Chelsea FC: 10 Things Andre Villas-Boas Has Got Wrong so Far

Andre Villas-Boas has not managed very well this season.

Admittedly, no one is perfect. In addition, it is tough to expect a lot from a team that is clearly in a transition period. Villas-Boas is trying to play his style with players that are not built for it. It's a tough task.

Nevertheless, there are some major things that Villas-Boas has yet to figure out. Until he does, Chelsea FC will not be winning any silverware anytime soon.

I would like to note that I like Villas-Boas, and I think he has Chelsea moving in the right direction. With that said, here is a list of things that Villas-Boas has messed up this season.

Inability To Figure out Best XI

Chelsea have struggled for most of the year, and the main reason is the players on the field.

What is the best combination of players?

At the beginning of December, that question should be answered. At this point in time, you could ask a dozen Chelsea fans, and you would probably get that many different answers regarding who should be in the starting XI.

With so many matches, I understand that the lineup must change. Still, I don't think there is a set lineup that Villas-Boas feels comfortable falling back on. There ought to be a core 11 (possibly 12 or 13) players that play, and that simply isn't the case.

He's getting closer to figuring it out, but at this point in the season, it should already be done.

Loan out Yossi Benayoun

Look, I'm not saying Yossi Benayoun would change Chelsea's fortunes, but he certainly wouldn't hurt.

After spending the entire summer looking for a creative midfielder, they may have sent him to the other side of London. Benayoun has great vision, and he can facilitate as well as anyone on Chelsea's squad. With him in the middle, along with Juan Mata, Chelsea could be a very dangerous attacking team.

He would send beautiful passes to the strikers, helping them find a rhythm. That rhythm would equal goals. Unfortunately, Benayoun isn't here to help.

Lose Three Matches at Stamford Bridge

When Chelsea won the Premier League/FA Cup double in 2010, they only lost twice at home.

All season. In all competitions.

They have already lost three matches at Stamford Bridge, and it isn't even Christmas yet. If you want to win silverware and compete in Europe, your stadium has to be a fortress. When teams are able to come into the Bridge with confidence, it ruins the home-field advantage.

Chelsea are a good football club, with a very nice stadium. Unfortunately, it doesn't have the intimidation factor it used to have.

It is acceptable to lose at home periodically, but not at the rate Chelsea are currently losing. If Chelsea hope to compete in the Premier League, they will need to secure three points at every home match.

Suicidal Defense

This slide won't be ripping on David Luiz (that one is coming). Instead, this is about the horrible line Chelsea insist on using.

Rather, the horrible line Andre Villas-Boas is determined on using. In the English Premier League, it is nearly impossible to employ a successful offside trap. When you have some of the best tackling defenders in the world, there is no use for the offside trap at all.

Yet, Villas-Boas insists his players push forward. Did you see Glen Johnson's goal? No one was covering the back side, and there were only a handful of players behind the ball. At 1-1, with only five minutes left, there is no reason to be pressing forward like that.

Sit back, try for a counterattack but don't sell out when you have a point against a good team. No, it wasn't the ideal result, but one point is better than none.

Villas-Boas plays with a high line. However, with the talent he has in the back, along with the talent Chelsea are facing, that line ought to fall back.

Daniel Sturridge on the Outside

I don't understand Andre Villas-Boas' insistence on playing Daniel Sturridge on the outside.

Regardless of deciding who should play in the middle, Sturridge sure shouldn't be playing on the outside. He holds the ball too long, forces too many shots and doesn't seem interested in crossing.

He's a natural striker, which explains these tendencies. Still, if he can't figure them out, get someone on the wing that can. Watching Sturridge dribble aimlessly is getting old, and it needs to stop.

Yes, he has been scoring goals. And yes, his form has been good. That being said, he is not a winger. Villas-Boas needs to stop forcing him to be a winger.

Striker Issues

In similar news to the previous slide, the striker situation at Chelsea is a joke.

Didier Drogba is the long-time club star, trying to hold on. Even with his two goals on Tuesday, Drogba hasn't looked good this season. He seems lost, and he doesn't have the same swagger that he's had in years past. If he can score goals like Tuesday, there will be a spot in the lineup for him.

Fernando Torres has been giving fans headaches since he showed up at Stamford Bridge. He has played pretty well, and he sets the tone for the attack. Unfortunately, he rarely puts the ball in the net, and this year he has one of the worst misses I have ever seen. If he can start putting the ball in the net, the spot is his. Easier said than done.

Daniel Sturridge is another option. He proved he could score while at Bolton last year (eight goals in 11 matches), and maybe he deserves a chance up top. It clearly isn't working with him out wide, so maybe he could solve Chelsea's woes up top.

Regardless of who he selects, Villas-Boas needs to get a definite starter, and hope he (whoever it is) scores goals when he should.

Refusal To Use Oriol Romeu

This complaint is losing its luster.

Oriol Romeu has started each of the past four matches, and he has played better than the other defensive midfielders employed by Andre Villas-Boas. Who would've guessed?

Well, just about anyone that had seen John Obi Mikel play.

Barcelona has a buy-back clause on Romeu, which could explain Villas-Boas' reluctance to play the youngster. Still, might as well use the kid while he's here. If the Catalans want him back, so be it.

Romeu is Chelsea's best option for the holding midfield position, and he should continue playing there, at least until Michael Essien comes back.

Not Teaching David Luiz How To Defend

Look, I like David Luiz. I really do.

He attacks well, he causes opponents headaches and he tackles pretty well once he's on the ball.

However, his off-ball defending is horrible. The Brazilian is caught ball-watching nearly every game, as he allows attackers slip in behind him.

His challenges can be reckless, but he's simply trying to catch up to the player he lost. His marking is poor, and he is unimpressive in the air. As a centre-back next to John Terry, you need to play sharper than Luiz has played.

Andre Villas-Boas continues to play Luiz, as he probably should. Nevertheless, he needs to teach Luiz how to mark, which seems ridiculous, considering Luiz is 24 years old. Still, if Villas-Boas doesn't teach Luiz how to mark, the Blues will continue to concede cheap goals.

Lose Four League Matches Before Christmas

Since the 2001-02 season, the most losses an English Premier League champion has had is six.

Other than that, no club has won the title with more than five losses. Considering Chelsea are nearly there, that doesn't bode well for their title hopes.

Granted, Chelsea didn't necessarily expect to win the league this year. Still, they could've at least made a run at it. The Blues are 10 points off the pace, and Manchester City have seemed pretty indestructible. Obviously, they can have a dip in form, but I wouldn't count on that.

Accordingly, Chelsea must avoid a loss for the rest of the year to stay in the title race. Seems reasonable, right?

Wrong.

Villas-Boas had a November dip in form. Chelsea will have to pay for that dip, as they will be fighting all year to qualify for the Champions League.

Not Winning over the Fans

Andre Villas-Boas knew he was coming into a high-pressure situation.

Roman Abramovich is known for the quick axe, and Villas-Boas was hoping to avoid it. In order to do that, he needed to start the season off well. Unfortunately, he hasn't necessarily done that.

He has saved his job for the time being by qualifying for the knockout stages of the Champions League, but it only gets tougher from here. He will most likely make it to January now, which will hopefully prompt him to get some more players that would better fit into his system.

I understand that Chelsea are amidst a transition, but that doesn't make it any less stressful. Chelsea fans want silverware, and no title is on the horizon.

Villas-Boas hasn't made a good first impression, and he will have to make up for that in the near future.