Chelsea's David Luiz Eases Pressure on Andre Villas-Boas and the Blues

David Luiz has possibly done the most useful thing of his Chelsea career, easing the pressure on under-fire manager Andre Villas-Boas, and subsequently his team, by giving an interview with a Portuguese newspaper.

Speaking to Portugal's sports daily O Jogo, (the report is in English here), Luiz—signed by Carlo Ancelotti from Benfica for £21.5 million—gave his backing to Villas-Boas, and told senior players like Frank Lampard to listen to the boss.

He said:

"

He [Lampard] simply has to listen to the coach when he gives orders and take them. No player can forget that they are just an employee of the club.

...Andre has an immense capacity, he is an excellent person and I am sure he will have a great future at Chelsea.

"

While Luiz may not be the most senior of players in the Chelsea dressing room, for one of the club's main stars to come out in support of the boss, and publicly tell his teammates to do the same, will definitely ease the burden on the under-pressure manager.

Villas-Boas recently admitted that not all of his players are behind his "project," while the way he has consistently talked about his job security recently, and told the press how he anticipates facing the sack, have led many inside and outside of the game, to believe he is a dead man walking.

Luiz's comments, however, will boost the manager and his job security, especially seeing as the 24-year-old center back is largely considered a Roman Abramovich signing.

If one of the "owner's signings" calls for support for the manager, Abramovich may have no choice but to listen to the assets who sell his business' product on the pitch.

And of course, a less burdened manager means a less burdened team.

Knowing he has the support of some of his key players, there will be less tension on the face of Villas-Boas.

Which therefore means there will be less tension on the players and the dressing room as a whole, creating a more positive atmosphere.

A high morale in the camp will be crucial in the business end of the Premier League season, especially as the Blues' rivals for fourth spot, Arsenal and Liverpool, will be heading into the rest of the campaign buoyed by recent successes.

Liverpool's Carling Cup win, as history has shown with several teams, could easily act as a springboard for further success.

While Arsenal's emphatic, swashbuckling and rather surprising 5-2 win over bitter rivals Tottenham Hotspur is almost like winning a trophy in itself.

So it's comments like Luiz's which will be vital in helping Chelsea win the race for that final UEFA Champions League place, as universal support and dressing room morale becomes all-important in the most crucial stage of the season.