Andre Villas-Boas - Head Coach

[The Moonlit Knight]

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.

I've been pleased with the start of the season. I do feel we are underperforming a bit with the players we have, and I wish the football was a little more cavalier, but whilst the performances aren't great the results have gone well. I'm looking forward to AVB being able to implement the system he wants to play and not do what he is doing now which is making do. Hopefully he'll get that midfielder and inside forward he so badly needs in January.

 

[Gazza Dazzla]

I've been pleased with the start of the season. I do feel we are underperforming a bit with the players we have, and I wish the football was a little more cavalier, but whilst the performances aren't great the results have gone well. I'm looking forward to AVB being able to implement the system he wants to play and not do what he is doing now which is making do. Hopefully he'll get that midfielder and inside forward he so badly needs in January.

I pretty much agree with all that, although our squad / 1st team isn't as good as last season player wise and has gone thru a huge overhaul compared to the prev season, so it stands to reason it will take time to start playing well again.

 

[Spursalot]

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).

That one i would have to disagree with. Sandro was back fit and Harry was still playing an obviously exhausted/injured Parker as his Holding mid.


Everyone could see it bar Harry apparently.

 

[The Moonlit Knight]

That one i would have to disagree with. Sandro was back fit and Harry was still playing an obviously exhausted/injured Parker as his Holding mid.


Everyone could see it bar Harry apparently.

And Sandro played a lot when he was fit. But pre-Xmas he was never fit. When he did return he played in 90% of the games.

 

[Spursalot]

And Sandro played a lot when he was fit. But pre-Xmas he was never fit. When he did return he played in 90% of the games.

Because Redknapp had played Parker into the ground with his lack of rotation policies.


Sandro was only bought back in when Parker was physically incapable of playing anymore.

 

[The Moonlit Knight]

Because Redknapp had played Parker into the ground with his lack of rotation policies.


Sandro was only bought back in when Parker was physically incapable of playing anymore.

We'll have to agree to disagree. We rotated loads last year but, correctly, tended to play our strongest XI in the league when available. Redknapp rotated a lot more than AVB has so far for example, and I don't expect AVB to rotate too much for the rest of the season either.

Sandro played 27 games last year. I don't think Parker was incapable of playing in those 27 games?

 

[Spursalot]

We'll have to agree to disagree. We rotated loads last year but, correctly, tended to play our strongest XI in the league when available. Redknapp rotated a lot more than AVB has so far for example, and I don't expect AVB to rotate too much for the rest of the season either.

Sandro played 27 games last year. I don't think Parker was incapable of playing in those 27 games?

Not all 27, but the majority of them.


Our memories just differ on the subject i guess.

 

[The Moonlit Knight]

Not all 27, but the majority of them.


Our memories just differ on the subject i guess.

Yes. I thought Parker was outstanding last season, even during the period where the results weren't running our way.

 

[Spursalot]

Yes. I thought Parker was outstanding last season, even during the period where the results weren't running our way.

I am of the opinion he looked utterly exhausted/injured during our bad run, which is partly why it was our bad run. Was even sat on here saying exactly the same.

Pre-Christmas he was outstanding though.

 

[The Moonlit Knight]

I am of the opinion he looked utterly exhausted during our bad run, which is partly why it was our bad run. Was even sat on here saying exactly the same.

Pre-Christmas he was outstanding though.

During our bad run we were still playing well and dominating games for the most part (the exception being Arsenal away and Norwich at home, less we say about that the better!). Especially Everton away, Stoke at home, QPR away. I still look back at those games and wonder how on earth we failed to win those games when we were so much superior to them on the day. Even Utd at home. We played better that day than we beat them 3-2 at their place this season!

 

[The Moonlit Knight]

During our bad run we were still playing well and dominating games for the most part (the exception being Arsenal away and Norwich at home, less we say about that the better!). Especially Everton away, Stoke at home, QPR away. I still look back at those games and wonder how on earth we failed to win those games when we were so much superior to them on the day. Even Utd at home. We played better that day than we beat them 3-2 at their place this season!

You can add Emirates Marketing Project away to that list as well. We deserved 3pts that day and came back with nothing. It really was an amazingly bricky run of results considering the quality of our performances at the time.

 

[Jurgen the German]

I am of the opinion he looked utterly exhausted/injured during our bad run, which is partly why it was our bad run. Was even sat on here saying exactly the same.

Pre-Christmas he was outstanding though.

To me, he looked exhausted at the end of every game, even at the start of the season, just the way he plays. But I agree, Redknapp didn't rest him enough. And I think AVB is making the same mistakes this season, not resting players enough.

 

[Jurgen the German]

During our bad run we were still playing well and dominating games for the most part (the exception being Arsenal away and Norwich at home, less we say about that the better!). Especially Everton away, Stoke at home, QPR away. I still look back at those games and wonder how on earth we failed to win those games when we were so much superior to them on the day. Even Utd at home. We played better that day than we beat them 3-2 at their place this season!

We had lots of possession against Everton and QPR, but we by no means dominated. To me, dominating is actually creating chances as well, which we didn't in either game.

You're right about the games against both Manchester clubs, very unlucky to get nothing from both games. I don't think 4 points would have flattered us.

Stoke at home was a poor performance, we barely scraped a draw in injury time.

 

[thfcsteff]

We'll have to agree to disagree. We rotated loads last year but, correctly, tended to play our strongest XI in the league when available. Redknapp rotated a lot more than AVB has so far for example, and I don't expect AVB to rotate too much for the rest of the season either.

Sandro played 27 games last year. I don't think Parker was incapable of playing in those 27 games?

??? Hmmm...

The one thing I will say for a fact that AVB has not done, is play players week in week out who are less than 100% fit. As the wheels came off the wagon last season, for whatever reason, we did this with increasing regularity.

 

[thfcsteff]

During our bad run we were still playing well and dominating games for the most part (the exception being Arsenal away and Norwich at home, less we say about that the better!). Especially Everton away, Stoke at home, QPR away. I still look back at those games and wonder how on earth we failed to win those games when we were so much superior to them on the day. Even Utd at home. We played better that day than we beat them 3-2 at their place this season!

Perhaps the single most fascinating thing about last season, is that for all the debates we have all had about half-season collapse (and I now you have consistently maintained since the summer that some of us over-exaggerate it) the reality is that due to the incredible ineptitude of the Goons, we were given our entire season BACK with 2 games left. So, despite all the distractions, all the niggling injuries, all the court case crap, all of it, we STILL ended up only needing to win our final two games against thoroughly mediocre opposition the cement third spot. Harry was 180 minutes from 3rd spot after all that. Frankly, I look back and think it had to have been one of the luckiest situations he could possibly have found himself in, because had he WON those two games, it would've made Levy's decision very very hard to justify to the majority of fans...but he couldn't get it done!

It's too early to call with any degree of accuracy, but I get the feeling that AVB is one of those blokes who can win those sorts of matches thanks to his preparations. We shall see.

 

[Jurgen the German]

??? Hmmm...

The one thing I will say for a fact that AVB has not done, is play players week in week out who are less than 100% fit. As the wheels came off the wagon last season, for whatever reason, we did this with increasing regularity.

Redknapp rested players in the Europa league, but he didn't do it enough in league games. AVB is playing our best players in BOTH, which is wrong IMO. I'd like to see Townsend and Carroll being given more time in league and cup games.

 

[thfcsteff]

You can add Emirates Marketing Project away to that list as well. We deserved 3pts that day and came back with nothing. It really was an amazingly bricky run of results considering the quality of our performances at the time.

A brilliant second-half. I will never understand why we gave so many first-half performances like that one though, which was absolutely flat.We played for 45 minutes and it was still nearly enough (had the ref not been a homer, it would've been)...

 

[Rossi22]

AVB's not had much chance to rotate due to injuries, he brought Falque on for 5 minutes the other day and the board practically went into meltdown.

 

[Jurgen the German]

Perhaps the single most fascinating thing about last season, is that for all the debates we have all had about half-season collapse (and I now you have consistently maintained since the summer that some of us over-exaggerate it) the reality is that due to the incredible ineptitude of the Goons, we were given our entire season BACK with 2 games left. So, despite all the distractions, all the niggling injuries, all the court case crap, all of it, we STILL ended up only needing to win our final two games against thoroughly mediocre opposition the cement third spot. Harry was 180 minutes from 3rd spot after all that. Frankly, I look back and think it had to have been one of the luckiest situations he could possibly have found himself in, because had he WON those two games, it would've made Levy's decision very very hard to justify to the majority of fans...but he couldn't get it done!

It's too early to call with any degree of accuracy, but I get the feeling that AVB is one of those blokes who can win those sorts of matches thanks to his preparations. We shall see.

That's a good point. We were given a lifeline by Norwich who drew with Arsenal the day before. Redknapp taking off VDV and bringing on Parker still infuriates me! Then again, you can't legislate for a clown like Danny Rose getting sent off for a brainless tackle. You've got to have some sympathy for Redknapp in that regard, just as I felt sorry for AVB when Adebayor got sent off in the NLD, we were in control of the game until he got the red card.

 

[Jurgen the German]

AVB's not had much chance to rotate due to injuries, he brought Falque on for 5 minutes the other day and the board practically went into meltdown.

Come on, taking your best players off when you're narrowly winning away at Everton is different from some resting players for Maribor at home.