Alan Pattullo: Andre Villas-Boas, like John Collins, was a casualty of cliques

Given that he is a supporter of Scottish football, Andre Villas-Boas’ struggles at Chelsea were agonising to observe, although they did also offer an insight into dressing-room culture and the difficulties in introducing new ideas to a group of players who have become entrenched in their own beliefs and routines.

Villas-Boas, who earned his coaching badges at Scottish Football Association-organised courses in Largs, was on a hiding to nothing at Stamford Bridge, where players whose loyalties remained tied to previous managerial incumbents agitated against him.

Perhaps the nearest equivalent to the Chelsea situation in Scotland in recent times could be found at Hibs, where John Collins met fierce resistance from players after some initial success. He suffered to an extent for the crime of not being Tony Mowbray, just as Villas-Boas has been burdened with Jose Mourinho’s legacy at Chelsea.

Hibs players were said to be suspicious of Collins’ obsession with fitness levels and body conditioning. In contrast with Villas-Boas, one of whose issues was having to convince international players that he knew best despite never having played the game, Collins also found that some among his charges were intimidated by his past success on the pitch, as well as the abdominal muscles he was wont to exhibit, allegedly.

Dressing-room cliques may get what they want in the short term, but it is usually at the expense of the club’s fortunes in the long run. Certainly Chelsea’s current form was not impressive, but Villas-Boas was undertaking a job that he said would take three years to complete. He got little over six months.

We’ll miss his sharp and often comedic interviews on Match of the Day, and his three-quarter length rain coat and curious touchline crouch. But now he’s at a loose end, there’s another Scottish Cup draw due soon.