I'm safe for next three years - Villas-Boas

Andre Villas-Boas claims he has been assured his job as Chelsea boss is safe for the next THREE years.

AVB: My philosophy is not a cancer that's killing Chelsea  

The under-pressure Portuguese has admitted that it will be seen as a “failure” if the Blues do not win anything this season – but insisted it would not result in his sacking.

Roman Abramovich, who is on his seventh manager in eight years as the club's owner, gave Villas-Boas a three-year contract when he hired him from Porto in the summer.

And the Blues boss says he has been assured he will be allowed to see that period out.

“It was something that we (me and Abramovich) agreed between us. I have that assurance and I’ve been assured again recently,” said Villas-Boas.

“Conversations have been ongoing with the board and they have been fully supportive. Any season that you go without a trophy is a failure for a club of this dimension.

“But if that happens, I think I will get that time. It is normal at any football club to get time.

"Apart from (Barcelona boss Pep) Guardiola, nobody signs one year contracts. And everybody establishes the progression of the club towards the future, and we want to do that.

“There is no running away from responsibilities. We have set out this team to win trophies and we will continue to believe in this team to get us the three that are still available to us.”

Villas-Boas has suffered the worst start of any Chelsea manager in the Abramovich era.

This week they crashed out of the Carling Cup and next Tuesday they will be out of the Champions League unless they beat or draw 0-0 with Valencia.

But AVB insists his team are improving and are on the right track in the Premier League.