Villas-Boas bemoans unfair schedule

Chelsea manager Andre Villas-Boas has attacked the festive fixture schedule, arguing it is putting his side at an unfair disadvantage.

The Blues travel to face Wolves on Monday, barely 48 hours after losing at home to Aston Villa, a result which has left them in fifth place in the Premier League.

Tottenham, meanwhile, will enjoy an extra day’s rest before taking on West Brom on Tuesday, while Liverpool will have had two more days to recover, having beaten Newcastle on Friday.

“I have the greatest respect for the traditions of the festive period in this country but what I don’t think is fair is for the calendar to be spread in the way it has been,” Villas-Boas told the club’s official website.

“We play again within 48 hours and it should be the same for every club.”

“Most of the clubs are playing within this period but not all of them; if we have to go through this really strenuous period it should be the same for everybody and I don’t think it’s fair the way that it is at the moment.”

“Normally the second day for any player (after a game) is the worst day in terms of recovery so the risks of injury are tremendous.”

“It’s a difficult situation, I know the players have done it in the past but it’s a risky situation that can lead to career threatening injuries.”

Chelsea are winless in their last four league games, and Villas-Boas admits a positive reaction against Wolves is vital to rebuild morale.

“In terms of the Wolves game, the easy part is motivation,” he said.

“We don’t have to wait long and it’s a chance to put things right, in the sense of psychological motivation it’s a plus.”

“What we need right now is points, at the moment it’s not good enough; three points from four matches is not to Chelsea’s standard and we want to avoid having a period like we did last year.”

“We need to get the three points and show our strength of character and belief, because it will depend a lot on motivation as physically the players will be exhausted.”