Andre Villas-Boas in power struggle with senior Chelsea players in attempt to stamp his authority at Stamford Bridge

Premier League's youngest manager has upset the dressing room with his policy of keeping the team at arm's length, while the absence of a players' advocate has caused problems

SPECIAL REPORT


By Wayne Veysey

‘It’s good to talk’ was one of the more memorable TV advert soundbites, but it is not a practice that Andre Villas-Boas has prioritised in his dealings with the Chelsea players during a rollercoaster six-month reign.

Goal.com can reveal that Villas-Boas barely speaks one-on-one with his players, other than to offer tactical guidance and instructions, which has led to increasing disgruntlement among the senior players.

The likes of John Terry, Frank Lampard, Petr Cech, Didier Drogba and Ashley Cole have been allowed by various Chelsea managers dating back to Claudio Ranieri to effectively run the dressing room how they see fit.

But Villas-Boas, who at 34 is only five months older than Drogba and nine months senior to Lampard, has attempted to stamp his authority on the squad by weakening the power base of the cabal of senior players.

One Chelsea source explained: “It is not a happy camp. It seems to be a deliberate strategy by Villas-Boas not to talk to the players.

“Villas-Boas thinks he has to do it to establish himself at the club but it there is a lot of distance and hostility between him and the players. The senior guys feel ostracised by him.”

Figures in the dressing room were understood to be “stunned” that the Portuguese passed up opportunities to sing the praises of Lampard after the midfielder, whose status has been diminished considerably this season, scored late winning goals against Manchester City and Wolves in the last month.

On both occasions, Villas-Boas refused to talk about Lampard and chose to make bland observations about how all players are valuable and it does not matter who scores.

Intriguingly, there is no longer a players’ advocate at the club to smooth relations between the players and management, which has led to gripes from squad members used to a direct line of communication with the decision-makers.

This was a role filled in the past notably by Carlo Ancelotti’s former No.2 Ray Wilkins, who was sacked last November, and Paul Clement, the long-serving coach who worked under all of Roman Abramovich’s managerial appointments until being dismissed shortly before Villas-Boas took the reins.

“They have not got someone who fills that function anymore,” the source added. “[Assistant first-team coach] Steve Holland is a good guy and a good coach but he has not been there that long and is still establishing himself.

“The players feel they are not being listened to anymore, which has led to disenchantment in certain quarters.”

Michael Emenalo, the technical director who is regarded as Roman Abramovich’s eyes and ears at the club’s Cobham headquarters, is viewed with suspicion by both players and some of the coaching staff. “He is the spy in the camp, so people are quite wary of him,” the insider said.

A toxic combination of mixed results and inconsistent performances have not aided the standing of the manager, even though he is only one of two Premier League managers, along with Arsene Wenger, to guide his club into the Champions League knock-out stages.

As Goal.com revealed in November, Villas-Boas’ position is regarded as safe if he secures an automatic Champions League place this season. There is no expectation at the top of the club for a fourth domestic title of the Abramovich era.

The Portuguese will be given time to build an entertaining and successful team but there have been question marks within the club about some of his on-field tactics, particularly the high defensive line which produced some calamitous results and has now been disbanded.

“The players didn’t want the high line because they don’t think Chelsea have the personnel to make it work,” the source added. “David Luiz is very impetuous and made some poor decisions, which is why they want to bring in Gary Cahill.”

There has also been some disquiet about Villas-Boas’ use of Juan Mata, who has generally been given a floating playmaker role with licence to be the creative conduit between midfield and attack.

The source continued: “Lampard has been eased down the pecking order to allow Mata to flourish, which hasn’t been to everyone’s liking. Although Mata has played very well at times, he is still adjusting to the unique demands of the Premier League and there is a feeling that he could have been rotated a little bit more.”

One of the big question marks when Villas-Boas took over at the Bridge was his exposure to big-name players with egos to match.

He has chosen to take a completely different path to Ancelotti, in particular, whose modus operandi was that of smooth diplomacy, which generally kept the senior players on board.

Whatever the end result, Villas-Boas will do it his way.

Fergie wants Frank! And Chelsea legend Lampard is ready to talk to United

Sir Alex Ferguson is considering a sensational move for unsettled Chelsea midfielder Frank Lampard.

Sportsmail understands Lampard would not be averse to a switch to Old Trafford.

With United struggling for numbers in midfield and desperate to make sure Sunday's FA Cup opponents Manchester City do not leave them behind at the top of the Barclays Premier League, manager Ferguson is weighing up an offer for a player he has always admired.

With Lampard now 33, the United board would have to be persuaded to sanction a deal for a player who earns in excess of £140,000 a week and would have no sell-on value for a club still struggling under the weight of the Glazer debt.

United would also face a battle to persuade Chelsea to sell to a major rival.

However, Ferguson believes that Lampard represents a unique opportunity to add something significant to his squad and was delighted to this week hear of suggestions that the former West Ham midfielder would consider a move north to Manchester.

Lampard has only 18 months left on his current deal and does not enjoy a particularly healthy relationship with Stamford Bridge boss Andre Villas-Boas.

It is understood that Lampard is looking to move away from Chelsea this summer and would ideally like to stay in the Premier League.

The transfer fee would be minimal, given his contractual situation and that he has given Chelsea 10 years of service.

Ferguson considered joining the bidding for Lampard when he joined Chelsea from West Ham for £11million in 2001.

Subsequently he has made no secret of his admiration for him, saying in one interview in 2005: 'Lampard is quite an interesting case. He is an exceptional individual.'

While Lampard could not be relied upon to play every game, he would bring something different to the dressing room.