Chelsea manager Andre Villas-Boas has sent a broadside at the club’s critics after he steered the Blues to a 3-0 win over Valencia in the Champions League.

 

Two goals from Didier Drogba sandwiched a strike from Brazilian midfielder Ramires to ensure that the Blues qualified for the knockout stage – and for good measure Chelsea topped Group E after Bayer Leverkusen could only draw with Genk.

 

For Villas-Boas victory tasted sweet and the Portuguese demanded his players should be respected after having been written off in many quarters.

 

"My players deserve respect they don’t get", blasted the Portuguese.

 

"We have been chased by different kinds of people and pressures and here we have given everyone a slap in the face."

 

Villas-Boas also rounded on the media for their coverage of Chelsea’s recent troubles, with the 34-year-old stating that, in his view, humble pie must now be eaten.

 

"There is only one team in the country at the moment and that is Manchester City.

 

"I hope they qualify for the Champions League knockout stage, but the attitude to them is if they qualify they qualify, if they don’t they don’t – we don’t get that margin.

 

"This is a continuous persecution, it is aggression towards one club.

 

"It is unfortunate for you guys [the media] because you have to report on a brilliant win for Chelsea and we qualify first in the group.

 

"It is difficult for everybody and today this is difficult for you."

 

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