The great Chelsea revival

Much has been made recently of Chelsea's change of fortune and recent run of results. A few month's ago, an FA Cup Final, Champions League Final and a top four position was unthinkable.


The team was seen as dysfunctional with ageing superstars calling the shots and unwilling to play for their new manager.


Villas Boas looked like a man who wished he had never taken the call from Abramovich's advisers and had stayed in warm, friendly Portugal.


The Chelsea players were roundly criticised by the media especially everyone's favourite pantomime villain John Terry. Their poor results was seen as justification as age had caught up with them.


Could there be another reason why the players looked like shadows of their former selves?


If you read any "team building for idiots" book it will point out the real reasons why Chelsea players could not rally around their new coach. Any new boss in any field faces many difficulties and Villas Boas was set up to fail from day one.


Unfortunately, it was made clear from the start that Andre had taken the job to oversee "a project". Even the details of that project were made clear. Namely, that Chelsea had become a team of old pro's and needed modernising. Nothing wrong with that, except, all of Chelsea's success this season depended on it's ageing stars performing well.


If you were in the same shoes as Lampard, Terry and Drogba is this a project you could get behind?


No, Villas Boas had made it public that the very people that Chelsea FC could rely on were surplus to requirements. He had failed to identify the team leaders and engage them in the goals for the team. Not only that, he had actively alienated them.


Chelsea, indeed any team, need Evolution not Revolution. The older players had been made the scapegoat even though their revival has been largely down to their efforts.


Contrast this with Di Matteo's stance. He actively engaged those three players that mattered and gave them a cause to get behind. "Let's go out and win football matches. Oh and by the way, I need you guys to win them for me." Classic team management. 


No talk of modernisation, no revolution, and no fear of not being part of "the project"


A football managers job is to harness his resources and get the best from each and everyone. If you don't rate someone then sell them. Make them feel part of and important to the clubs success not a has-been or a problem to be solved.


Chelsea have many such problems and yes they do still need to evolve and look to the future but those three wily old pro's have too much quality, experience and leadership to be disregarded.