Newcastle manager Alan Pardew has rubbished suggestions that his Chelsea counterpart Andre Villas-Boas is under pressure ahead of the Blues’ visit to Tyneside on Saturday.
PA PhotosWhile Andre Villas-Boas is struggling at Chelsea, Alan Pardew is overachieving at Newcastle
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Villas-Boas has suffered six defeats in his opening 21 games since arriving at Stamford Bridge over the summer, with the Portuguese’s current win percentage of 52% the worst of any Chelsea boss since Ruud Gullit.
The Blues’ latest loss came at home to Liverpool in Tuesday’s Carling Cup quarter-final, and Villas-Boas’ next test is a tricky one away to Pardew’s high-flying Magpies.
But despite speculation mounting that trigger-happy owner Roman Abramovich may be losing patience, Pardew insists Villas-Boas should have nothing to worry about.
“They are having a tough spell but they have had them before,” Pardew said. “His side is filled with icons of the Premier League, fantastic players, and they will come here and put their reputations on the line.
“The new manager has got a job where he is trying to put changes in and that is always very, very difficult with an established group like they are. But I think he will get that right.”