Wok the hell’s going on, AVB?

Posted Monday, January 02, 2012 by The Sun

BRIDGE OF SIGHS ... Andre Villas-Boas

ANDRE VILLAS-BOAS is today engulfed by fresh reports of unrest and dissent among his Chelsea stars.
Relations between the controversial Stamford Bridge manager and his players are now said to have reached an all-time low.

And SunSport can reveal that there has been at least one act of open defiance to his authority.

That came when AVB stunned his squad by barring striker Nicolas Anelka from the club's Christmas lunch at the Cobham training complex.

The Blues boss did not want Anelka there because he is about to quit Chelsea for Chinese Super League side Shanghai Shenhua.

But team-mates made a public show of their support for the banished Anelka by taking him out to a swanky London restaurant instead.

A top Chelsea source revealed: "The players thought banning Nico from the Christmas lunch was just petty and spiteful.

"So some of the lads got together and took him for a meal at China Tang in Mayfair.

"Apparently, they had a great time and they didn't care if the manager knew all about it."

The worry for Villas-Boas is that the simmering discontent in the camp is now affecting results.

Chelsea have managed just three points from their four games during the Christmas fixtures.

And, on Saturday, they were booed off by their own fans after a dismal 3-1 defeat at home to Aston Villa.

They face Wolves at Molineux today with the problems piling up.

French international winger Florent Malouda cried off sick yesterday, while England striker Daniel Sturridge reported in injured.

But AVB insisted he still had to travel to the Black Country for the game.

Villas-Boas, who took the helm at Chelsea in June, is certainly under pressure to get a result against the struggling Midlanders.

But some players have already lost faith in their rookie boss.

They complain he is arrogant, aloof and uncommunicative. They claim he is out of his depth and tactically inept.

And that he names his team but does not give any proper instructions or even volunteer any sort of game-plan.

That has bred a stifling atmosphere of frustration and upset among the squad.

All of which will further fuel speculation about just how long the 34-year-old Portuguese can survive in the job.

As well as which players may decide to try and jump ship now the January transfer window has opened.

Anelka and Brazilian centre-back Alex are already on the way out.

And Malouda is being mooted as another imminent departure from the Bridge.

Striker Didier Drogba is wanted in China, Russia and the United States but will probably stay for now before moving on in the summer.

John Terry is another who has been linked with China, apparently a possible destination if the Chelsea captain loses his upcoming 'racial abuse' court case.

And even Frank Lampard and Ashley Cole are said to be dismayed and concerned over recent events.