‘Difficult but not impossible’ – Chelsea boss Villas-Boas reserved after loss to Napoli
Villas-Boas: Difficult but not impossible
Posted: 2012-02-22 08:24
Chelsea manager Andre Villas-Boas believes it is 'difficult … [but] not impossible' to progress in the Champions League after his side were beaten 3-1 by Napoli in the first leg of their last-16 tie.
Juan Mata gave the Blues the lead with an away goal at San Paolo, but two strikes from Ezequiel Lavezzi either side of an Edinson Cavani effort saw the Italians take an advantage into the return leg, and the Portuguese coach admitted the Blues were found lacking at both ends of the pitch.
“After the first goal I think we had a big chance to go 2-0 up, big missed opportunities,” he told Sky Sports.
“Then we should have done better defending – [we made] a couple of mistakes which, against Napoli, with their attacking strength, are going to get punished. I think that the third goal was perfectly avoidable.
“If it had been a one-goal advantage [for Napoli] at home, it would have been better, but the third one is more difficult to recover – not impossible, of course, because of the amount of chances that we get and the environment that we must get at the Bridge to turn this tie around.
“The first 90 minutes have passed but we have 90 minutes ahead of us and we have to turn the tie around, analyse strongly where we went wrong, and have the knowledge that we can create problems because, with our attacking options, we created problems today.
“I think the statistics are very similar – both teams created a lot in a game that was open.
“It’s sad that in our best period Napoli scored the third one and it brings us a little bit down.
“We had chances, mainly in the end with Didier [Drogba] but, again, [we have] 90 minutes ahead of us and there’s a big possibility, with this away goal, to turn the tie around with a 2-0 [home win].”
Villas-Boas caused a stir at the start of the game by leaving Fernando Torres, Frank Lampard, Michael Essien and Ashley Cole on the bench, but he remained bullish about his decisions after the match.
“I can go on and explain but it makes no difference for you guys [the media], you have to analyse it as well and take your opinion,” the 34-year-old stated.
“It was based on what was fair for the team at that moment and it was the best team.
“Yeah, for sure,” he added when asked if he would be in charge for the second leg.
“I don’t think it makes a difference [if the board back me publicly]. You have to put things into perspective.
“I have the full confidence of the owner with the message that I have from him all the time to do my job.”
The second leg will be played at Stamford Bridge on March 14.
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