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Moussa Sow dreams of Arsenal
Lille striker Moussa Sow has admitted he dreams of playing in the Premier League after talks over a new deal broke down.
Pulis pays tribute to Speed
Stoke manager Tony Pulis has paid his tribute to countryman Gary Speed following the Wales manager's death on Sunday.
Carrick expects Man United surge
Michael Carrick insists it would be a mistake to write Manchester United off despite their current lack of goals.
Pavlyuchenko set for spell out
Tottenham striker Roman Pavlyuchenko looks set for a spell on the sidelines after injuring his knee in a freak accident involving Andros Townsend.
Kelly wants to get amongst the goals
Liverpool defender Martin Kelly believes he can become an attacking threat for his side following his goalscoring heroics in Tuesday's 2-0 win over Chelsea.
Redknapp open to Anelka signing
Tottenham manager Harry Redknapp is not ruling out the possibility of signing Chelsea's Nicolas Anelka at the end of the season.
Pardew: Chelsea should be afraid of us
Newcastle manager Alan Pardew claims that Chelsea should fear facing his side at Sports Direct Arena after their terrific start to the season.
No spending spree for Coyle
Bolton manager Owen Coyle admits he will not be buying his way out of trouble in January.
Pulis keen to tie down Sorensen
Stoke boss Tony Pulis is keen to tie down goalkeeper Thomas Sorensen to a new deal at the Britannia Stadium.
Redknapp facing Spurs juggling act
Tottenham manager Harry Redknapp admits he has a fight on his hands to keep his fringe players happy.
Rooney: Giggs deserves a statue
Wayne Rooney believes that Manchester United should erect a statue to commemorate the career of Ryan Giggs.
Police investigate Richard's racism furore
Police are investigating reports of racist abuse towards Manchester City defender Micah Richards.
Barton: I left Newcastle over bonus
Joey Barton has claimed his departure from Newcastle was due to a bonus dispute.
Cudicini aims to stay at Tottenham
Carlo Cudicini is determined to earn a contract extension at Tottenham and keep repaying the club for the faith they showed in him.
Blackburn lose Nzonzi to FA ban
Blackburn midfielder Steven Nzonzi has been banned for three matches after accepting a Football Association charge of violent conduct.
Arsenal eyeing £20m Podolski Arsenal are ready to step up their pursuit for Cologne and Germany striker Lukas Podolski.
Mancini will continue to rest players 30 November 2011
Roberto Mancini says he will continue to rotate his squad as the rigours of a busy fixture list begin to leave signs of wear on his players. The Premier League leaders were 1-0 winners against Arsenal in the Carling Cup quarter-finals on Tuesday, as a late Sergio Aguero goal settled the tie.
The Italian made several changes for the trip to the Emirates Stadium - just 48 hours after their league clash with Liverpool - and has suggested he will need to continue in the same vein if the club are to successfully negotiate the congested winter fixture list.
"I think all the players that played tonight in both squads are good players," Mancini said. "We changed all the players, Arsenal the same.""We have a strong squad, Arsenal have a strong squad, Liverpool the same, Chelsea - all the top teams have a good squad and they can change eight, nine or 10 players."
"It is normal for the Carling Cup that you change.""Also, because we played 48 hours ago. Arsenal played on Saturday and for us it was very difficult to play with the same players.""The season is hard. Now we have two months, December and January, that will be crucial because we play top games and every three days."
"After January we can talk about whether we can win something or not."Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger, meanwhile, said he was disappointed to lose the quarter-final tie, with Aguero's goal coming from a lightning-fast counter attack following an Arsenal corner, and the Frenchman said his team deserved better for their efforts.
"It was an unfair result but I felt that we were a bit naive because it was a corner for us and a goal for them," Wenger said. "I knew we were in trouble because we didn’t take enough time for the corner.""What is very frustrating is that we lost the goal at the moment that we looked the winners of the game. Overall it is frustrating as well because we put a lot of effort in and we were not rewarded."
"On the other hand, I feel that considering the youth of our midfield we have battled very well and shown some fantastic quality.""I look at the defeat badly, but on the other hand I want to take the positives out of this game.""We have a fantastic attitude and spirit. We have quality. How far can we go this season? If we keep this attitude we can have hope."
Nasri, Frimpong escape punishment 30 November 2011
Emmanuel Frimpong and Samir Nasri will not face any further action for their altercation after the Carling Cup match at the Emirates.
There was a heated exchange between the pair after Manchester City's 1-0 win over Arsenal on Tuesday night which carried on into the tunnel.
An Arsenal spokesman said of the incident: "Words were exchanged - that was that, there were no punches thrown but there was a lot of noise."
"Samir was speaking in French and Mani wasn't. It was handbags but they didn't even touch."Frimpong had criticised Nasri over the summer following his move to the Etihad Stadium.
Replying to a tweet from Jack Wilshere, who had wished the Frenchman well and thanked him for developing his game, Frimpong replied: "Pfff, come on Jack."
Wife found Speed´s body, inquest told 30 November 2011
Wales manager Gary Speed was found hanged at home by his wife on Sunday, the inquest into his death has heard.
The hearing, which took place in Warrington, Cheshire, followed on from the post-mortem examination of the 42-year-old.The inquest learned that the ex-Premier League player was found by his wife, Louise Speed, who called the ambulance service.
It was also confirmed that the police are not treating his death as suspicious, and the inquest has now been adjourned to January 30. Meanwhile, the Premier League has confirmed a minute's applause will be observed at all 10 top-flight matches taking place this weekend.
remier League chief executive Richard Scudamore said: "Gary was a wonderful ambassador for our League, and indeed all of football, but more than that he was a decent man widely respected throughout the game and beyond."
"Gary will go down in history as one of our iconic players, he was a stand-out professional of the modern game and I'm sure all football fans across Britain will be deeply saddened at his untimely passing."
Pardew claims Chelsea fear Newcastle 30 November 2011
Newcastle manager Alan Pardew believes Chelsea will be fearing their weekend trip to the Sports Direct Arena.The clash on Saturday sees Andre Villas-Boas' men, who have won just one of their past four games in all competitions, face a Newcastle side who are yet to be beaten at home this season.
The 50-year-old claims his team are ready for the challenge, and is predicting a tough encounter for the Blues."We've set up ourselves up for Chelsea," Pardew said."We have one of the big clubs coming to us and they will be fearing coming to us in front of 52,000 Geordies."
Last weekend saw Pardew's men take arguably their most impressive point of the season, coming from a goal down to salvage a 1-1 draw at champions Manchester United."It's not easy to go to Man United and win. Getting a point is magnificent," he said.
"The attitude we had towards the game was positive and we tried to go there and win.""It was only when we went down to 10 men that we felt under pressure. I don't think we allowed them to create any pressure in the first half."
"We were fabulous. We were kicking toward the Stretford End and tried to unsettle them by giving them problems - and we did. I thought we were terrific.""The second half saw us concede a poor goal and from that moment it turned into an eventful game."
Spurs boss Harry Redknapp says his side’s chances of qualifying for Europa League knockout stages are over after their shock 2-1 defeat to PAOK.
The Greek visitors took a 2-0 lead within the first 20 minutes, both times countering Spurs’ sloppy control of the ball and taking full advantage of some dismal defending.But before the first half was over, Kostas Stafylidis was shown a straight red card for handling the ball on the goal-line during a Spurs attack, with Luka Modric converting the resulting penalty.
The hosts came out fighting after the break but could not level, leaving Redknapp bitterly disappointed.Tottenham need to beat Shamrock Rovers in their final game of the group stage, while also hoping PAOK can see off Rubin Kazan, who currently lie second in Group A.
"I'm disappointed now because we are not going to be in the last 32," Redknapp said."I just wanted to win tonight, but we have changed the team around so we can do well in the league and this is the chance you take.""We had a back four who hadn't really played together, and for the first 10 minutes it was like they didn't know each other."
"Two terrible goals, they started well, and it was difficult.""At 2-1, I thought we would come back in the second half and win it, but we just couldn't break them down."PAOK coach Laszlo Boloni paid tribute to the efforts of his men in securing passage to the knockout stage after playing for over a half with 10 men.
"First of all, I'm really very proud today because nobody believed that, one game before this, PAOK would have qualified," Boloni said."Today, we saw two games. We saw the first half was ours, and I think that at 2-1 in the first half, it wasn't a good result for us.""The second half was the half of Tottenham and they pushed a lot. We came back in to try and organise."
.................................................................
Ferguson apologises for Palace loss
1 December 2011
Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson apologised to the club's fans after their shock 2-1 extra-time loss to Crystal Palace in the Carling Cup.United crashed out of the competition on Wednesday after a 2-1 defeat to Dougie Freedman’s team in the Old Trafford clash, with Darren Ambrose's sublime 40-yard strike giving Palace the lead just after the hour mark.
Federico Macheda levelled for United, but a close-range header from Glenn Murray eight minutes into the first period of extra time secured a memorable win for the visitors.While Ferguson conceded the Championship outfit gave a good account of themselves, the 69-year-old was disappointed with the display from his side.
"My apologies are to the fans tonight, because that was not a Manchester United performance," Ferguson said."I don’t want to take anything away from Crystal Palace, I wish them every success and I hope they get to the final because it was a fantastic mammoth effort by them tonight."
"Every one of their players worked their socks off to get the semi-final and I’m just very disappointed.""When it went to extra time I thought we must win it, but it wasn’t to be. Obviously the second goal was offside from what I’ve seen, we’re not getting any luck from linesmen just now, but I can't take that away from Crystal Palace." "We maybe played too much short passing, not enough spreading the game but I’m not going to dwell on it all, at the end of the day we’re beaten and it’s a very disappointing night for Manchester United."
Freedman, meanwhile, lauded his team after the win, which sets up an all-Championship semi final with Cardiff."It was a wonderful night for the football club, especially the position we’ve been in the last few years," Freedman told Sky Sports."To find ourselves playing at Old Trafford is a real privilege and the lads have learned a lot from tonight. So it’s a real enjoyable night.""We’ve got the win and I think we’ve deserved it. And I think we played some good football and showed a lot of desire to win that game."
Premier League club Sunderland have decided to part company with manager Steve Bruce. Bruce had come under increasing pressure after Sunderland's poor start to the season was compounded by a 2-1 home defeat against Wigan last weekend.
A statement from club chairman Ellis Short read: "This has been a difficult time for everyone at Sunderland and is not a situation that any of us envisaged or expected to be in.""It is my job as chairman to act in the best interests of our football club at all times and I can assure everyone that this is not a decision that I have taken lightly. Sadly results this season have simply not been good enough and I feel the time is right to make a change."
"Steve has acted with honesty and integrity throughout, which is testament to the character and commitment he has shown during his time at Sunderland.""I would like to personally place on record my thanks to him for his significant contribution to our football club over the past two and a half years and everyone here at Sunderland naturally wishes him the very best for the future." "I would also like to thank our fans, who have endured a trying start to the season. Their support continues to be the driving force behind our club and is vital as we now look to the future."
Assistant manager Eric Black will take charge of the first team until the club appoints Bruce's replacement.
Former Birmingham and Wigan manager Bruce joined Sunderland in 2009 and led the Black Cats to 10th and 13th-place finishes in the Premier League during his only two full seasons in charge at the Stadium of Light.
He becomes the first manager to be sacked in the English top flight this season.
"Winning BPL is City's top target" Manchester City owner Sheikh Mansour has broken his silence and confirmed the Blues' number one target this season is to win the Premier League.
Sunderland sack Steve Bruce
Sunderland have parted company with manager Steve Bruce after chairman Ellis Short described results this season as "simply not good enough."
Macheda open to loan move
Federico Macheda admits he has already discussed the merits of a loan move away from Manchester United and claims to have offers on the table.
Moyes expected 'hard season'
David Moyes has admitted he feared it would be a difficult season for Everton due to their lack of firepower.
Reid offers Gera support
Steven Reid is prepared to put his experience of battling back from a succession of injuries to good use should stricken West Brom team-mate Zoltan Gera require support.
Rosell: Guardiola can be our Fergie
Barcelona president Sandro Rosell is hoping Pep Guardiola will cement his legendary status at the club by coaching them for many years to come.
Arsenal, Liverpool chase Chile star
The agent of in-demand Chilean winger Eduardo Vargas claims Arsenal and Liverpool are among the teams chasing his client's signature.
Vermaelen has unfinished business
Arsenal defender Thomas Vermaelen has revealed how the fans played an important part of his decision to extend his contract at the club.
PFA learns from Speed death
The Professional Footballers' Association are to extend the circulation of their booklet on handling depression in the wake of Gary Speed's death.
Former Black Cat hoping for Hughes
Former Sunderland player Michael Gray believes Mark Hughes is the perfect candidate to revive the Wearsiders.
"This is Villas-Boas' last week"
Former Porto full-back Fernando Nelson has claimed that embattled Chelsea manager Andre Villas-Boas should never have taken the Chelsea job.
Ancelotti: Blame players, not AVB
Former Chelsea boss Carlo Ancelotti believes the problem at Stamford Bridge is not Andre Villas-Boas, but the players.
Mansour: Man City will be a scalp
Manchester City owner Sheikh Mansour believes the Blues will face stiffer challenges than they might have expected this season.
Bruce pays the price for poor results
Steve Bruce became the first Premier League manager to lose his job this season after Sunderland chairman Ellis Short described results as "not good enough".
"Liverpool lads want Enrique for England"
Jose Enrique has admitted that there is pressure from his Liverpool team-mates, who want him to play for England instead of Spain.
BPL trio aim for South American stars
Chelsea, Liverpool and Arsenal are in fierce competition to try to snap up the best of South American talent ahead of the January transfer window.
Liverpool recall Shelvey from Blackpool
Liverpool have recalled Jonjo Shelvey from his loan spell at Blackpool.
Waddle: Pardew's won everyone over
Newcastle legend Chris Waddle has admitted Alan Pardew's many critics have been silenced by the Magpies' sensational form this season.
Jol: Zamora one of the best
Fulham manager Martin Jol believes Bobby Zamora is one of the Premier League's best target men and is capable of leading the England line at Euro 2012.
Oxlade-Chamberlain happy to wait
Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain is hungry for more Arsenal first-team action, but is in no rush to fast-track his progress.
Toure plays down Man City start
Kolo Toure claims it is too early to even think about comparing Manchester City to Arsenal's famous 'Invincibles' team.
Man City top spenders on agent
Manchester City, Tottenham and Liverpool were the top-spenders on agents' fees last year as the top-flight clubs shelled out a total of £71.8million, latest figures have revealed.
Derek Llambias blasts Joey Barton
Newcastle managing director Derek Llambias has hit back at Joey Barton after the former Magpies player claimed his departure from the Tyneside was due to a bonus dispute.
Gera ruled out for rest of season
West Brom midfielder Zoltan Gera has been ruled out for the rest of the season due to a knee injury sustained in Saturday's game against Tottenham.
Chelsea manager Andre Villas-Boas has suggested that misfiring striker Fernando Torres will be dropped to the bench again.
Speaking in the wake of Chelsea's 2-0 Carling Cup defeat by Liverpool on Tuesday, in which the Blues switched to a 4-4-2 formation in an effort to better suit the Spaniard, Villas-Boas said he would return to his usual system for Saturday's Premier League clash with Newcastle - a move that is likely to see British football's most expensive signing going back on the bench.
"We're going back to 4-3-3 at Newcastle and Didier Drogba is showing good signs of returning," Villas-Boas said."Fernando has shown in the past that he has that ability and we will continue to pursue it.
It must come with time and confidence but Fernando is facing tough competition.""We still believe in him and we will continue to pursue his individual form.""Our task as technical staff is to get the best out of the players. If we cannot do it, that's when we fail and we have to improve."
The 50-million-pound striker, 10 months on from his move to Stamford Bridge from Anfield, has scored four goals in 15 matches for the Blues this season and has so far completed 90 minutes for Villas-Boas only twice.
Ancelotti: Blame players, not AVB Former Chelsea boss Carlo Ancelotti believes the problem at Stamford Bridge is not Andre Villas-Boas, but the players.
Tuesday's 2-0 Carling Cup defeat to Liverpool at home was the Blues' fifth loss in his last nine matches, with the Portguese under immense pressure to turn things around.
But Ancelotti, whose departure in May led to Villas-Boas' appointment, insists there is only this much the former Porto boss can do with the current squad he inherited from him.
"Villas-Boas cannot work miracles. This is an old team now," he was quoted as saying in The Daily Mirror.
"It is exactly the same team as the one I left, with the exception of Juan Mata and Raul Meireles.
"The problem is not Villas-Boas, it is with the team that he has.
"Andre is young and inexperienced, but he has done well and he is talented.
"I feel Roman (Abramovich) needs to give him time to sort it out and make his ideas work."
The Italian reiterated that the core of the issue isn't with the coach, but the club's structure and the current crop of players.
He also believes Villas-Boas should be given more time to bring success to the Bridge.
"The problem is in the organisation and with the players - all the things that they have to change to make it better.
"Maybe he does lack experience. But they knew that when they appointed him. He needs time."
Former Porto full-back Fernando Nelson has claimed that embattled Chelsea manager Andre Villas-Boas should never have taken the Chelsea job.
In an article from The Sun, the Portuguese defender, who also had a three year stint with Midlands outfit Aston Villa, believes that Villas-Boas is not of the same calibre as the real "Special One" Jose Mourinho.
Nelson said, "I don't think Abramovich will be patient with him." "Villas-Boas will only be there until Chelsea's next defeat, the match against Newcastle at the weekend or against Valencia in the Champions League."
"This is a critical week for Villas-Boas. He knows it could be his last at Chelsea and is already prepared for that." "Abramovich had no patience with Jose and he must regret getting rid of him as it was his biggest mistake at Chelsea."
"If you compare Villas-Boas with Mourinho, it's not the same. I've never met anyone as psychologically strong as Jose." "Villas-Boas should have stayed at Porto. He had a strong squad, the players were settled and knew what to do. Things happened automatically."
"If he'd stayed there this season, Porto would have been among the top four clubs in Europe. But Andre has gone to Chelsea too soon."
Villas-Boas, whose side have already crashed out of the Carling Cup following a limp 2-0 defeat to Liverpool at Stamford Bridge on Tuesday, has made the worst ever start to a campaign as manager under owner Roman Abramovich's reign with the Blues. <a href="http://www.espnstar.com/football/premier-league/news/detail/item715003/" this-is-villas-boas'-last-week"="" #"="" target="_blank">
Mansour: Man City will be a scalp Manchester City owner Sheikh Mansour believes the Blues will face stiffer challenges than they might have expected this season.
All doubt over City's staying power was erased by that startling 6-1 derby triumph in October, part of a sequence of results which has given them a five-point lead at the Premier League summit.
And, in a rare public statement on the club he has bankrolled to the tune of over £1billion, the wealthy Abu Dhabi-based businessman feels every opponent will try that little bit harder now.
"We must be aware that these kinds of results can be a double-edged sword - it makes the others look at you differently and prepare themselves the best way they can," said Sheikh Mansour.
"But those who want to win championships and trophies have to adapt to that and be ready to face the challenges."
With United surprisingly knocked out of the Carling Cup last night at Old Trafford by Crystal Palace, City have been installed as favourites to add more silverware to the FA Cup they won last year, their first trophy in 35 years.
However, Sheikh Mansour has his eyes on a bigger prize than that. Not even the gloomier prospect of an exit from the Champions League can shake his gaze from the Premier League.
"We must not forget that our main objective is to win the English Premier League and if we achieve that, then it will have an impact on the team and the club as a whole and will show we can achieve anything," he told the Al Ittihad newspaper.
And for that he shovels most of the credit on to manager Roberto Mancini. Had it not been for Sheikh Mansour's immense wealth, the plethora of stars at Mancini's disposal would not have signed for City. Yet the owner feels actually getting the players to City is only part of the job.
"Sometimes I meet a lot of Emirati and Arab brothers in London, and see them criticise the work of Roberto Mancini, but I think that his plans are going on the right path," he said.
"We have to ask ourselves where we have been and what Manchester City have become now. To realise that what we have accomplished is great.
"Hard work is still required but we are all satisfied with what has been achieved, the success and development at this level. However you must have patience."
BPL trio aim for South American stars Chelsea, Liverpool and Arsenal are in fierce competition to try to snap up the best of South American talent ahead of the January transfer window.
According to reports from Sportsmail, the Blues had made first contact to try to snap up Lucas Ocampos, who has been dubbed as the new Cristiano Ronaldo for his dazzling footwork.
The 6ft 2ins has been priced at around £14 million by River Plate, who had previously rejected offers for the youngster, claiming they wanted to keep him until winning promotion back to the Argentine top division.
However, circumstances have changed, and with Liverpool now in the mix River are now keen to deal during the Jnauary transfer window.
Anfield boss Kenny Dalglish does have other South American's to choose from though, with Chilian striker Eduardo Vargas also in his sights. However, according to the player's agent, Liverpool will have competition for his services, with Arsenal also making enquires about Vargas' availability.
The 22-year-old, currently plying his trade for Universidad de Chile, is also being monitored by AC Milan and Inter Milan. Inter technical director Marco Branca revealed to FcInterNews.it. :"We know Eduardo very well, he is a very brave attacker and definitely interesting."
According to the Daily Mail, the player's agent Diego Cativa added: "We're talking to clubs like AC Milan, Inter, Liverpool, Arsenal and others."
Meanwhile, at Stamford Bridge, Botafogo's Brazilian left-back Burno Cortes has been identified as a long-term replacement for Ashley Cole, with the 24-year-old attracting the attentions of Andres Villas-Boas.
Evans: United need to recover quickly
Manchester United defender Jonny Evans wants to quickly forget Wednesday night's shock Carling Cup loss to Crystal Palace.
Villas-Boas: I am bullet-proof
Chelsea boss Andre Villas-Boas insisted he will not be sacked if the club fail in the Champions League or fall further behind in the league.
Reds lose Lucas for rest of season
Liverpool midfielder Lucas Leiva has been ruled out of the rest of the season with a knee injury.
Warnock: Fans will welcome Young
Stephen Warnock expects Ashley Young to receive a warm reception from the home fans when Manchester United face Aston Villa at Villa Park.
Foster: Gera will come back stronger
Ben Foster believes injured West Brom playmaker Zoltan Gera has the "right attitude and mentality" to overcome his devastating knee injury.
Gary Speed tributes continue
English football will pay its respects to Wales manager Gary Speed this weekend following his death at the age of 42.
Steve Kean clarifies "forfeit" comments
Blackburn manager Steve Kean claims his use of the word "forfeited" in relation to Rovers' Carling Cup exit has been misinterpreted.
Kaboul: I'm not moving to Juventus
Younes Kaboul has played down reported interest from Juventus and insists he's happy at Tottenham.
Martinez surprised by Bruce axe
Roberto Martinez is surprised Steve Bruce was not given more time to allow his revamped Sunderland squad to settle.
Short begins Sunderland boss search
Sunderland chairman Ellis Short has begun the search for a new manager as Martin O'Neill emerged as a strong favourite to replace Steve Bruce.
Cabaye: We must repeat United heroics
Newcastle United's France playmaker Yohan Cabaye is relishing at the prospect of heaping more misery on an out-of-sorts Chelsea outfit on Saturday.
Rooney, Terry up for FIFPro World XI
Five Englishmen were nominated on a 55-man shortlisted for the FIFA FIFPro World XI 2011 dominated by Spain's La Liga on Thursday.
Chelsea boss Andre Villas-Boas insisted he will not be sacked if the club fail in the Champions League or fall further behind in the league.
Speculation is rife over whether or not billionaire Blues owner Roman Abramovich will keep patience with Villas-Boas should the Portuguese fail to arrest the club's nightmare start to the season.
Having been dumped out of the Carling Cup by Liverpool two days ago - albeit with a youthful team - Chelsea could find themselves out of the Champions League on Tuesday if they do not win, or keep a clean sheet in, their final Group E match against Valencia.
Failure to reach the last 16 would be unprecedented during the Abramovich era and would compound a start to the Premier League that sees the Blues 10 points behind leaders Manchester City and outside the top four. They could lose even more ground if they do not win at Newcastle on Saturday or beat City at Stamford Bridge on Monday week.
That would leave them in the kind of position that has seen Abramovich pull the trigger in the past but Villas-Boas was adamant he would not suffer the same fate, regardless of results over the next 11 days. Asked why that was, he said: "Because I was brought in for a three-year project and we believe in it."
Contracts have not prevented Abramovich wielding the axe in the past but to jettison a man he paid Porto more than £13million for during the summer would be hugely embarrassing for the Russian. It would also defeat the object of Villas-Boas' appointment, which was made in order to transform the way Chelsea play over the course of the next three years.
That is proving far more difficult than anyone envisaged but Villas-Boas insisted this afternoon his attacking philosophy was not the cause of the Blues' miserable run of two wins and five defeats in their last nine games. "The philosophy is not a cancer - we are not speaking about something that is wrong," said Villas-Boas, who reiterated that his players were fully behind his approach amid fresh reports of dissent.
The 34-year-old also denied Chelsea's season had reached crisis point, adding: "It's at crisis point for everyone that speculates with what is happening and with events that are not happening at this football club. But we just have to pull ourselves together.
"I cannot repeat myself one time and then another time about the situation, we can only grab ourselves to our hard work and continue to believe that we are going to invert the situation." Even if they do so, it appears inevitable the club will attempt to bolster their squad during the January transfer window.
"We have to decide if we want to strengthen the squad or not," said Villas-Boas, who could also allow forward trio Didier Drogba, Nicolas Anelka and Salomon Kalou to leave, with their contracts due to expire at the end of the season. "We'll have to see if we are approached by any club regarding our players, which can happen as well, and then make the wisest of decisions."
Villas-Boas hinted on Tuesday night that Drogba would lead the line at St James' Park on Saturday after Fernando Torres flopped on his return to the side against Liverpool. The Chelsea boss insisted today he had not run out of patience with his £50million striker, saying: "I don't run out of patience with my players."
The same cannot be said about Abramovich and his managers and Villas-Boas will be hoping his reaction today to the sacking of Steve Bruce does not prove prophetic to his own job. He said of the ousted Sunderland boss: "Sometimes people demand a lot from you and expect a lot from you, and when the board decides that you are not up to their expectations, they take you out."
Rodgers seeking real deal for Swans
Swansea manager Brendan Rodgers insists he will take a "quality over quantity" approach when the transfer window opens at the end of the month.
Graham injury blow for Swansea
Swansea striker Danny Graham looks set to miss Saturday's trip to Blackburn with an Achilles injury, although manager Brendan Rodgers is to wait before making a final decision on his availability.
Pardew wants winning tribute to Speed
Newcastle boss Alan Pardew is hoping his players will pay the biggest tribute they can to Gary Speed by firing his former club to victory over Chelsea.
New Chelsea deal for Hutchinson
Sam Hutchinson has signed a new one-and-a-half year contract with Chelsea barely a year after being forced to retire from the game.
Defoe defends Spurs title aspirations
Jermain Defoe agrees with Harry Redknapp that Tottenham can win the Barclays Premier League title.
Martin O'Neill tops Sunderland list
Sunderland have begun making contact with candidates to replace Steve Bruce as manager, with Martin O'Neill at the very top of their list.
Andre Villas-Boas: My job is safe
Chelsea manager Andre Villas-Boas has claimed owner Roman Abramovich has promised not to sack him if he fails to win anything this season.
John Terry file passed to CPS
Police have passed a file on John Terry's alleged racial slur towards Anton Ferdinand to prosecutors.
Lucas vows to bounce back from injury
Liverpool midfielder Lucas Leiva has vowed to return stronger from a knee injury which has ended his season.
Barton ends Newcastle war of words
Former Newcastle midfielder Joey Barton has indicated he has ended his war of words with the club.
Corinthians remain keen on Tevez
Corinthians have reiterated that they are still hoping to persuade Carlos Tevez to rejoin them.
Milito speaks of Inter turning point
Inter Milan striker Diego Milito is hoping the club have turned a corner following Sunday's last gasp victory over Siena.
Sunderland hope to seal O'Neill deal Sunderland chairman Ellis Short hopes to thrash out a deal to make Martin O'Neill the club's new manager on Friday.
Luiz: Do-or-die week for Chelsea
Chelsea defender David Luiz insists his side are not in crisis but admits the upcoming games against Newcastle and Valencia could make or break their season.
Butt: City egos aid United title defence
Manchester United favourite Nicky Butt thinks the overflow of big egos at Manchester City could wreck their rival's Barclays Premier League title bid.
Krul happy with familiar back four Newcastle United goalkeeper Tim Krul believes that having the same defenders in front of him every week has helped his side's excellent defensive record.
Wenger: AOC needs defensive work
Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger believes rising Gunners star Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain needs to add defensive qualities to his game to succeed at the highest level.
Zola: AVB trying to revamp Chelsea
Ex-Chelsea star Gianfranco Zola has come out in the defence of manager Andre Villas-Boas, saying he is "sorry" for the Portuguese.
Wenger: Sacking Bruce is a mistake
Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger believes that the Sunderland board made a mistake when they decided to sack Steve Bruce after a poor run of matches.
Chelsea shocked by knife furore
The Chelsea hierarchy was shocked by the discovery of a seven-inch knife that was found by cleaning staff at their Cobham training ground.
Carra: Lucas has been our best player
Jamie Carragher has bemoaned Liverpool losing Lucas Leiva for the rest of the season, insisting the midfielder has been their best player.
Lambert calls for Norwich courage
Paul Lambert has called on his Norwich players to again show "no fear" when they go to Barclays Premier League leaders Manchester City on Saturday.
Oxlade-Chamberlain a happy Gunner
Arsenal starlet Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain insists he has no regrets about choosing to move to the Emirates Stadium.
Warnock wants focus from Taarabt
QPR manager Neil Warnock has pleaded with Adel Taarabt to start making the most out of his "great ability".
McCarthy wary of Sunderland
Wolves boss Mick McCarthy says the task of overcoming Sunderland on Sunday has been made harder by the expected arrival of Martin O'Neill as manager.
Dalglish admits Lucas loss a blow
Liverpool manager Kenny Dalglish admits the club will be tested by the absence of injured midfielder Lucas Leiva.
Podolski admits Arsenal admiration
Cologne striker Lukas Podolski admits Barclays Premier League outfit Arsenal are a team he admires very much.
Sir Alex not worried by United form
Sir Alex Ferguson insists he is happy with Manchester United's form despite his side's struggle to score goals and their Carling Cup defeat to Crystal Palace.
Swansea keen to exploit Rovers unrest
Swansea midfielder Leon Britton has sympathy for Steve Kean's plight at Blackburn.
Lambert unfazed by City's riches
Norwich manager Paul Lambert is not about to lose any sleep over the prospect of facing Manchester City's multi-million squad on Saturday.
Pardew targeting fourth spot in BPL
Newcastle boss Alan Pardew has challenged his players to take the chance to enjoy Christmas dinner sitting in fourth place in the Barclays Premier League table.
Pulis: Stoke fans must stay grounded
Tony Pulis has urged Stoke's fans not to get impatient as they once again attempt to follow a successful European night by picking up points in the Barclays Premier League.
Coyle calls for Bolton discipline
Bolton manager Owen Coyle has called on his players to stamp out the ill-discipline that has blighted their Barclays Premier League campaign.
Kean seeks maximum points haul
Blackburn boss Steve Kean is targeting maximum points from a trio of home games before Christmas as the team prepare for a potentially season-defining period.
Redknapp coy over England talk Harry Redknapp thinks the Football Association should wait until the end of the season before considering who will take over from Fabio Capello as England manager.
Mancini: Balotelli must control temper
Manchester City boss Roberto Mancini has warned striker Mario Balotelli to expect opponents to test his temperament.
Villas-Boas to keep Sturridge out wide
Andre Villas-Boas has insisted Chelsea do not need to play Daniel Sturridge at centre-forward to help them arrest their alarming slump.
Wenger calls for Arsenal caution
Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has warned his players not to assume victory will come easy against Wigan on Saturday.
Chelsea shocked by knife furore The Chelsea hierarchy was shocked by the discovery of a seven-inch knife that was found by cleaning staff at their Cobham training ground.
According to reports in the Daily Mail, the blade was found in the changing area used by the London club's youth teams, which is also shared by first-team stars like Frank Lampard, Fernando Torres and John Terry.
It was revealed by a source from the academy, who said: "The knife looked liked something out of a Rambo film". A full investigation has begun at Chelsea, with all their youngsters under the age of 18 called into a meeting.
They have been warned on the potential consequences of knife crime, and given the opportunity to come forward, though none of them have done so as yet. Club officials considered the option of getting police in to take fingerprints, but later decided not to follow up on the matter, claiming that the weapon was left by a contractor doing work in the dressing rooms during the player's two-day break.
However, that theory will only be proven when they track the contractor down and confirm of the knife's ownership. A Chelsea spokesman said: "A knife was found on the premises at a time when only cleaning and building contractors had been on site.
The club has determined that it did not belong to any player or staff member as the area was sealed off and we are satisfied it is not a matter of concern. The matter is closed."
This marks a second time a weapon has been found at the Cobham training ground, with Ashley Cole previously shooting a youth trainee with an airgun, which sparked off a media furore over the Englishman's actions, as well as an investigation by London police.
