Chelsea's Petr Cech insists club's transition period is no excuse for a trophyless season

Chelsea goalkeeper Petr Cech insists the team’s period of transition cannot be used as an excuse for having a season without silverware.

Andre Villas-Boas made his fourth major signing since his arrival at Stamford Bridge in Bolton defender Gary Cahill on Monday, and the Blues have also been boosted by the return of midfielder Michael Essien, who made his first appearance of the season in Saturday's 1-0 win over Sunderland.

Chelsea are currently 11 points behind Premier League leaders Manchester City, as the club begin to replace an aging squad, but Cech insists there is no reason why the west London outfit cannot secure a trophy this season.

"We set a standard in recent years, and that's the way it is at a big club - especially here,” he told reporters.

"We want, ourselves, to win something. We don't want to go another season without trophies, so our aim is to end this season with silverware.

"We're doing everything in our power to achieve that, alongside the transformation and transition of the team. I think it will be a good year to build on for the future."

The Czech Republic shot-stopper also compared the club’s situation to his national side and insists that any amount of changes need time to work.

"I've lived this in the last few years with the Czech national team," he added.

"We had two generations of players who basically retired at the same time, and it takes time to recover.

"It took us nearly three years to rebuild the team and now we are grateful that we managed to qualify for the Euros.

"That is a big achievement as a result with such a new team.

"You can see this team, there have been changes in recent years because you can't stop players ageing.

"It's normal in a top club that people change. We changed the manager and a bit of the philosophy, so it needs time."

"They'll basically be two new players for us," Cech said.

"It's been a tough time for Michael, getting injured again and again, and the cruciate ligament is not what you wish on any footballer.

"So big credit to the medical staff and especially to Michael for getting back so soon. It's great to have him back.

"With Gary, he's an international defender, an English defender, and you always welcome internationals into the fold because it improves the squad."

Cech added: "It's a great moment for everybody to have him [Essien] back, not only because he's a great guy but now we have more numbers and more options.

"Any footballer who's been injured, two weeks out is already enough.

"He's been out for more than half a year, so that's obviously difficult.

"So give him more credit for coming back again. Nobody wants to see a player injured and he was unlucky, but he's a very strong guy, mentally and physically, which is why he was able to come back again."

How do you stay up with football when on the move? With http://m.goal.com – your best source for mobile coverage of the beautiful game.