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Andre Villas-Boas - Head Coach
- Thread starter Bale
- Start date
thfcsteff
Garth Crooks
Could you explain this comment please?
thfcsteff
Garth Crooks
Christian Gross? GGG? He had FOUR 0-0 draws in a row one January mate, to be fair mate, if you missed that I'm happy for you because it was dire!!!!!
Well, AVB is only 4 months not 4 years into his tenure as Spurs boss, I don't necessarily agree to all his transfers or tactics. But there are enough signs for me to think if he's given many more 4 months, our results will improve and with some key new signings, the performances too.
http://soccernet.espn.go.com/blog/_/name/espnfcunited/id/2210?cc=4716
Andre Villas-Boas came within touching distance of claiming the credibility he has long craved as his Tottenham side closed in on victory at Goodison Park last Sunday, yet there remain as many questions as there are answers hovering over this compellingly divisive coach.
With Tottenham winning 1-0 and on course for a fourth successive league win against one of their chief rivals in the race for a Champions League spot, Villas-Boas must have sensed that his moment of vindication was imminent, with the critics who have long suspected he is out of his depth in the Premier League apparently about to be silenced by a coach coming of age at last.
In the end, though, late goals from Steven Pienaar and Nikica Jelavic burst the latest Tottenham bubble just as it was showing signs of promising inflation, leaving Villas-Boas to continue his pursuit of vindication in a country that remains as bemused by his presence as ever.
However, the coach who was humiliated in brutal fashion at Stamford Bridge last season appears to have learned plenty of lessons from his chastening experience in west London and for that reason, he has proved himself to be worthy of the second chance he fortunately received.
Villas-Boas is in considerably better shape now than he was this time last year, when unnamed Chelsea players were openly criticising their manager in the media, with those writing the stories only too happy to shoot down the coach whose naivety was evident on the touchline and in the media room before and after games.
This newcomer created enemies aplenty during his short time at Chelsea, with the likes of Frank Lampard and Didier Drogba among those who rejected his coaching ideals and those of us forced to deal with him on a weekly basis in his painful press briefings left frustrated by his refusal to offer even a morsel of useful information.
AVB MK1 was very much the young pup trying to make his mark in the only way he knew how, yet the bullyboy tactics he employed with players and the media didn't suit him and backfired in horrible fashion.
To his credit, AVB MK2 is a little more humble on and off the pitch. Where once he got rid of big-name players Alex and Nicolas Anelka and refused to offer them any route back into his team at Chelsea, he has shown more flexibility in reintroducing Tom Huddlestone and Michael Dawson into his Spurs set-up despite trying to sell the duo in August.
The new Villas-Boas smiles more, he is more eager to answer questions in press conferences and he seems to have got his head around the role of being a Premier League boss now. He seems more comfortable in his role than he was at Chelsea a year ago, with the slightly less pressurised Spurs job a better fit for his novice talents.
However, the doubts about his abilities refuse to disperse and the statistic that his side have conceded more goals (10) in the last 15 minutes of games than any other Premier League club this season is enough to create a 'what might have been' story for Spurs already.
Dropped home points in games against West Bromwich Albion, Norwich and Wigan were typical of a club who have wallowed in too many false dawns down the years and if fatigue is a factor in their late concessions, the manager could be targeted as the architect of their demise.
Villas-Boas' decision to use his star names in Europa League matches bucked a trend most Premier League coaches have followed in recent years, with the tendency to use the second-string European competition to blood young players ensuring domestic ambitions have not been jeopardised. That was Harry Redknapp's plan during his time as Spurs boss, but his successor has adopted an alternative approach.
So the latest comments from the Tottenham boss suggesting his side are flagging physically just four months into the season leaves him open to criticism, with this rare week of inactivity coming at an opportune moment for Villas-Boas' battle-scarred squad.
"Finally, we have a breather this week," said Villas-Boas, as he looked forward to a lengthy preparation for Sunday's game against Swansea. "We now have a week to prepare and that's important for us because we haven't stopped for a month or so. I don't agree that the Europa League has affected us physically in the league games as some of our best performances this season have come on the Sunday after a European game. So that is not the problem. It is not a mental thing, it's the nature of the game.
"Now the players can recover and I think you will see us at another level in these next two home games. We have to make the most of it. It has been quite an adventure in the Premier League this season and if we count the number of results that have been going for us before the last minutes, we would be in first place now. However, we are still in a good position. Conceding late goals are something we are aware of. We speak about it openly and it is something we have to improve, seeing off games."
There is still a feeling that Villas-Boas is learning on the job he landed so unexpectedly last summer, yet there remains an enticing possibility that he may defy the sceptics and thrive before he runs out of time.
Despite all their missed opportunities this season, Spurs find themselves level on points with fourth-placed Everton and just three behind Chelsea in the race for a top-four finish and in a season notable for its unpredictability, the chance is there for Villas-Boas to take advantage.
"The league is very tight at the moment and if we got the result we wanted at Everton, it would have put us in a very good position," he said. "Two home games before the Christmas fixtures [against Swansea and Stoke] is good for us and we have to continue our performance and bounce back. We've showed good signs of ability to bounce back from adversity and I think we'll do it one more time."
Failure in his latest posting will almost certainly mean Villas-Boas' moment in the brightest of sporting spotlights will have passed for good and while there are flickers of hope that he will come good in the end, this Portuguese tactician knows the consequences of failing to make the most of his second glorious opportunity in the Premier League.
http://soccernet.espn.go.com/blog/_/name/espnfcunited/id/2210?cc=4716
Andre Villas-Boas came within touching distance of claiming the credibility he has long craved as his Tottenham side closed in on victory at Goodison Park last Sunday, yet there remain as many questions as there are answers hovering over this compellingly divisive coach.
With Tottenham winning 1-0 and on course for a fourth successive league win against one of their chief rivals in the race for a Champions League spot, Villas-Boas must have sensed that his moment of vindication was imminent, with the critics who have long suspected he is out of his depth in the Premier League apparently about to be silenced by a coach coming of age at last.
In the end, though, late goals from Steven Pienaar and Nikica Jelavic burst the latest Tottenham bubble just as it was showing signs of promising inflation, leaving Villas-Boas to continue his pursuit of vindication in a country that remains as bemused by his presence as ever.
However, the coach who was humiliated in brutal fashion at Stamford Bridge last season appears to have learned plenty of lessons from his chastening experience in west London and for that reason, he has proved himself to be worthy of the second chance he fortunately received.
Villas-Boas is in considerably better shape now than he was this time last year, when unnamed Chelsea players were openly criticising their manager in the media, with those writing the stories only too happy to shoot down the coach whose naivety was evident on the touchline and in the media room before and after games.
This newcomer created enemies aplenty during his short time at Chelsea, with the likes of Frank Lampard and Didier Drogba among those who rejected his coaching ideals and those of us forced to deal with him on a weekly basis in his painful press briefings left frustrated by his refusal to offer even a morsel of useful information.
AVB MK1 was very much the young pup trying to make his mark in the only way he knew how, yet the bullyboy tactics he employed with players and the media didn't suit him and backfired in horrible fashion.
To his credit, AVB MK2 is a little more humble on and off the pitch. Where once he got rid of big-name players Alex and Nicolas Anelka and refused to offer them any route back into his team at Chelsea, he has shown more flexibility in reintroducing Tom Huddlestone and Michael Dawson into his Spurs set-up despite trying to sell the duo in August.
The new Villas-Boas smiles more, he is more eager to answer questions in press conferences and he seems to have got his head around the role of being a Premier League boss now. He seems more comfortable in his role than he was at Chelsea a year ago, with the slightly less pressurised Spurs job a better fit for his novice talents.
However, the doubts about his abilities refuse to disperse and the statistic that his side have conceded more goals (10) in the last 15 minutes of games than any other Premier League club this season is enough to create a 'what might have been' story for Spurs already.
Dropped home points in games against West Bromwich Albion, Norwich and Wigan were typical of a club who have wallowed in too many false dawns down the years and if fatigue is a factor in their late concessions, the manager could be targeted as the architect of their demise.
Villas-Boas' decision to use his star names in Europa League matches bucked a trend most Premier League coaches have followed in recent years, with the tendency to use the second-string European competition to blood young players ensuring domestic ambitions have not been jeopardised. That was Harry Redknapp's plan during his time as Spurs boss, but his successor has adopted an alternative approach.
So the latest comments from the Tottenham boss suggesting his side are flagging physically just four months into the season leaves him open to criticism, with this rare week of inactivity coming at an opportune moment for Villas-Boas' battle-scarred squad.
"Finally, we have a breather this week," said Villas-Boas, as he looked forward to a lengthy preparation for Sunday's game against Swansea. "We now have a week to prepare and that's important for us because we haven't stopped for a month or so. I don't agree that the Europa League has affected us physically in the league games as some of our best performances this season have come on the Sunday after a European game. So that is not the problem. It is not a mental thing, it's the nature of the game.
"Now the players can recover and I think you will see us at another level in these next two home games. We have to make the most of it. It has been quite an adventure in the Premier League this season and if we count the number of results that have been going for us before the last minutes, we would be in first place now. However, we are still in a good position. Conceding late goals are something we are aware of. We speak about it openly and it is something we have to improve, seeing off games."
There is still a feeling that Villas-Boas is learning on the job he landed so unexpectedly last summer, yet there remains an enticing possibility that he may defy the sceptics and thrive before he runs out of time.
Despite all their missed opportunities this season, Spurs find themselves level on points with fourth-placed Everton and just three behind Chelsea in the race for a top-four finish and in a season notable for its unpredictability, the chance is there for Villas-Boas to take advantage.
"The league is very tight at the moment and if we got the result we wanted at Everton, it would have put us in a very good position," he said. "Two home games before the Christmas fixtures [against Swansea and Stoke] is good for us and we have to continue our performance and bounce back. We've showed good signs of ability to bounce back from adversity and I think we'll do it one more time."
Failure in his latest posting will almost certainly mean Villas-Boas' moment in the brightest of sporting spotlights will have passed for good and while there are flickers of hope that he will come good in the end, this Portuguese tactician knows the consequences of failing to make the most of his second glorious opportunity in the Premier League.
bang on the money
The Moonlit Knight
Banned
You can read the forum. Apparently the reason Caulker made the mistake and ignored Lloris's call was because he had got used to playing with Friedel. Apparently if Friedel had been dropped from the beginning we'd never have conceded that goal.
There is a good chance of that
Changing the keeper every second game does absolutely nothing towards esablishing understanding amongst the back 5
Can you possibly offer links to posts which blame Friedel directly for Lloris' mistakes. The Caulker example is a criticism towards AVB if anything, not Brad
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Jurgen the German
Willie Hall
You do realise that could be classed as criticising AVB?
Jurgen the German
Willie Hall
I'm just surprised is all. You don't get that too often from the pro AVB crowd.
I'm not pro-AVB - I'm pro-Spurs and anti- any threat towards the club (which what I believe that man became and was subsequently eliminated)
Why do you feel the need to always polarise the two camps - it's just opinions on matters - not a grand conspiracy
Are you unable to give AVB credit now because you're still disappointed The Innocent one was told to jog on? Let it go mate, not worth it
Why do you feel the need to always polarise the two camps - it's just opinions on matters - not a grand conspiracy
Are you unable to give AVB credit now because you're still disappointed The Innocent one was told to jog on? Let it go mate, not worth it
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Jurgen the German
Willie Hall
I was disappointed at the time, but I'm fully behind AVB now. But I will not make excuses for him like some do whenever he gets something wrong. If Fergie was our manager, I'd be critical of him if he made a mistake. I've said all along that 5th place would be a decent return this season so I can't be acccused of setting unrealistic aims for AVB this season. 5th place is definitely achievable with our squad.
What I can't let go is how so many can have such an irrational hatred of a manager than got us 4th, 5th and 4th, got us to the quarter finals of the Champions League, ended our hoodoos against Arsenal home and away and Liverpool, got us playing the best football I've seen in my lifetime supporting Spurs, and did without spending massive amounts of money and having a lower wage bill than our rivals. He definitely took his eye off the ball last season when Capello got sacked and he tinkered with our team too much as if to prove a point to the FA about what a versatile manager he is, and for that, he deserves a lot of stick for. But what did you want him to say? If he says he's committed to Spurs then fudges off to England, then he's a liar. He couldn't win either way. What do our fans really expect us to achieve when we have a chairman who won't pay more than £16m for a player and won't pay massive wages? 3rd/4th is the highest he realistically could have got, and it's the same for AVB too. 4th this season and finishing above Arsenal would be massive and would top anything Harry achieved and I'll be delighted if it happens.
Hashegotthesackyet?
Gudni Bergsson
Ref 'Arry..The bloke is a candle face, whats not to hate?
@SpursOfficial what has impressed you most since arriving at Tottenham? #SpursQ&A
A:“I have encountered a tremendous group of people, staff & players. Important to get positive response, which we have since we arrived”
Andre: “It has been an exciting 5 months and we hope we can keep doing well in order to repay the confidence given to us from the beginning”
@SpursOfficial Andre, whats your favorite thing about living in London? #SpursQandA
Andre: “It is a tremendous City, very cosmopolitan, we find ourselves very well here"
Andre: "We feel at home with English culture, maybe because of my English background"
Andre: “The hospitality and the fact people are so open to make you feel welcome, that is my favourite thing”
@SpursOfficial what was it like being taught by Sir Bobby Robson? #SpursQandA
Andre: “I didn’t work officially with him, but I gave him a hand on what I thought statistically and player reports”
Andre: “It was a great, great experience for me. It is very unusual for someone so high profile to take on a kid and put on the route"
Andre: "...to a coaching career and I am very thankful for that to him."
@SpursOfficial #SpursQandA Afternoon Andre, what's been your best moment so far whilst working at Spurs?
Andre: "Winning at Man United away was something special for everyone here, players, staff and fans"
@SpursOfficial You look like a wine man, what your favourite? #SpursQandA
Andre: "There are superior wines but the wine I enjoyed most was Chateau Phelan Segur 1986"
Andre: "You get satisfaction from wine not only from the quality but from the event, surroundings and the people"
@spursofficial Andre, what has been the best part of moving to the new training ground?
Andre: "Training centre is absolutely amazing, we have replicated top conditions for our footballers"
Andre: "Infrastructure is amazing, everything is more extensive and the players have been buzzing since we arrived"
Andre: "We had concerns that the change from the Lodge may have had an impact but It has all been extremely positive”
@SpursOfficial Hi andre what was it like managing British Virgin Islands at the grand old age at 21 #SpursQandA
Andre: "I didn’t actually manage them! I first arrived as a youth football co-coordinator, then promoted to technical director"
Andre: "Overseeing football development and very close to the national team.."
Andre: "You have to bear in mind that the league had 6 amateur teams, most from the commonwealth and the Caribbean"
Andre: "I was close with the first team, helping out so we could to make it to the group phase of the qualification of the '02 World Cup"
Andre: We played against the Bermuda who had 3 pro’s but it was a great modern sporting and life experience”
@SpursOfficial How can you describe the atmosphere of being the Spurs manager? #SpursQandA
Andre: It’s great because of the philosophy of the Club want to implements what I think about football & the way we should play”
Andre: “I think we should have a go, play well and be open. Obviously in any quest of a football team it is to be successful”
Andre: “Ideally we want to mix the two. Sometimes we have done that this season and been brilliant”
Andre: “Other times we haven’t got what we wanted but played well. We want to take the Club to the future”
Andre: “It’s an honour to be at a Club who want to protect these values and we are reminded everyday"
Andre: "..because they are present in our training ground”
Andre: "The players we are trying to bring in and have here also embrace that philosophy which we want to carry into the future”
A:“I have encountered a tremendous group of people, staff & players. Important to get positive response, which we have since we arrived”
Andre: “It has been an exciting 5 months and we hope we can keep doing well in order to repay the confidence given to us from the beginning”
@SpursOfficial Andre, whats your favorite thing about living in London? #SpursQandA
Andre: “It is a tremendous City, very cosmopolitan, we find ourselves very well here"
Andre: "We feel at home with English culture, maybe because of my English background"
Andre: “The hospitality and the fact people are so open to make you feel welcome, that is my favourite thing”
@SpursOfficial what was it like being taught by Sir Bobby Robson? #SpursQandA
Andre: “I didn’t work officially with him, but I gave him a hand on what I thought statistically and player reports”
Andre: “It was a great, great experience for me. It is very unusual for someone so high profile to take on a kid and put on the route"
Andre: "...to a coaching career and I am very thankful for that to him."
@SpursOfficial #SpursQandA Afternoon Andre, what's been your best moment so far whilst working at Spurs?
Andre: "Winning at Man United away was something special for everyone here, players, staff and fans"
@SpursOfficial You look like a wine man, what your favourite? #SpursQandA
Andre: "There are superior wines but the wine I enjoyed most was Chateau Phelan Segur 1986"
Andre: "You get satisfaction from wine not only from the quality but from the event, surroundings and the people"
@spursofficial Andre, what has been the best part of moving to the new training ground?
Andre: "Training centre is absolutely amazing, we have replicated top conditions for our footballers"
Andre: "Infrastructure is amazing, everything is more extensive and the players have been buzzing since we arrived"
Andre: "We had concerns that the change from the Lodge may have had an impact but It has all been extremely positive”
@SpursOfficial Hi andre what was it like managing British Virgin Islands at the grand old age at 21 #SpursQandA
Andre: "I didn’t actually manage them! I first arrived as a youth football co-coordinator, then promoted to technical director"
Andre: "Overseeing football development and very close to the national team.."
Andre: "You have to bear in mind that the league had 6 amateur teams, most from the commonwealth and the Caribbean"
Andre: "I was close with the first team, helping out so we could to make it to the group phase of the qualification of the '02 World Cup"
Andre: We played against the Bermuda who had 3 pro’s but it was a great modern sporting and life experience”
@SpursOfficial How can you describe the atmosphere of being the Spurs manager? #SpursQandA
Andre: It’s great because of the philosophy of the Club want to implements what I think about football & the way we should play”
Andre: “I think we should have a go, play well and be open. Obviously in any quest of a football team it is to be successful”
Andre: “Ideally we want to mix the two. Sometimes we have done that this season and been brilliant”
Andre: “Other times we haven’t got what we wanted but played well. We want to take the Club to the future”
Andre: “It’s an honour to be at a Club who want to protect these values and we are reminded everyday"
Andre: "..because they are present in our training ground”
Andre: "The players we are trying to bring in and have here also embrace that philosophy which we want to carry into the future”
Jurgen the German
Willie Hall
You look like a wine man? Is the best some people could come up with? Lol
Good answers from AVB though. I actually do quite like the guy, the only thing that's irritating is his voice.
Good answers from AVB though. I actually do quite like the guy, the only thing that's irritating is his voice.
Rossi22
Pedro Mendes
I don't agree. Last year we had very few injuries and Harry could pick from the same 14 players practically every week. This season AVB has had to do without Kaboul, BAE and Parker all season. Dembele has missed half the season, Ade has missed half the season through injury and suspension, Bale has missed a couple of important games.
The Moonlit Knight
Banned
We'll have to agree to disagree then regarding the injuries. Lennon's injury cost us a lot in my opinion, but we also really missed Huddlestone, Sandro & Dawson too. All four of them were long term injured at some point last season (three of them at the same time), and then a lot of the fringe players were also suffering injuries for much of the time they were here (Kranjcar and Pienaar were rarely fit for example).