These days AVB, to me, is a man who seems to be lacking in confidence. The fact that he said that he wanted "public backing from Abramovich" says it all for me, here we have a man who is clearly feeling the pressure and as a result, it's affected his confidence. It also doesn't help he has to deal with the many egos in the dressing room. He simply can't stamp his authority on the dressing room, Terry and others probably believe that they "know better" than a "relative unknown".
The AVB project is the right move for Chelsea's future, they simply can't rely on the likes of Terry, Lampard anymore, it's time to bring in the young talent into the side (he did, after all sign many youngsters in both transfer windows). Dropping Lampard at the start of the season was just the beginning. Villas-Boas should be given a chance imo - sacking him now will only create further problems for Chelsea.