I've been thinking a lot about the situation since the Saudi Sportswashing Machine defeat and its gone into over-drive since yesterday's game.
AVB is a nice man. I like him. I like him a lot. It wasn't easy for me to come round to the way of thinking I have done recently, but no matter how I try and rationalise it, he's the wrong man for the job, in almost every sense.
Those that are sticking up for him do so for a few reasons, but i'd like to try and counter those if I may.
1) AVB has a plan, he's building a system. It's going to do us well for years.
Well my counter-argument to this is that he doesn't look like to me like he has a plan. When he first arrived, in the first season, he kept changing it, he'd change things several times every game, very reactionary. This season, he is changing the formation all the time, the players, the line-ups, ditching Dawson at first, then reinstating him and making him un-droppable. I mean, he's either suitable for what you want, or he isn't. Then dropping Ade, but reinstating him. He seems to me to be the novice that he undoubtedly is, fumbling, scrabbling, desperately looking for solutions. There doesn't seem to be any long-term plan of "pick a system, a settled team and stick with it". He also admits himself that he isn't in football for the long-term. He wants to quit football young, but he also wants to manage in South America and in Spain - how long does that leave for Spurs?
2) The players need time to gel. There's lots of new players and of course they're not going to fire on all cylinders straight away.
I do get this you know. I think it would be acceptable to experience the odd less-than-convincing performance, maybe the odd defeat, where it just didn't quite click. The thing is, you'd expect it to get better over time, but we aren't playing half these new players and we're also not picking a consistent line-up. Its different players all the time. Holtby one week, Eriksen the next. Sometimes Siggy's on the left, sometimes he's out the team. Sometimes Lamela plays in the Europa, but he rarely gets a game in the league and when he does he's out of position. How are the players supposed to gel when they're never played together in the same team twice in a row? Also, how often are we seeing them played out of position, or given roles that don't suit them. Why do we not play things that have been shown to work, like Sandro and Dembele together? Why was Dembele given the holding role last season when Sandro was out instead of Parker? Just bizarre. It goes on and on.
Also, Liverpool, just for one example, are bedding in Toure, Sakho, Cissokho, Mignolet, Aspas and that Spanish kid on the wing they signed, not to mention Coutinho and Sturridge that joined in January. I don't see them having the horrendous performances and results we have had. They've had the odd upset, but no more than most other teams will have. Every club has to deal with turnovers in playing staff, its just ridiculous to trot this out as an excuse for 6-0 and 3-0 drubbings.
3) AVB is making us tough to beat first, but the players will be let off the leash soon enough
But, we aren't that tough to beat. Our defence has got away with it on numerous times this season when teams have attacked us. Many teams come to WHL and sit back, even then they've created chances on the break. The West Ham, Saudi Sportswashing Machine and City performances and results were coming. We look shaky whenever we're attacked with pace, even against teams as poor as Sheriff.
We consistently get done by simple through-balls and balls over the top. One ball is enough to cause panic, and the less said about defending set-pieces the better!
4) AVB hasn't got the players he wanted or needed or the support he needed.
Sorry, but this is just complete rubbish. Levy has done everything possible to let AVB succeed. He's put a team around him, his own Portuguese staff he brought with him, along with loyal club-men to bridge the gap. This summer he brought in the director of football AVB personally recommended. He has brought in players that AVB wanted IMO, big physical players, like AVB wanted, a poacher who moves in Soldado and yes, he has missed out on players but every manager has to deal with this. Every manager has missed out on targets.
AVB has all the support and resources he needs to fashion a great team, IMO, but there are no signs of improvement and intact we are reversing fast. He is turning his tenure into a complete disaster and to me its all down to him.
