Villas-Boas: Chelsea will put things right
Reuters - Tuesday 22 November 2011, 01:59
Chelsea manager Andre
Villas-Boas said he was satisfied with his team's performances
leading up to Wednesday's Champions League Group E game at Bayer
Leverkusen even though they have suffered an alarming dip in
terms of recent results.
The Londoners have lost three of their last four Premier
League matches including two in a row at home against Arsenal
and Liverpool.
"I think we are playing quite well overall but not getting
the results and I need to analyse the details of what is going
wrong at the back," the under-fire Villas-Boas told reporters.
"We have a good squad, we are still in four competitions and
we will put it right."
Chelsea are top of Group E with eight points from four
games, two ahead of Leverkusen. Valencia, who take on Belgians
Racing Genk on Wednesday, are third on five points.
Villas-Boas said he needed to sort out their defensive
vulnerability after getting beaten 5-3 by Arsenal three-and-a-half-weeks ago and going down 2-1 to Liverpool on Sunday.
However, he added that the controversy surrounding skipper
John Terry, facing police and FA investigations over alleged
racist remarks made to Anton Ferdinand of Queens Park Rangers
last month, was not an issue.
"I don't think its affecting what he does on the pitch,"
said the Portuguese.
Chelsea have not won an away match in the group stage of the
Champions League since a 2-0 victory at Spartak Moscow 13 months
ago and were held 1-1 at Valencia and Genk this season.
Defeat in Leverkusen, coupled with a win for Valencia over
Genk, would make the London club's final match at home to the
Spanish team on December 6 a tense affair.
"Chelsea are under pressure," said Leverkusen captain
Ballack of his former club.
"This is a crucial game. We have won our home games against
Genk and Valencia but we will need to be in top shape," added
Ballack who scored in a 2-0 Bundesliga victory at Kaiserslautern
on Friday.
Possible teams:
Bayer Leverkusen: 23-Bernd Leno; 5-Manuel Friedrich, 21-Omer
Toprak, 24-Michal Kadlec, 27-Gonzalo Castro; 6-Simon Rolfes,
8-Lars Bender, 13-Michael Ballack, 18-Sidney Sam, 9-Andre
Schurrle; 11-Stefan Kiessling
Chelsea: 1-Petr Cech; 17-Jose Bosingwa, 2-Branislav
Ivanovic, 26-John Terry, 3-Ashley Cole; 7-Ramires, 16-Raul
Meireles, 8-Frank Lampard; 10-Juan Mata, 9-Fernando Torres,
23-Daniel Sturridge