Is Andre Villas-Boas' job really already on the line at Chelsea?

Andre Villas-Boas seems under pressure just five months into his Chelsea reign

Another day, another defeat for Chelsea.

The 'crisis' which has engulfed Andre Villas-Boas' team in the last few weeks has now extended to the Champions League, and after last night's defeat at Bayer Leverkusen, they now face the possibility of crashing out in the group stages.

However, those calling for Villas-Boas' head already are premature to say the least.

Five Champions League group fixtures and 12 Premier League games hardly constitute a barometer of his managerial talents.

Football management is becoming an increasingly cut-throat business, with bosses given far too little time to prove themselves, and it is important we do not judge Villas-Boas just yet.

He is trying to implement a new, free-flowing style at Chelsea and that in itself is admirable.

His tactics have not paid off yet, with the high defensive line he is employing clearly not suited to John Terry and David Luiz looking a liability at the back.

Chelsea are trying to press and pass like Barcelona, but naturally they cannot make a transition of that magnitude overnight.

They are trying to attack with short passes through the middle of the pitch, meaning Didier Drogba is struggling to make the impact he would like up front.

Villas-Boas needs time and for the sake of all young managers out there looking to play the game in a positive way, he should be given it.

Roman Abramovich is infamous for his harsh treatment of managers but he needs to stick with one for the long haul now and that man must be Villas-Boas.

Is time already running out for 'AVB' under Abramovich?

Another change of manager would only unsettle the squad even more and a quick fix like Guus Hiddink would only prove to be a stop-gap reprieve.

Villas-Boas may have been naive with some of his tactical choices this season, but he is clearly a coach with immense talent.

You only need to look at the CVs of the managers who have taken him under their wing in the past - Sir Bobby Robson and Jose Mourinho - to see how highly he is rated.

His record for his two previous clubs is also fantastic.

He rescued Portuguese side Academica from relegation peril in 2009/10 and won an incredible treble with Porto a year later.

True, Porto are always expected to be successful in Portugal, but the way Villas-Boas led them unbeaten throughout the league campaign, coupled with the way they swept to Europa League glory, sets him apart.

He clearly has something about him and that is why it is far too early for Abramovich to discard him.

It is not just Abramovich who needs to be fully behind Villas-Boas, though.

The sense of togetherness that characterised Chelsea throughout the Jose Mourinho, Guus Hiddink and Carlo Ancelotti eras appears to have diminished somewhat.

Are the infamous egos of the Chelsea dressing room still too influential? Are they fully behind Villas-Boas?

Are the likes of John Terry and Frank Lampard fully behind their manager?

Every player has a duty to give the man a chance and a significant amount of time to make his methods work.

It is incredible Villas-Boas finds himself in such an important managerial position at the age of 34 but his age should be no issue. He has worked his way to the top since Sir Bobby Robson spotted his coaching talent at the age of 16, while he impressed Abramovich so much he paid £13.3million to take him from Porto in the summer.

That was just five months ago, so it would be foolhardy to pay a similar amount - or even more - to get rid of him now. If he was good enough then, he is good enough now.

Villas-Boas may have been a tad naive though to suggest Abramovich wouldn't sack him because of the money he spent on him, with the Russian's track record with managers hardly showing him to be a loyal employer.

Four defeats in seven matches is clearly not good enough for a club of Chelsea's stature but another managerial change is not the answer.

'AVB' could do without the spectre of Hiddink looming in the background and Abramovich needs to address that situation, declare Hiddink is not under consideration and that Villas-Boas is still the man for the job.

Abramovich never makes public statements but now would be a good time to start, to prove he is still in it for the long-term and is not making managerial appointments on a whim.

It hasn't all been bad under Villas-Boas, anyway.

A little over a month ago, his side were being lauded for their attacking style after romping to victories over Swansea, Bolton and Genk.

Juan Mata has slotted into the side seamlessly while Daniel Sturridge has shown tremendous improvement under Villas-Boas.

Fernando Torres has shown glimpses of his old self although the manager may need to stick with him for a number of consecutive games to see the best of him.

Villas-Boas hasn't been helped by the John Terry racism saga.

Villas-Boas has backed Terry unequivocally throughout the racism allegations

Terry has been off the pace on the pitch but the allegations against him by Anton Ferdinand are more pressing.

The Portuguese boss did not handle the situation well when he underestimated the seriousness of it, while the whole saga is likely to have dented morale within the squad.

Whether that is a factor in Chelsea's extremely poor defensive record is unclear - perhaps that is as much down to the high defensive line and lack of discipline.

It is clear Villas-Boas needs faith and time to turn it around and mould Chelsea into the side he wants them to be, but a defeat to Valencia in their final Champions League group game could prove fatal to him.

That would knock Chelsea out and we all now how obsessed Abramovich is with that competition.

It would be just like the Russian to wield the axe if Villas-Boas was to fail in the Champions League but that would be foolish and not in his long-term interests.

Chelsea will turn this around.

Dropping David Luiz for Alex would be a start, while Villas-Boas would be well advised to ditch the high defensive line, at least until he has defenders who feel comfortable with it.

He will also need to show better adaptability and prove he is willing to change his tactics to suit the teams his side are playing.

But will he be given the time by Abramovich to turn things around? Patience is certainly not a quality normally associated with the Russian.

If Chelsea go crashing out of the Champions League in two weeks' time, Villas-Boas may become the latest boss to leave through the Stamford Bridge revolving door.