• Premier League

Villas-Boas denies giving Chelsea dressing down

ESPNsoccernet staff
October 31, 2011
Andre Villas-Boas insists Chelsea 'are on the right track' © PA Photos
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Chelsea manager Andre Villas-Boas has denied delivering a "rant" at his players in the wake of their 5-3 Premier League loss to Arsenal.

A newspaper report suggested Villas-Boas vented a furious dressing down to his charges 24 hours after Saturday's match, such was the Portuguese's anger at their defeat to their London rivals.

But Villas-Boas has rubbished the report, stressing there was nothing unusual with the way he reflected on the Blues' second successive top flight defeat that sees the team nine points off leaders Manchester City.

"There was no kind of rant or extra work," Villas-Boas said. "There was a conversation as there would always be after a game. But don't get misled. With the defensive thing, it has something to do with balls played in behind with depth.

"We have analysed the game. There are quick counter-attacks, goals suffered in a defensive block, and that's nothing to do with a high line. We play with that because that's our philosophy, but we're not weakened by that. If it's not right at the moment, we'll focus on getting it right.

"There's always a learning curve in winning and in losing. I think you have to be frank and say that our progress was stopped in a disastrous week for us in terms of results. But you cannot say it's all gone to ruins. That's not true.

"There is, of course, back-to-back defeats in the Premier League, which take their toll in terms of the league table. But that doesn't mean that what's being built is wrong, that the philosophy is wrong, and that we're not on the right track.

"We are on the right track. What we are building is still right. We have been punished in the last week in terms of the results, but it's up to us to take on the challenge. We represent a massive club and we're not running away from the mistakes, but we have to move on.''

© ESPN Sports Media Ltd.
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