AVB - Blues will be back

Chelsea boss expects to challenge for top-flight crown in 2012/13

Andre Villas-Boas: Confident he will be given time to get things right at Chelsea

Andre Villas-Boas is confident he will be at Chelsea next season and expects to have them challenging for the Premier League title in 2012/13.

With the Blues having faltered this term, the top-flight crown appears to be beyond them.
A failure to compete for English football's top prize has seen Villas-Boas' position called into question, with Roman Abramovich not a man to tolerate shortcomings.
The ghost of Jose Mourinho continues to haunt the Stamford Bridge corridors, with the current occupant of the managerial hot-seat aware that his former mentor remains an iconic figure at the capital club.
He is, however, of the opinion that he will be given time to get things right and believes his second season in English football will see him return Chelsea to the top of the Premier League pile.

"The beginning of the season was our best sequence of results and our best football, more solid, creative, positive,'' said Villas-Boas.

Tipping point

"The tipping point was the QPR game [on 23rd October], where from a position where we could have been second, three points behind the leader, we ended up six points behind with too much controversy involved [the John Terry-Anton Ferdinand race row].
"Straight after going nine points behind was what catapulted the [downward] situation."
Pressed on whether he expected to have Chelsea challenging for the Premier League crown next season, Villas-Boas added: "Next year, for sure.
"I didn't want to be allowed a transitional period. At this level you shouldn't be allowed a transitional year. But the project for next year is good and is being built and we believe a lot in it. We will be able to compete at a different level. We have a lot of faith going towards next year.
"I have no doubts in my mind that I will be here next season."