Is Villas-Boas up for the Challenge?

Having taken up a job with an axe dangling above the head, pressure seems to have no value. Andre Villas-Boas is well aware of the cons of managing Chelsea. Having had already worked here in Chelsea before, the working of the club is no new peril for him. The count downs reduced and the pre season tactics tried out. The solutions for the best team to be deployed on the opener should be ready and the tactics planned. His rotating policy put on hold and personal choices sacrificed. Along with this, will be the constant reminder of Abrahamovic’s wishes and a whole bunch of egos to deal with. The finally baked cake will be one with less egg in it, but just as sweet as hoped.

This is the first game and he would like to impose his style and thus go with his preferred 4-2-3-1 formation with Torres up front alone as a result of his recovery from the injury he incurred from the mid-week friendly with Spain. The 3 midfielders ahead will be Malouda, McEachran and mostly Sturridge with Lampard and Ramires holding back. The defenders will be Ivanovic on the right, Cole on the left and Alex with Terry in the centre. I go with Alex and not Luiz for the slightest reason that he is more experienced and will be able to see off the early blues compared to his Brazilian counterpart. All though this formation means playing only one striker when the options seem many and all able enough to earn a start, team balance aspect will be looked into and Villas Boas will like to start of in a confident mode with is own impression imprinted.

The team will be told to take the game to Stoke and no kind of hesitancy will be shown by the Chelsea players. No signs of rust or feelers will be exhibited by the Blues as the hunger in their belly is always shown in their starts. Villas Boas will not look to take up the side as Mourinho’s side and will look to carve a niche for himself. The customary arrogant press conferences by the Special One will be replaced by a more sobre but confident one. He will know that what ever might be, he will have a big act to follow and more so due to the numerous comparisons between him and his Country man due to the lines which they drew together. His arrival to the club might not have been a pomp or an enigma, but post Sunday’s kick off, he will look to leave with a bravado.