AVB fights to stay as Chelsea boss

ANDRE VILLAS-BOAS is fighting for his Chelsea future after only five months in charge.

The young Portuguese manager was brought in to move the club forward after Carlo Ancelotti's sacking.

But there are already concerns among the players that he is taking the team backwards.

They are not convinced by his tactics or his ability to make the right decisions when things are going against them.

Villas-Boas, 34, was hired to mount a twin-pronged assault on the Champions League and Premier League.

But Chelsea are in danger of going out of the Champions League and trail Prem leaders Manchester City by 12 points.

It is the worst start the Blues have made to a season since Roman Abramovich took over in 2003.

They are down to fifth in the table and only goal difference has prevented a drop to seventh.

The word from the Chelsea hierarchy is Villas-Boas will be given more time, especially as owner Abramovich paid £13m to bring him in from Porto.

But Abramovich will not allow the decline carry on indefinitely.

Villas-Boas has held a series of crisis meetings with his squad and has been asking the players to help find solutions.

A dressing room insider told Sunsport: "It's at times like these that players look to the manager for strength and leadership but they don't see it coming from Villas-Boas.

"He is only 34 and perhaps the club are wondering if they made a mistake in bringing in such a young boss.

"There was a lot of respect for Ancelotti but there is not the same feeling for Villas-Boas at the moment."

The added worry for Villas-Boas is that the club's former caretaker boss Guus Hiddink is lurking in the shadows after leaving his job as Turkey chief.