Andre Villas-Boas - Head Coach

[Pirate55]

Quick highlights for people at work?

AVB is an intelligent guy who will have learned his lessons from Chelsea debacle. Was appointed and told to transition the club but Abramavitch changed his mind. He will be a better fit for Tottenham. His appointment was made at least as early as June 21st. Levy, Sherwood and AVB will will all work together to decide on recruitment, unlike Rednapp who was in open revolt against the Chairmans buying policy. Overall, Castles was quite positive about AVB's appointment.

 

[metalgear]

Quick highlights for people at work?

appointment is levy's calculated gamble, more so than AVB's, but seems highly convicted that AVB will be succeed (castle thinks so anyway)
AVB was sold a job that he wasn't allowed to do and bitterly disappointed by chelsea experience
AVB jokes about being the worst man manager with his friends - so seems to have learnt from experience and will change
sherwood work in reserved/youth much appreciated by levy, and area totally ignored by redknapp
spurs is not like chelsea where chairman buys players on his own, expects AVB to fit at spurs better
contract for avb agreed as far back as 21 june, expects transfer discussions to have happened
won't have situation in last 2 years where redknapp is in open revolt of transfer decisions

 

[africanspurs]

Why specifically do you think we'll slip back 3 or 4 places next season?

not sure about 3 or 4 places but i think 1 or 2 ...at most 3 is very probable

we are in contention for places with the following teams

Emirates Marketing Project
man united
arsenal
chelsea
liverpool
Saudi Sportswashing Machine


every single one of those teams capable of getting points against us and therefore able to get points against anyone we can get points from.

then there is the ugly head of consistency, perennial problem of tottenham. the best plaster over this issue was supplied by redknapp.....AVB with chelsea has a history IN THIS LEAGUE of having volatile and fluctuating results. if consistency becomes an issue again then we dont know how AVB will tackle that or to what level of responsibility is attributed to him with regards to the fact that we are inconsistent.

slipping down a few places is possible, slipping down at all is extremely likely.

 

[indianspur]

I'd love for you to be right, but no way will we be challenging for the title. It'll be one step backwards to (hopefully!) go two steps forwards at some point over the next 2 to 3 seasons. I think we should get top six this season, but I would be content if we finished 6th, or even 7th.

agree with all that

if Arse lose RVP, then i do think it will be Tottenham, Arsenal competing again for 4th with Saudi Sportswashing Machine and Liverpool as outsiders but still in with a shout if they have exceptional seasons, so 4 teams battling it out for 4th and it will be close again like it was this season

we could finish 4th, but could easily finish 6th too. It will be that tight

 

[Jordinho]

AVB with Tottenham vs. Rodgers with Liverpool

I think it's much more likely that Liverpool will struggle than us, trying to change the system/style of play. They are a bunch of cloggers with few exceptions.

 

[indianspur]

AVB with Tottenham vs. Rodgers with Liverpool

I think it's much more likely that Liverpool will struggle than us, trying to change the system/style of play. They are a bunch of cloggers with few exceptions.

not really, they had a decent passing game last season, and as a club its in their veins to pass and move, to play from the back, the fans know their history and will be appreciative of the patient style Rodgers will encourage there

 

[BrainOfLevy]

not sure about 3 or 4 places but i think 1 or 2 ...at most 3 is very probable

we are in contention for places with the following teams

Emirates Marketing Project
man united
arsenal
chelsea
liverpool
Saudi Sportswashing Machine


every single one of those teams capable of getting points against us and therefore able to get points against anyone we can get points from.

then there is the ugly head of consistency, perennial problem of tottenham. the best plaster over this issue was supplied by redknapp.....AVB with chelsea has a history IN THIS LEAGUE of having volatile and fluctuating results. if consistency becomes an issue again then we dont know how AVB will tackle that or to what level of responsibility is attributed to him with regards to the fact that we are inconsistent.

slipping down a few places is possible, slipping down at all is extremely likely.

So really we could equally be challenging for 3rd or 2nd again as likely as we could be slipping down to 6th. It will be very tight. All those clubs have dangerous players. Even Saudi Sportswashing Machine have the likes of Cabaye and Cisse, Liverpool will make signings, Arsenal will always be somewhere there, City and United will always be a threat.

But we will make signings too. We will be a threat too. If they can take points off us, we can take points off them. I don't neccesarily think it will be a slip down, infact as long as we make intelligent buys there won't be much different from last season IMO. Infact withour speculation linking our manager away for 3 months of it I reckon we may well improve. I can't see much changing. We could be in 3rd, we could be 6th. The league will be tight but that was going to be the case whether Harry was here or not.

Disagree that Harry means consistency but AVB may not though. AVB was inconsistent attempting to bed new ideas in at Chelsea with unsuited players. Harry usually has a consistent run between September-January and has for the last 2 years saw us fall away. There is no really way to tell either way. Simply put, if we get the right players to play the way AVB wants, and he gets them on side and playing for him, we will be consistent. I don't think he's an 'inconsistent manager'.

 

[BrainOfLevy]

not really, they had a decent passing game last season, and as a club its in their veins to pass and move, to play from the back, the fans know their history and will be appreciative of the patient style Rodgers will encourage there

I think Rodgers will do ok. He'll probably get them 6th but it won't be instant amazing results with them IMO, because there is a fair bit to change - where as with us it's more evolution rather than revolution. Rodgers admitted from his time at Reading that he tried to change things too quickly so maybe he will initiate change slower at Liverpool, but that means for a while they will be in a period of transition, and won't be playing the Rodgers style to the best of their ability - which is what he was signed for.

He will have to use Carroll. He can't not use a £35M player. And yet Carroll's strength is in the air, not on the floor, and they probably won't be lumping the ball in the air very much under Rodgers. That means Carroll is going to have to play well in tight spaces with the ball at his feet...and that's not really his strength.

He will have to use Downing as one of the wing forwards most likely. Again because he cost £20M, he can't not make use of him. But Downing is a different type of player to Sinclair, and is more suited to being a provider rather than an outlet.

He'll have a goalkeeper that will do well for him. A well-suited right back. Agger will be good for him in defence, and so will Enrique probably. Lucas will be a decent holder but he's not really in the Britton mould of making incisive passes forward. Henderson will also need to be used, and he is tidy in possession and should be able to press well. Adam may be decent. Gerrard will have to alter his game.

They will definitely need to make signings upfront, and they will probably be in a season of transition where some players shine but they drop points and get a bit inconsistent because some aren't suited. Then once they can move those players on they will probably start to see real improvement.

With us, we are already suited, so I think it will be a couple of years before Liverpool catch us, but they probably will eventually because there's only so much better you can get. But I don't really see us needing a season of adaption while we learn AVB's methods, I see us already ripe to put them into practice because they seem to be a natural fit with what we already have.

 

[Gutter Boy]

AVB with Tottenham vs. Rodgers with Liverpool

I think it's much more likely that Liverpool will struggle than us, trying to change the system/style of play. They are a bunch of cloggers with few exceptions.

Remember AVB was more senior to/highly rated than Rodgers when they were at Chelsea together - AVB was assistant managers, whereas Rodgers was reserve team manager.

 

[The Moonlit Knight]

Why specifically do you think we'll slip back 3 or 4 places next season?

Well I do think we have been punching above our weight and to expect a new Manager to come in and maintain that is a big ask. But I also think AVB will revamp the existing team and style (formation) of play drastically, and if he does that it will take time to gel.

What may work in our favour is that Liverpool have the same issue (although I don't believe the system Rodgers will implement to be anywhere near as complex as the one AVB tries to) but that may be cancelled out by the fact they punched under their weight.

RDM is the other factor. Chelsea should be above us regardless of the Manager, as their team is simply and comfortably better than ours.

So IMO City, Utd, Chelsea and Arsenal have better teams and squads than us. That should be the top four wrapped up. I think at the moment we have the 5th best team and squad but Liverpool buy a couple of players, we sell a couple like Modric and VDV and Saudi Sportswashing Machine maintain a status quo then all of a sudden those three look awfully close on paper.

Momentum is the key for us at the beginning of the season and we have a fairly easy start to the season. If we can avoid defeat at Saudi Sportswashing Machine and we win the next four (entirely feasible) then that could set us up for a good season. We start slow and are in a bit of slump when the harder games start to come and then we could be in for a long and bumpy ride.

 

[The Moonlit Knight]

Remember AVB was more senior to/highly rated than Rodgers when they were at Chelsea together - AVB was assistant managers, whereas Rodgers was reserve team manager.

I thought he was part of the scouting team before becoming an assistant coach, i.e. an assistant to the coaches.

And it doesn't matter who as more senior at Chelsea anyway. It has zero reflection on ability.

 

[1882]

I think AVB & Tottenham will be a perfect fit...

The last couple of months at Chelsea should be discounted, as most of the players weren't giving a brick... whatever those reasons were might well be worth taking a look at (alienating senior players is one) but if AVB has learned from past mistakes, and accepts that sometimes, the senior players CAN influence the dressing room, whether you like it or not, is something he's going to have to take on board, and adapt to...

luckily for AVB, I'm glad to say I don't think OUR dressing room has anywhere near as many c u n t s in it as Chelsea's!!

 

[The Moonlit Knight]

I think AVB & Tottenham will be a perfect fit...

The last couple of months at Chelsea should be discounted, as most of the players weren't giving a brick... whatever those reasons were might well be worth taking a look at (alienating senior players is one) but if AVB has learned from past mistakes, and accepts that sometimes, the senior players CAN influence the dressing room, whether you like it or not, is something he's going to have to take on board, and adapt to...

luckily for AVB, I'm glad to say I don't think OUR dressing room has anywhere near as many c u n t s in it as Chelsea's!!

Problem with that attitude is that a lot of winners are ****s. They are determined, arrogant, their way or the highway. The fact that our players aren't like that could well be a reason as to why we aren't higher up the table. And if AVB can't handle players who are like that, then we have a Manager with a fairly low ceiling.

 

[BrainOfLevy]

Well I do think we have been punching above our weight and to expect a new Manager to come in and maintain that is a big ask. But I also think AVB will revamp the existing team and style (formation) of play drastically, and if he does that it will take time to gel.

What may work in our favour is that Liverpool have the same issue (although I don't believe the system Rodgers will implement to be anywhere near as complex as the one AVB tries to) but that may be cancelled out by the fact they punched under their weight.

RDM is the other factor. Chelsea should be above us regardless of the Manager, as their team is simply and comfortably better than ours.

So IMO City, Utd, Chelsea and Arsenal have better teams and squads than us. That should be the top four wrapped up. I think at the moment we have the 5th best team and squad but Liverpool buy a couple of players, we sell a couple like Modric and VDV and Saudi Sportswashing Machine maintain a status quo then all of a sudden those three look awfully close on paper.

Momentum is the key for us at the beginning of the season and we have a fairly easy start to the season. If we can avoid defeat at Saudi Sportswashing Machine and we win the next four (entirely feasible) then that could set us up for a good season. We start slow and are in a bit of slump when the harder games start to come and then we could be in for a long and bumpy ride.

What makes you think AVB's system will be significantly more complicated than Rodgers'?

Don't think Arsenal have neccesarily a better team or sqaud than us either. It's close, but if they lose RVP they aren't really ahead. We will both make signings and we will both be in and around the same level I'd say.

 

[Jordinho]

 

[1882]

Problem with that attitude is that a lot of winners are ****s. They are determined, arrogant, their way or the highway. The fact that our players aren't like that could well be a reason as to why we aren't higher up the table. And if AVB can't handle players who are like that, then we have a Manager with a fairly low ceiling.

...and THAT'S the point i'm searching my soul for... a team of nice guys who finish 4th... or a bunch of ****s who can win the league...
it's a tough one, but fudge it, I'm sick of 'nice guys' like Vega & Doherty & Pav... just glad to be here isn't enough...

so I'd probably go for a club of ****s... gonads, does that make me a bad person? After all, got us fudge all with Ben Thatcher, who was a RIGHT ****!

 

[1882]

Ola leeetle fella... you going to run down the wing like a good lad... Who' a quick clever boy...? go on, off you run...

 

[inkpenspur]

not sure about 3 or 4 places but i think 1 or 2 ...at most 3 is very probable

we are in contention for places with the following teams

Emirates Marketing Project
man united
arsenal
chelsea
liverpool
Saudi Sportswashing Machine


every single one of those teams capable of getting points against us and therefore able to get points against anyone we can get points from.

I tend to agree with this, however there always seems to be a surprise contender as well. Who can honestly say that before last season started that they expected Saudi Sportswashing Machine to be up there contending? I certainly didn't, I more expected them to be worrying the bottom rungs of the ladder as I didn't rate Pardew, and they had lost their stars... so there could be a surprise this season too... and typically, one of the top six will have a 'mare. Just have a sneaky feeling it won't be us.

 

[BrainOfLevy]

I tend to agree with this, however there always seems to be a surprise contender as well. Who can honestly say that before last season started that they expected Saudi Sportswashing Machine to be up there contending? I certainly didn't, I more expected them to be worrying the bottom rungs of the ladder as I didn't rate Pardew, and they had lost their stars... so there could be a surprise this season too... and typically, one of the top six will have a 'mare. Just have a sneaky feeling it won't be us.

I'd go for Villa as surprise contender - Lambert is excellent.

However I think it may also just be Everton having not such a bad start and being a bit more consistent this season, getting them in the mix amoungst Saudi Sportswashing Machine.

 

[Jordinho]

Villa have the worst squad in the league bar Wigan. They've started to make some signings, but there's a long way to go.