Villas-Boas has banned anybody not involved with the first-team squad from the main building
The Daily Express understands that Villas-Boas has banned anybody not involved with the first-team squad from the main building at Chelsea’s Cobham training ground in preparation for the City clash.
Players and staff from the reserve and youth teams were not allowed to share the canteen, gym or dressing-room facilities with captain John Terry and the rest of the Chelsea senior squad.
Striker Nicolas Anelka and central defender Alex, who have been training with the reserves after being frozen out of Villas-Boas’s plans, were among those kept apart from the first-team players.
It is believed that the move was designed to ensure maximum focus and promote a tight-knit group ahead of a game that gives Chelsea the chance to reignite their title hopes.
Villas-Boas
wanted to cut out any possible distractions for his team and did not
want to risk Anelka or Alex causing any unnecessary problems.
Villas-Boas has banned anybody not involved with the first-team squad from the main building
Technical
director Michael Emenalo recently addressed the young professionals at
Chelsea and lectured them about the standards expected at the club,
which may have affected Villas-Boas’s thinking.
The decision was not universally popular among some bemused players and staff.
Villas-Boas was asked to change his mind by at least one colleague, but refused to back down.
Villas-Boas
has already been accused of becoming paranoid over criticism he has
received and took the bizarre move of telling his players to look
towards the dugout when they celebrate goals.
He has also launched a stinging attack against former Manchester United defender and Sky pundit Gary Neville.
Newcastle manager Alan Pardew has also hit back at Villas-Boas telling the Chelsea manager to show some respect.
The
pair have been sniping since Chelsea beat Newcastle 3-0 when Pardew
said Chelsea’s David Luiz should have been red-carded for a challenge on
Demba Ba.
Pardew believes his defender Steven
Taylor may not have suffered the Achilles injury, which has cost him his
season, had Luiz been sent off.
Villas-Boas
said: “This is a manager making a big scandal, saying that we got their
player injured because David Luiz wasn’t sent off.”
Pardew
said: “If they had 10 men, Steven might not have needed to work so
hard. That was my point. I’m not saying that the guy didn’t get sent off
and it related to his injury.
“But Villas-Boas
is new to our country, new to our press and under pressure. And maybe he
could throw a little more respect at it.”
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