Six days in Majorca with the squad was a release; a chance for the young Portuguese coach to drain some of the tension after a turbulent start to his career with the club.
He prescribed rest and relaxation, dividing the time between the training pitches, the golf course and some fine dining in some of Palma's magnificent seaview restaurants.
Chelsea's players were instructed to leave their Dolce & Gabbana club suits at home, swapping them for swim shorts and 'club casuals' - the phrase used on the leaflet given to the players a few days before they took off on a charter flight from Norwich last Saturday.
The midwinter break, at the magnificently appointed Hotel Punta Negra in Costa D'en Blanes, was designed to be a cooling-off period after sliding out of the title race. The players responded, stripping off the layers each morning at Real Mallorca's splendid training complex 20 minutes from their clifftop apartments.
It allowed skipper John Terry time to focus his thoughts on Saturday's meeting with the player he is accused of racially abusing at Loftus Road last October, Anton Ferdinand, and his forthcoming court case relating to those allegations.
Torres must dread the sharp intake of breath Villas-Boas takes before the distinctive shrill of his whistle and shouts the words 'shooting drill'. Yet the striker was a class apart, gliding across the playing surface and stepping into side-foot volleys with the assurance of a World Cup winner. He drew gasps of admiration from Real Mallorca's coaching staff up in the stand whenever one of AVB's training drills ended with Petr Cech beaten cleanly.
It was the player Chelsea paid £50million for, converting chances under the comfort blanket that Villas-Boas created for his squad at their Son Biblioni training camp.
The manager demanded focus and in return he gave them freedom to enjoy themselves on the field, encouraging them to flash the occasional smile again after a frustrating season.
Frank Lampard worked alone, put through a series of sprinting drills before heading off for massage on his injured calf.
In the evenings a bus took them into town, down the winding roads to friendly restaurants such as the Vinotinto tapas bar.
He has failed to mask his insecurities, surprising Chelsea employees after his return to English football following a hugely successful season with Porto.
But he dropped his guard at times this week, allowing the players to gain a better understanding of his complicated personality.
Villas-Boas still has the support of Roman Abramovich but, crucially, he altered the mindset of some influential players too.
source: www.dailymail.co.uk
and picture: www.mirrorfootball.co.uk, plus google and www.chelseafc.com
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