André Villas-Boas’s selection made the point eloquently enough. This was virtually the strongest starting lineup that he could have named and, to reinforce the theme of the day, there was even room on the substitutes’ bench for a recently retired player. Young Sam Hutchinson might not get the same headlines as Paul Scholes.

Chelsea cannot pick and choose the trophies that they chase, and the FA

Chelsea’s new manager was pleased with his side’s second-half improvement in a bruising encounter but still demanded more

André Villas-Boas was eager to promote an encouraging second-half revival, the positives to which he clung dotted with regular references to the daunting challenge faced by all-comers at this arena. Yet the natural born winner in the Portuguese could not disguise an underlying sense of deflation on debut. “I’d have enjoyed it better if we’d won,” said Chelsea’s latest manager. “No, I couldn’t be pleased with just a point.”

This club’s seventh manager of the Roman Abramovich era will at least feel a little more battle-hardened for the task ahead in the wake of this thunderous occasion. Stoke City at the Britannia Stadium had always felt like an awkward way to start, a fixture to test the resolve of new manager and seasoned players alike, so to emerge with a point and a clean sheet could be deemed respectable. After all, Tony Pulis’s side are wonderfully impressive at unsettling all calibre of opposition and there were times, particularly in the first half, when the visitors’ rearguard creaked in repelling their hosts’ barrage.

Yet Chelsea’s supporters should actually be reassured that even a point here is essentially deemed unsatisfactory by the new man in charge. It was Villas-Boas, not the media, who first mentioned this team’s “title challenge” afterwards, suggesting “one point is not bad, if not the greatest start”. There is talk served up freely of titles in August. For some, this might have been a contest from which merely to escape unscathed. Villas-Boas suggested stalemate was a missed opportunity. “It would have been a massive win if we had, particularly given Arsenal’s and Liverpool’s results,” he added. “A point is not ideal but it is not the end of the world. We can build on it.” Already sights are fixed on regaining the Premier League.

That is to be expected from a manager who has not lost a game since last February. Suited if unshaven, the 33-year-old had paced his technical area relentlessly, continually dropping to his haunches to view the game from pitch level, clapping frantically as his charges stood up to the physical challenges they faced or springing up and round in exasperation if the tempo dropped or the easy pass went ignored. At times he was manic in his appreciation of events on the pitch. He looked exhausted at the interval, the colour drained from his face as if this had all been a profound shock to his system. By the end, having instigated a response, he had rediscovered the confidence and conviction.

The Portuguese is a scholar of the game and had arrived in the Potteries knowing full well what awaited his team. But this must still have been an eye-opener. Stoke were a month into what would prove to be a successful promotion campaign in the Championship when Villas-Boas, then part of José Mourinho’s backroom staff, had left Stamford Bridge in September 2007. This was still all new, “a specific challenge in the Premier League” he later stated, with his criticisms of Stoke’s “pushing and grabbing” an insight into a clash of cultures. In fact, Chelsea teams in the past – Ricardo Carvalho against Barcelona springs to mind – have employed similar strong-arm tactics at times.

Yet, more significantly, this occasion did not lend itself to being a gauge of the impact Villas-Boas has already made on Chelsea’s style. There was to be no dictating of tempo through the first period while Stoke snapped centrally and scuttled out wide, with the ball forever fizzing from end to end with bone-crunching tackles all around. The flashes of quality mustered after the break were more promising, Chelsea’s fluid, attacking approach boding well with slick combination play around the box by-passing home defenders. Fernando Torres was more threatening throughout than at many stages last season. This was a better performance, certainly in terms of their rugged defending, than the one offered by Carlo Ancelotti’s side in a 1-1 draw here in April.

Yet it was still a match that will have the Italian’s successor fidgeting in frustration, particularly given Manchester United’s victory at the Hawthorns. Pulis praised the visitors and said they were “a great side” who would “finish in the top three for sure”. But that will not be enough for Villas-Boas. His sights are set much higher. The perfectionist in him will be simmering in frustration.

ChelseaStoke CityPremier League 2011-12Premier LeagueDominic Fifieldguardian.co.uk

• A £7.5m bid has persuaded east London club to sell
• Club still hopeful of signing Blackpool’s DJ Campbell

West Ham United will not now countenance a loan deal for Scott Parker, with Chelsea being told they will have to pay the full £8m transfer fee to take him to Stamford Bridge as the replacement for the injured Michael Essien.

West Ham had initially been willing to allow the England midfielder to go on loan for a season for a fee of £4m plus the 30-year-old’s wages, a proposition André Villas-Boas, the manager, was keen on, though Chelsea’s own valuation was a price of £1.5m together with Parker’s salary.

But a £7.5m bid to buy him outright received by West Ham yesterday, thought to be from Aston Villa as an improved offer from Wednesday’s £7m, has persuaded the east London club they should sell Parker outright.

West Ham are rebuilding under Sam Allardyce, the new manager, as they attempt to bounce straight back into the Premier League and want the finance from the sale of Parker to continue this drive.

Allardyce may soon be able to announce the latest recruit to his squad as Eidur Gudjohnsen, the former Chelsea and Fulham forward, took a medical at Upton Park. The 32-year-old came close to signing in January 2010 but the deal fell through and the Icelander joined Tottenham Hotspur.

If the deal is completed this time Gudjohnsen would become a West Ham player on a free transfer. A decision will be made on Friday as Gudjohnsen will be picking up a sizeable salary and the club want to establish that he is fully committed.

Allardyce hopes he can perform a similar role to that performed by Teddy Sheringham, who at 38 joined before the 2004-05 season and whose experience helped guide the club to promotion from the Championship that campaign.

While West Ham are still hopeful of signing Blackpool’s DJ Campbell – they bid £1.25m over a month ago so it now depends on convincing the player to sign – Carlton Cole is yet to complete his proposed move to Stoke City, with the striker still potentially staying at the club.

During their pre-season training camp in Switzerland West Ham lost 2-1 to both Young Boys Berne and FC Basel. Neil McDonald, Allardyce’s assistant, said: “We’re trying to create an atmosphere that’s positive after what happened last season with the relegation, and we’re trying to give them information on how the manager wants to play. They haven’t done it all the time in the two games but they have done it and that’s very, very encouraging considering we’ve only been back to work for a week. It has been a very, very long week. The lads have been training three times a day and they are tired.”

West Ham UnitedTransfer windowChelseaAston VillaJamie Jacksonguardian.co.uk