "true" wingers when he first came, and the system relied on having players who were quick, aggressive and talented with the ball both on and off their feet.

The purchasing of Juan Mata solved the problem of the left side, but there was still work to be done on the right. Nicolas Anelka started there and did well, but his slow steady buildup hindered the play of Torres. However, as soon as Daniel Sturridge's suspension ended from the previous season, Villas-Boas threw him on and hasn’t looked back since.

Sturridge really started making waves on his loan to Bolton last season. Fans can criticize Ancelotti as much as they want, but that move to loan Sturridge out may become his greatest legacy at the club. He became an instant success, scoring eight goals in 12 matches and became the center of many rumors that had him link to a permanent move to the club. Instead Villas-Boas saw the potential this young man possessed and held onto him.

Sturridge rewarded him for his trust by giving some sensational performances in the preseason and showing that the is not only the future of Chelsea, but the future of England. In his first game in the 2011/12 season, he scored a nifty back heel to help them past Sunderland. In his return to Reebok Stadium, he would score two inside of the first 30 minutes.

When he is not putting the ball in the back of the net, he is a nightmare for left back defenders. His speed and aggressiveness make him a constant threat no matter the situation, and he has gotten his fair share of assists as well.

Originally proclaiming that he wanted to play in a central role, Villas-Boas seems to have convinced him that he is better suited on the outside. The United game showed that he still has some way to go before becoming that elite winger, but the choice to help him develop in actual games will pay off in the future for the manager.

6. Handling of the Modric Saga

Nothing this summer was as contentious, public and dirty as the Luka Modric transfer saga. Starting almost immediately at the conclusion of the season, Chelsea made it quite clear that they were in the market for the Croatian’s talents.

Offers were made and dismissed.  Rumors bubbled up and were popped. At one point, there were reports that Abarmovic has sailed one of multi-million dollar yachts to the Adriatic to wine and dine the midfielder into submission,  and apparently, it worked. Modric began to become vocal in declaring he wanted a move south.

The price went from a rumored reasonable £20 million to the preposterous sum of £50 million plus players by the time it was said and done.

Villas-Boas was dropped in the middle of all of this. He did not start the fire, but was expected to keep it tame. You could kind of think of him as the nanny for a spoiled little rich boy, and like a good nanny, he kept his mouth shut and never said anything that would get him in trouble.

It is pretty evident that Villas-Boas would have liked to have Modric on the squad, simply because he is a good player that could have helped the team. But you would never be able to get that out of him. He was pelted with questions about the situation: Do you want him? How much will you spend? Will he be the key player on the team? He answered them all with an ambiguous wink and a nod never stating more than his admiration for Modric as a player.

With the task of instilling a new system on a group of players that have never played this style before, there were much more pressing issues than dealing with a player who is not even on the team. For being such a young manager with so much spending money before him, it is tempting to put your efforts in securing the best talent possible. But by taking the approach that Villas-Boas did, he handled a situation that even the most experienced of managers sometimes struggle with and still has a team that can rival any other.

5. Respecting the Veterans

The dismissal of Carlo Ancelotti was more or less prompted by a losing streak in the winter months. Injuries to key players made them slump fifth place at one point and exposed a vulnerability that they had not shown in years, a lack of depth. With the injuries being primarily to older players, it was safe to assume that these were not isolated incidents, but more the effects of ageing.

Villas-Boas inherited this problem right from the start. Being such a young and progressive mind, the question of how to approach the situation became rather prominent in his first press conferences. He of course wanted to build a team to his liking, but also had to be careful to not splinter the clubhouse by alienating the leaders. He also had to respect the history that names like Lampard, Terry and Drogba had brought to Stamford Bridge in their tenures there.

Like a true gentleman, Villas-Boas understood that even though he was now the manager that he was still the new guy. Almost on the instant of his appointment, he declared that the veterans on the team had little to worry in way of being forced out of the club. All players, from the very youngest on the reserve squad to the oldest legend, would get there fair chance of earning a place on the team.

Many managers have made bold proclamations like this before, but few stick to them. With the amount of forwards that were rostered at the beginning of the season, it was assumed that the position where the most fat would be cut. With Malouda, Anelka and Drogba all over 30, popular opinion suggested that at least one would be gone by September. Instead, Villas-Boas was a man of his word and has kept all three, rotating them in the lineup and getting the best out of all his players.

When you are managing players that are only a year or two younger, you are not going to have an inherent respect from them. But by being a man of integrity, he has won over the clubhouse and united all ages. So far, not one ill word has been spoken from the team on their manager, and most of the praise has come from those veterans that seemed threatened at the start.

4. Sticking with Torres

Another factor that weighed heavily into Ancelotti’s sacking was one that it is debatable how much he actually had to do with. The enigma that is Fernando Torres plagued the Italian and probably aged him more rapidly than anything in his life before. How is he supposed to play a player who is ineffective? How is he supposed to sit a player that is so expensive? The questions of life, or at least the life of a Chelsea manager.

It was almost unanimous across the board that fans believed the arrival of Villas-Boas would do more to help Torres find his old form than anything else. Falcao had been made into a household name for the avid European football fan as he went on an absolute tear in the Europa League as Porto’s lone striker. The comparisons between the Columbian and Torres extend well beyond their playing style and all the way to their preferred hairdos.

The quick build up in play and tempo would feed much more into Torres’ ability to time his runs and latch on to through balls like he did at Liverpool and Atletico Madrid. The fact that Villas-Boas also stood by his striker at every question further helped instill confidence in him the way few had before as he continued to slump.

However, through the preseason and the first few games, Torres continued to struggle. He was still not finding his form, and Drogba looked like the better option in most instances. As they scraped by in match after match, Villas-Boas really had to evaluate what to do about Torres. Some fans called for his head to be placed on a sign outside Stamford Bridge, warning all major signings the consequences of underperforming. Others felt that more time was needed and stuck to the mantra “form is temporary, but class is forever.”

Villas-Boas continued to stick with Torres, never doubting him publicly and giving him every opportunity he could to show his worth. Then all of a sudden, he started to turn it on. Two assists against Leverkusen in Champions League started to right the ship. A tremendous performance (with the exception of one major blunder) against United helped earn him back the respect of all fans. Another against Swansea the following week suggested that perhaps finally he was back and ready to play.

Villas-Boas never doubted the abilities of Torres. That was the key reason to why he, Torres and the team are now playing at a top level. Torres still has some way to go to proving that his price tag was justifiable (by first merely playing a good full 90 minutes), but he is well on his way toward doing so and can thank Villas-Boas for the opportunity.

3. Keeping Lampard in the Lineup

When you are a fan of a sports team, any team, one of the most difficult things you have to deal with is the aging of favorite players. It is almost like watching your parents get older. They begin to lose that mystique about them, that thought in your mind that they are something other than you, they are stronger, smarter, more romanticized than you ever will be. They essentially become more human.

Frank Lampard is beyond legend at Stamford Bridge. He is a near mythical figure, and the stats he has accumulated and the trophies he has brought the club will become immortalized the passing of time. At age 33, he is nearing the end of a career that few could even dream of.

Growing up in the shadow of his father, a West Ham legend, he began his career humble and with the club. But before long, he moved to Chelsea and became one fan favorite in his first season. Ten years, 175 goals and 110 assists later, he has become the most prominent face the club has to offer.

With Villas-Boas coming in and the quick countering style of play he wished to install, many wondered how the methodical play of Lampard would fit in. In respectful fashion, Villas-Boas gave Lampard the chance to keep his place by giving him the start in the first few games. Fans cracked at the chance to blame the midfielder for slowing down play, not being dynamic and hindering the development of the team.

Then Villas-Boas began to drop Lampard from the starting lineup. Much was made of the decision, and it received more attention than any others the manager had made. Villas-Boas always remained vocal in the fact that it was to rest Lampard, not to diminish his role.

Lampard leaving the dugout area in the last few minutes of the team’s 4-1 win over Swansea added fuel to the fire. The media tried to blow it up into an act of defiance and splinter the locker room. Since then, we have learned that Lampard was getting ready for a post-match training session to prepare for Chelsea’s mid week game against Valencia.

He would go on to score Chelsea’s only goal in that match. Four days later, he would go on to net a hat trick against Bolton, bringing his total to a team leading five goals in all competitions. Considering he has played less minutes than any of the players above him in the league race, he has been the most efficient scorer this season.

Villas-Boas could have easily cast him to the side and concentrated of developing young players that will inevitably replace him. But by not doing so, he has been rewarded with a player that has adapted his game and remains as much as a threat as he did years ago.

2. Ramires Santos Do Nascimento, Enough Said

The beginning of Villas-Boas’ actual physical coaching at Chelsea could not have gotten off to a worse start. Within days of taking the training grounds, Michael Essien tore his ACL was ruled out until January at the very earliest. The Ghanaian has been one of the best players on the team and in the league when he is on the pitch. Few are as dynamic and well rounded of a player as he is. The problem is keeping him on the field.

Immediately, speculation started to grow about who would be brought in to replace Essien. Many liked the idea of him going after his old holding midfielder, Joao Moutinho from Porto. He is a similar player and would help bring some continuity through his familiarity with Villas-Boas and his system. Others suggested more established names like Modric be brought in to fill the void. Whatever was to be done, someone needed to fill the role at least until Essien’s return.

Villas-Boas decided to take the high road on the situation. Instead of buying a player who a) only would hold the role until Essien’s return and would not be good enough to do so or b) buy a great player then juggle him and his price tag with Essien once he returned, he kept the players he had and worked them into the role.

John Obi Mikel, Essien’s replacement during previous injuries, filled in as a stout defensive midfielder. He is good at winning balls and a strong presence. But Mikel always lacked that attacking edge to where he could slalom through defenders and be a threat in the box. But the other holding midfielder does that and more.

Ramires played a decent amount under Ancelotti, but never really lived up to any surreal expectations. He always just seemed to bob around that “good enough” mark that got him adequate playing time. But under Villas-Boas, he has become the most influential player on the team week in week out.

His energy and stamina makes him a force for an entire 90 minutes. He is a box to box midfielder in the truest sense of the word, winning nearly every 50/50 ball and getting ahead of the forwards on more than one occasion per game. He scored two well earned goals against Swansea and has helped in the build up to others.

The sad truth is that as much as fans love Essien for his skill and work ethic, he is so injury prone it is hard to ever imagine him returning to the greatness he once had. But looking toward the future, Ramires will provide a more than adequate replacement. Villas-Boas inherited the Brazilian from his predecessor, but under the young boss, he has really begun to shine.

1. Purchasing Mata

Within minutes of Manchester City’s first game this year, it became obvious that the signing of Sergio Aguero may have been the move of the summer. By the end of the full 90, it looked like it may have been the move of the decade. Through this early part of the season, the Argentinean has eight goals in the league and propelled City to a new level they have not seen in decades. He is neck and neck with Wayne Rooney for the golden boot and front runner for player of the year. However, he may not be the MVP in the way that the award is written.

It is always debated how to define the Most Valuable Player. Is it based on stats? Is it accomplishments on a team level or personal? Or is it perhaps who is the most valuable player to their club?

It is impossible to say where City would be had they not picked up Aguero, but it is possible to guess where Chelsea would be had they not gotten Juan Mata. Thorough Chelsea’s first two games, they seemed very static in their play and not quite sure how to develop through the wings the way Villas-Boas wanted. Without any true wingers, it seemed like more of an awkward wide attack than movement that is supposed to funnel toward the middle as they got closer to goal.

Juan Mata was the first winger they had signed and the biggest name they got all summer. He was often lost in the shadows of stars like David Silva and David Villa while at Valencia, but his move to Chelsea would cement him amongst the great players that have moved on to big time clubs from the seaside town.

In his very first match, coming on 20 minutes from time, he sparked a new life in the side. Suddenly they were playing with a pace and intensity that had not been seen before. He even was rewarded with a goal that clinched the win.

Since then, he has not looked back as he has become the leader on the Chelsea attack. His movement all over the field has made him impossible to mark and his skill both with and without the ball makes defending him a nightmare. Torres has elevated his play since Mata’s arrival. The midfield looks more comfortable. And Villas-Boas seems to finally have his philosophy translated into play.

With only two goals and two assists, his numbers hardly compare to those of Aguero’s, but his play has singlehandedly elevated this Chelsea side to a whole new level. At only 23 years old. there is little doubt that this will one day be his team, and he will lift many trophies over his head wearing blue. For all the moves Villas-Boas has made, nothing has been better for now or the future than buying Mata.

Do you think this is the right order? What would you change? What other moves has Villas-Boas made that you could add to this list?