Chelsea's poor showing isn't all AVB's doing

A few months ago, I wrote this blog on why AVB's football philosophy wasn't working, at the time, I blamed the squad he had inhertided. But know, looking back on the January transfer window and comments made by AVB on the signing of Kevin De Bruyne, I know that it is the board that is stopping AVB taking the club forward his way and not the tactical failings of AVB himself.

When I wrote that blog I included a number of targets I thought AVB would be after in January to help Chelsea play his way, Modric and Moutinho were the two players highlighted most. Now as we sit fourth in the table, slipping further and further away from the top three and only a player on loan in Belgium to show for our transfer dealings, you have to start thinking to yourself why?

When AVB joined Chelsea he said:

"I don't see why any manager shouldn't be in control of transfers, as would happen in any other club.
"The reality is that we are able to go for the best when we want so this is an advantage we have and we just need to make wise decisions when we move.
"This is a club that everybody wants to play for. But I need to judge what we have first and then make the decision. The market is open until August 31 and we need to bring in the best players if we need to. We are restructuring the club. There are, of course, still things we are going to outline and from this week or next week we will give those kind of responses.
"I have no problem working with a director of football or a technical director. The main thing is not to put someone there to disrupt the manager. The main thing is for us to build for the future.
"There are no players imposed on me - with the top quality you are able to get in the squad there are expectations on the manager and what he can do."

When Ancelotti was in charge he had always stated he was just the coach and he had the team given to him by the club, hence Fernando Torres. But the signing of AVB had seemed to signal a change in the clubs mentatlity and perhaps Roman didn't know as much about strikers as he first thought. Then after it was announced Chelsea had signed De Bruyne, AVB said this:

"It's a target that's decided by the club, that I knew about for quite some time.
"In the sense that it's the club policy for the future, it's the right thing [to buy him] and I'll do everything in my power for him to reach maximum potential.
"But it's down to the club in decision-making. I'm a manager who respects club policy.
"A club has to look to the future, whether it's with this manager or another. He's a good bet for the future."

The board still decide who they want to sign and seemingly, AVB has no input into who he can bring in to help the club today, not in a few years time. Infact under AVB, four signings have been made, two are on loan, one has made a few subsitute appearances and the other hasn't had a sniff of a game. Do you think AVB would have left Moutinho on the bench against Swansea?

AVB's philosphy thrives on a high defensive line and a quick tempo midfield that closes down quickly when they don't have pocession, at the moment he has Malouda in midfield and with McEachran on loan and Lampard and Ramires both injuried, results won't be improving for some time.

I suppose this is where there is criticism on AVB does come in, his arrogrance to move away from 4-4-3, when Torres would clearly benefit from having Mata behind him and Sturridge alongside him, is causing problems scoring goals, and the lack of pace in midfield without Ramires means an extra body in the shape of Mata helping to close down and start attacks would be much needed.

Perhaps AVB's arrogrance is a call to the board to let him bring the players in he wants, clearly his philsophy can work and has worked with Porto. So why doesn't Abramovich at least let him try? Perhaps the Uefa Financial Fair Play rules means Roman doesn't want to splash any more cash, and it was reported today he has spent a £1 billion pounds on Chelsea since the takeover.

There have been lots of "fans" especially on TalkSPORT insisting Chelsea will be lucky to finish 6th and AVB has to go, but before all the blame is laid at AVB's door, you should perhaps look deeper into why the way he wants his team to play isn't working.