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Andre Villas-Boas - Head Coach
- Thread starter Bale
- Start date
Re: ***The Official AVB Discussion Thread***
http://www.goal.com/en-gb/news/2896...a-fraud-tottenham-still-searching-for-answers
Genius or a fraud, eh? Sugar does not say things that are likely to lose him money so maybe tomorrow's game is pivotal.
http://www.goal.com/en-gb/news/2896...a-fraud-tottenham-still-searching-for-answers
Genius or a fraud, eh? Sugar does not say things that are likely to lose him money so maybe tomorrow's game is pivotal.
LutonSpurs
Eric Dear
Re: ***The Official AVB Discussion Thread***
http://www.101greatgoals.com/blog/t...-yakin-capello-in-the-running-telegraph-mail/
Are Andre Villas-Boas’ days numbered at White Hart Lane?
The Sunday Telegraph and Mail have both splashed the leading pages of their sports section by talking up the supposed imminent sacking of AVB from the Tottenham hotseat.
According to the papers, Daniel Levy is ready to wield the axe on his Portuguese manager following frustrations built up from Spurs’ big summer spending, the Lilywhites current position in the Premier League, and the humiliation that is still surrounding the club after their 6-0 whooping by Emirates Marketing Project.
According to the Telegraph:
Among those Tottenham are believed to be considering as potential successors to Villas-Boas is Basel coach Murat Yakin, whose side beat Chelsea home and away in this season’s Champions League. Baldini was in Basel last Tuesday to watch the Swiss side win 1-0 against Joe Mourinho’s team.
Yakin’s future at Basel has been in some doubt even though the 39-year-old former defender will navigate the Swiss club into the last 16 of the Champions League is they avoid defeat against Schalke in their final tie.
Over in the Mail on Sunday another candidate is promoted for the Tottenham hotseat:
Fabio Capello has been mentioned in discussions at Tottenham as a shock candidate to take over if current boss Andre Villas-Boas is sacked.
Copies of the sports pages in teh Telegraph and Mail on Sunday are below.
BaWdB0qCIAA6PvM Tottenham begin looking for an AVB replacement, Yakin & Capello in the running [Telegraph + Mail]
Tottenham begin looking for an AVB replacement, Yakin & Capello in the running [Telegraph + Mail]
http://www.101greatgoals.com/blog/t...-yakin-capello-in-the-running-telegraph-mail/
Are Andre Villas-Boas’ days numbered at White Hart Lane?
The Sunday Telegraph and Mail have both splashed the leading pages of their sports section by talking up the supposed imminent sacking of AVB from the Tottenham hotseat.
According to the papers, Daniel Levy is ready to wield the axe on his Portuguese manager following frustrations built up from Spurs’ big summer spending, the Lilywhites current position in the Premier League, and the humiliation that is still surrounding the club after their 6-0 whooping by Emirates Marketing Project.
According to the Telegraph:
Among those Tottenham are believed to be considering as potential successors to Villas-Boas is Basel coach Murat Yakin, whose side beat Chelsea home and away in this season’s Champions League. Baldini was in Basel last Tuesday to watch the Swiss side win 1-0 against Joe Mourinho’s team.
Yakin’s future at Basel has been in some doubt even though the 39-year-old former defender will navigate the Swiss club into the last 16 of the Champions League is they avoid defeat against Schalke in their final tie.
Over in the Mail on Sunday another candidate is promoted for the Tottenham hotseat:
Fabio Capello has been mentioned in discussions at Tottenham as a shock candidate to take over if current boss Andre Villas-Boas is sacked.
Copies of the sports pages in teh Telegraph and Mail on Sunday are below.
BaWdB0qCIAA6PvM Tottenham begin looking for an AVB replacement, Yakin & Capello in the running [Telegraph + Mail]
Tottenham begin looking for an AVB replacement, Yakin & Capello in the running [Telegraph + Mail]
BrainOfLevy
Michael Carrick
Re: ***The Official AVB Discussion Thread***
If Sherwood is behind the anti-AVB leaks (and I totally believe he got caught out with the Keys thing), why the **** does he still have a job? Was is he not out on his **** for causing instability, unneeded pressure and unneeded scrutiny on the club? He may have a bright future in the game, but I just cannot understand that he is worth keeping around if he is so blatantly against AVB from within the club. It's so strange that I feel I am missing something with this.
The genius or a fraud quote certainly sounds like something Sugar would say...and if it was him briefing against AVB it's a lot easier to laugh off because he clearly knows nothing about football.
If Sherwood is behind the anti-AVB leaks (and I totally believe he got caught out with the Keys thing), why the **** does he still have a job? Was is he not out on his **** for causing instability, unneeded pressure and unneeded scrutiny on the club? He may have a bright future in the game, but I just cannot understand that he is worth keeping around if he is so blatantly against AVB from within the club. It's so strange that I feel I am missing something with this.
The genius or a fraud quote certainly sounds like something Sugar would say...and if it was him briefing against AVB it's a lot easier to laugh off because he clearly knows nothing about football.
Gutter Boy
Tim Sherwood
Re: ***The Official AVB Discussion Thread***
Interesting article from Jason Burt tonight. A few things that caught my eye
- The role of Baldini as the mediator between Levy and AVB. Basically can he assert his authority that it's his role to decide to keep backing AVB (or not)
- That the signings of Soldado, Paulinho and Capoue were made very much with the belief that Bale would still be in the side, which perhaps explains some of the imbalances.
- That our medical team are as useless as we've always believed
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/fo...form-ahead-of-visit-of-Manchester-United.html
Tottenham Hotspur manager Andre Villas-Boas under pressure to perform ahead of visit of Manchester United
Tottenham Hotspur manager has been backed by Chairman Daniel Levy so far, but Spurs' stop-start Premier League campaign could see a resurfacing of previous tension between the two. Jason Burt looks at why Andre Villas-Boas is under such scrutiny
Tottenham Hotspur manager Andre Villas-Boas under pressure to perform ahead of visit of Manchester United
Andre Villas-Boas once said that he is “very Porto school. And there is only one rule – no one is more important than the club”.
Villas-Boas grew up a Porto fan and went on to coach there with great success. That ethos continues to define everything he does and it also explains some of the strains that have emerged at Tottenham Hotspur.
He can be right but he can also be rigid. Villas-Boas is highly principled but also, still, headstrong. If he does not get things his way, even if he is doing it for the common good, then it can add to the tension.
The 36-year-old is clearly under pressure and understandably so. But what are the factors behind the current uncertainty at Spurs?
RELATIONS BETWEEN DUG-OUT AND BOARDROOM
It is unclear is exactly what chairman Daniel Levy is planning should Spurs lose against Manchester United at home . After that they have fixtures away against struggling Fulham and Sunderland – matches they would expect to win.
Does Levy stick or twist with the man who wants to bring the Porto ethos to Spurs? Does he have the patience and belief?
Or has he already lost faith in the coach who was sacked by Chelsea mid-way through his first season there with claims that he was out of his depth but also clearly lacking the necessary support?
Levy often takes a very financial – rather than forensic – approach and right now will simply believe Spurs are not getting adequate return for their investment. But is the equation that simple?
There have been points of tension between Villas-Boas and Levy ever since the Portuguese was appointed to succeed Harry Redknapp in the summer of 2012.
The failure to sign Joao Moutinho – to replace Luka Modric – highlighted that. In the end Spurs bid €31million – just 500,000 less than Porto had demanded. But it was too late.
The tensions heightened again last summer with the Gareth Bale saga but, more dramatically, when Paris St Germain asked for permission to speak to Villas-Boas to become their new head coach.
In the end he turned down the offer and wanted to stay but it did not appear that Levy would fight hard to keep him if he had agreed to go and PSG paid the £10million buy-out fee.
Villas-Boas is a direct character who demands answers and does not shirk from confrontation and will not want the confusion over his future to last for long.
MANAGEMENT STRUCTURE
Villas-Boas was always keen to work under the European system of a head coach and director of football, which he had enjoyed at Porto, working alongside Antero Henrique.
Levy also wanted the structure having first attempted to introduce it with David Pleat and Glenn Hoddle more than a decade ago.
Villas-Boas pushed for the appointment of Franco Baldini from Roma, England’s former general manager, after Levy had initially employed headhunters to look at candidates.
Baldini’s role would be to act as a bridge between the board and the football management but also to push through change with Spurs having moved into a new state-of-the-art training ground.
The Italian is highly experienced and highly regarded in the role and is a shrewd politician. But it would always take time, with Levy having previously enjoyed so much control, for the new system to bed down.
Despite the logic of the system and the capabilities of the people involved it would also always come down to personal chemistry. The question is: how strained has that already become?
THE GARETH BALE SAGA
The damage of losing Bale cannot be underestimated. Spurs had hoped to keep Bale for one more season.
Evolution not revolution was the hope, with Villas-Boas drawing up a list of targets to add to the squad and hopefully convince Bale to stay at White Hart Lane especially if Real Madrid 'only’ bid £60million.
His first-choices were believed to Hulk, David Villa and Fabio Coentrao, but the first two of those deals proved impossible. Instead Roberto Soldado, Paulinho and Étienne Capoue were targeted and Villas-Boas waited on Bale.
However, Bale returned from holiday and made it clear he wanted to go to Madrid – and the world-record deal turned into a summer-long saga.
Villas-Boas had also devised his system of play to get the best out of Bale and now had to rethink – without quite knowing how the squad would change.
It added to the disruption, as did the difficult relationship with Emmanuel Adebayor, Spurs’ highest-paid player.
SIGNING STRATEGY
Spurs appear to have decided to 'go for it’ with the Bale cash. It was always a bold strategy and meant a flurry of activity that would cause upheaval at any club.
It also meant that deals had to be relatively 'clean’ and carried out quickly, if possible. That also meant that first-choices were not always landed. The clock was ticking.
Spurs targeted younger players, full of potential and, hopefully, ones with a resale value should they not work out this season. It appears they have all got a year to prove themselves or could be moved on.
Baldini worked hard to bring in Christian Eriksen, Vlad Chiriches, Nacer Chadli and, at potentially £30million the most expensive of all, Erik Lamela from his former club Roma.
Villas-Boas also wanted Lamela but both he and Baldini knew the Argentinian forward would take up to six months to settle down and find his form. It is what happened at Roma and that is proving to the case.
Patience is needed – with Lamela in particular – and each of Spurs’ signings is undoubtedly talented. But it cannot be expected that all will work out, despite the huge outlay.
TACTICS
This is one of the more contentious issues surrounding Villas-Boas, who has always claimed to be an advocate of 4-3-3 – the system he used at Porto – but the Portuguese has curiously not often adopted that attacking formation while in England, preferring 4-2-3-1.
Villas-Boas is portrayed as a clipboard manager who tries to control his tactics but talks about being a passionate advocate of attacking free play and pace.
Spurs fans feel they have seen scant evidence of that but Villas-Boas is trying to assimilate a large number of new players and also create some team-shape to them.
He may also argue that he has not got the players he wants for the system he prefers.
However, using Soldado as a lone striker does appear strange given he needs more support and he is far more comfortable working as a second striker.
MAN MANAGEMENT
Villas-Boas has a strong relationship with his squad and has worked hard at maintaining that especially after the criticisms he faced during his time at Chelsea.
The Tottenham squad is younger and hungry for success and have responded to his methods. They enjoy training. He has been determined to have an open-door policy and has tried to be as candid as possible with them.
Tension has existed with Adebayor – who Villas-Boas wanted to sell and did not want in his first-team squad – and Benoît Assou-Ekotto who is on loan at Queens Park Rangers.
The squad have been affected by the criticism and results and it will be a real test of his relationship with them as to how they respond against United.
Villas-Boas allowed the players last Monday off – as planned – despite the heavy loss at City but there was a tense team meeting on Tuesday, and individual ones also, to go through the mistakes made at the Etihad.
Villas-Boas undoubtedly made mistakes in his handling of Hugo Lloris’s head injury and he has been frustrated at times with the club’s medical department and the length of time it takes for players to recover.
It was also ill-advised that he criticised the club’s supporters for failing to get behind the team.
Interesting article from Jason Burt tonight. A few things that caught my eye
- The role of Baldini as the mediator between Levy and AVB. Basically can he assert his authority that it's his role to decide to keep backing AVB (or not)
- That the signings of Soldado, Paulinho and Capoue were made very much with the belief that Bale would still be in the side, which perhaps explains some of the imbalances.
- That our medical team are as useless as we've always believed
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/fo...form-ahead-of-visit-of-Manchester-United.html
Tottenham Hotspur manager Andre Villas-Boas under pressure to perform ahead of visit of Manchester United
Tottenham Hotspur manager has been backed by Chairman Daniel Levy so far, but Spurs' stop-start Premier League campaign could see a resurfacing of previous tension between the two. Jason Burt looks at why Andre Villas-Boas is under such scrutiny
Tottenham Hotspur manager Andre Villas-Boas under pressure to perform ahead of visit of Manchester United
Andre Villas-Boas once said that he is “very Porto school. And there is only one rule – no one is more important than the club”.
Villas-Boas grew up a Porto fan and went on to coach there with great success. That ethos continues to define everything he does and it also explains some of the strains that have emerged at Tottenham Hotspur.
He can be right but he can also be rigid. Villas-Boas is highly principled but also, still, headstrong. If he does not get things his way, even if he is doing it for the common good, then it can add to the tension.
The 36-year-old is clearly under pressure and understandably so. But what are the factors behind the current uncertainty at Spurs?
RELATIONS BETWEEN DUG-OUT AND BOARDROOM
It is unclear is exactly what chairman Daniel Levy is planning should Spurs lose against Manchester United at home . After that they have fixtures away against struggling Fulham and Sunderland – matches they would expect to win.
Does Levy stick or twist with the man who wants to bring the Porto ethos to Spurs? Does he have the patience and belief?
Or has he already lost faith in the coach who was sacked by Chelsea mid-way through his first season there with claims that he was out of his depth but also clearly lacking the necessary support?
Levy often takes a very financial – rather than forensic – approach and right now will simply believe Spurs are not getting adequate return for their investment. But is the equation that simple?
There have been points of tension between Villas-Boas and Levy ever since the Portuguese was appointed to succeed Harry Redknapp in the summer of 2012.
The failure to sign Joao Moutinho – to replace Luka Modric – highlighted that. In the end Spurs bid €31million – just 500,000 less than Porto had demanded. But it was too late.
The tensions heightened again last summer with the Gareth Bale saga but, more dramatically, when Paris St Germain asked for permission to speak to Villas-Boas to become their new head coach.
In the end he turned down the offer and wanted to stay but it did not appear that Levy would fight hard to keep him if he had agreed to go and PSG paid the £10million buy-out fee.
Villas-Boas is a direct character who demands answers and does not shirk from confrontation and will not want the confusion over his future to last for long.
MANAGEMENT STRUCTURE
Villas-Boas was always keen to work under the European system of a head coach and director of football, which he had enjoyed at Porto, working alongside Antero Henrique.
Levy also wanted the structure having first attempted to introduce it with David Pleat and Glenn Hoddle more than a decade ago.
Villas-Boas pushed for the appointment of Franco Baldini from Roma, England’s former general manager, after Levy had initially employed headhunters to look at candidates.
Baldini’s role would be to act as a bridge between the board and the football management but also to push through change with Spurs having moved into a new state-of-the-art training ground.
The Italian is highly experienced and highly regarded in the role and is a shrewd politician. But it would always take time, with Levy having previously enjoyed so much control, for the new system to bed down.
Despite the logic of the system and the capabilities of the people involved it would also always come down to personal chemistry. The question is: how strained has that already become?
THE GARETH BALE SAGA
The damage of losing Bale cannot be underestimated. Spurs had hoped to keep Bale for one more season.
Evolution not revolution was the hope, with Villas-Boas drawing up a list of targets to add to the squad and hopefully convince Bale to stay at White Hart Lane especially if Real Madrid 'only’ bid £60million.
His first-choices were believed to Hulk, David Villa and Fabio Coentrao, but the first two of those deals proved impossible. Instead Roberto Soldado, Paulinho and Étienne Capoue were targeted and Villas-Boas waited on Bale.
However, Bale returned from holiday and made it clear he wanted to go to Madrid – and the world-record deal turned into a summer-long saga.
Villas-Boas had also devised his system of play to get the best out of Bale and now had to rethink – without quite knowing how the squad would change.
It added to the disruption, as did the difficult relationship with Emmanuel Adebayor, Spurs’ highest-paid player.
SIGNING STRATEGY
Spurs appear to have decided to 'go for it’ with the Bale cash. It was always a bold strategy and meant a flurry of activity that would cause upheaval at any club.
It also meant that deals had to be relatively 'clean’ and carried out quickly, if possible. That also meant that first-choices were not always landed. The clock was ticking.
Spurs targeted younger players, full of potential and, hopefully, ones with a resale value should they not work out this season. It appears they have all got a year to prove themselves or could be moved on.
Baldini worked hard to bring in Christian Eriksen, Vlad Chiriches, Nacer Chadli and, at potentially £30million the most expensive of all, Erik Lamela from his former club Roma.
Villas-Boas also wanted Lamela but both he and Baldini knew the Argentinian forward would take up to six months to settle down and find his form. It is what happened at Roma and that is proving to the case.
Patience is needed – with Lamela in particular – and each of Spurs’ signings is undoubtedly talented. But it cannot be expected that all will work out, despite the huge outlay.
TACTICS
This is one of the more contentious issues surrounding Villas-Boas, who has always claimed to be an advocate of 4-3-3 – the system he used at Porto – but the Portuguese has curiously not often adopted that attacking formation while in England, preferring 4-2-3-1.
Villas-Boas is portrayed as a clipboard manager who tries to control his tactics but talks about being a passionate advocate of attacking free play and pace.
Spurs fans feel they have seen scant evidence of that but Villas-Boas is trying to assimilate a large number of new players and also create some team-shape to them.
He may also argue that he has not got the players he wants for the system he prefers.
However, using Soldado as a lone striker does appear strange given he needs more support and he is far more comfortable working as a second striker.
MAN MANAGEMENT
Villas-Boas has a strong relationship with his squad and has worked hard at maintaining that especially after the criticisms he faced during his time at Chelsea.
The Tottenham squad is younger and hungry for success and have responded to his methods. They enjoy training. He has been determined to have an open-door policy and has tried to be as candid as possible with them.
Tension has existed with Adebayor – who Villas-Boas wanted to sell and did not want in his first-team squad – and Benoît Assou-Ekotto who is on loan at Queens Park Rangers.
The squad have been affected by the criticism and results and it will be a real test of his relationship with them as to how they respond against United.
Villas-Boas allowed the players last Monday off – as planned – despite the heavy loss at City but there was a tense team meeting on Tuesday, and individual ones also, to go through the mistakes made at the Etihad.
Villas-Boas undoubtedly made mistakes in his handling of Hugo Lloris’s head injury and he has been frustrated at times with the club’s medical department and the length of time it takes for players to recover.
It was also ill-advised that he criticised the club’s supporters for failing to get behind the team.
Re: ***The Official AVB Discussion Thread***
BrainOfLevy
Michael Carrick
Re: ***The Official AVB Discussion Thread***
Reading it all through just makes me think it would be really, really, ****ing stupid to sack him after 13 games, after selling his best player and signing 7 new players, majority of whom are young and all of whom had never played in England before. Really, really monumentally ****ing stupid.
I would lose so much respect for the club if they decide to abandon what should so obviously be a long term project because of a defeat to the champions. We may well lose tomorrow - with the pressure on the team and the media scrutiny (fuelled by our own board) it is hardly unlikely - but it is just such a short sighted, stupid decision.
The sad thing is it is being talked about by some respected journos who were pretty close to the club in the summer. As if the Basel coach is going to come in and never have bad run of form himself, or never struggle to assimilate foreign signings. I mean FFS, it is ridiculous. If we got someone else new in, they would experience a pick up in form in a couple of months as the new signings settle. Then we go through the whole process again next year as he tries to get his tactical changes on the squad and we struggle for a bit again.
Absolute joke. I wish we had Arsenal's board sometimes. I can't imagine them grumbling and moaning when they go through poor form because they back their manager. Yes he proved himself with the club but AVB delivered them record points himself. It is like they have built up in their heads that this season was going to go perfectly because we spent so much money and because it isn't, it must be the managers fault. Never mind that our new signings have probably barely just finished living out of hotel rooms and that half of them can't speak the language yet. **** it, let's abandon the project because the new man, definitely, definitely, will be the one that makes everything all right!
...I know it's only being talked about as contingencies right now and certain other journos say AVB is very much secure. But if we lose again tomorrow the pressure be increased even more, and that's a stupid position to be in.
Reading it all through just makes me think it would be really, really, ****ing stupid to sack him after 13 games, after selling his best player and signing 7 new players, majority of whom are young and all of whom had never played in England before. Really, really monumentally ****ing stupid.
I would lose so much respect for the club if they decide to abandon what should so obviously be a long term project because of a defeat to the champions. We may well lose tomorrow - with the pressure on the team and the media scrutiny (fuelled by our own board) it is hardly unlikely - but it is just such a short sighted, stupid decision.
The sad thing is it is being talked about by some respected journos who were pretty close to the club in the summer. As if the Basel coach is going to come in and never have bad run of form himself, or never struggle to assimilate foreign signings. I mean FFS, it is ridiculous. If we got someone else new in, they would experience a pick up in form in a couple of months as the new signings settle. Then we go through the whole process again next year as he tries to get his tactical changes on the squad and we struggle for a bit again.
Absolute joke. I wish we had Arsenal's board sometimes. I can't imagine them grumbling and moaning when they go through poor form because they back their manager. Yes he proved himself with the club but AVB delivered them record points himself. It is like they have built up in their heads that this season was going to go perfectly because we spent so much money and because it isn't, it must be the managers fault. Never mind that our new signings have probably barely just finished living out of hotel rooms and that half of them can't speak the language yet. **** it, let's abandon the project because the new man, definitely, definitely, will be the one that makes everything all right!
...I know it's only being talked about as contingencies right now and certain other journos say AVB is very much secure. But if we lose again tomorrow the pressure be increased even more, and that's a stupid position to be in.
El Guepardo
Rafael Van Der Vaart
Re: ***The Official AVB Discussion Thread***
That reply from him can't be real, there was no lol
That reply from him can't be real, there was no lol
El Guepardo
Rafael Van Der Vaart
Re: ***The Official AVB Discussion Thread***
How long would you give AVB BoL? Surely this long term project talk whilst great, is only appropriate if we are seeing results and performances which merit continued faith in AVB?
Why did we sign so many new players if we were going to struggle with getting players to gel? Not like we needed all seven of them, is it? And who bears a big part of the responsibility for those signings? AVB.
How long would you give AVB BoL? Surely this long term project talk whilst great, is only appropriate if we are seeing results and performances which merit continued faith in AVB?
Why did we sign so many new players if we were going to struggle with getting players to gel? Not like we needed all seven of them, is it? And who bears a big part of the responsibility for those signings? AVB.
Gutter Boy
Tim Sherwood
Re: ***The Official AVB Discussion Thread***
Think it's fake. Benny's not posted anything since Monday.
That reply from him can't be real, there was no lol
Think it's fake. Benny's not posted anything since Monday.
Gutter Boy
Tim Sherwood
Re: ***The Official AVB Discussion Thread***
Technically, as coach, transfers aren't his responsibility at all.
Saying that, if you have the chance to replace Parker, Hudd and Livermore with Capoue, Paulinho and Eriksen, there's no way you wouldn't take it.
Dempsey>Chadli and Caulker>Chirches were less clear cut, but possible forced by players wanting more football. Bale>Lamela was obviously forced.
Technically, as coach, transfers aren't his responsibility at all.
Saying that, if you have the chance to replace Parker, Hudd and Livermore with Capoue, Paulinho and Eriksen, there's no way you wouldn't take it.
Dempsey>Chadli and Caulker>Chirches were less clear cut, but possible forced by players wanting more football. Bale>Lamela was obviously forced.
El Guepardo
Rafael Van Der Vaart
Re: ***The Official AVB Discussion Thread***
I can understand that we've improved our squad, no doubt. And the riches of talent that we have available pleases me. I do think that perhaps it's starting to appear as if we should have staggered the signings. Otherwise, let's hope that our results, and performances, suddenly start looking a lot better when everything has clicked in to place.
I can understand that we've improved our squad, no doubt. And the riches of talent that we have available pleases me. I do think that perhaps it's starting to appear as if we should have staggered the signings. Otherwise, let's hope that our results, and performances, suddenly start looking a lot better when everything has clicked in to place.
BrainOfLevy
Michael Carrick
Re: ***The Official AVB Discussion Thread***
If we are routinely losing home matches to mid-table teams and getting hammered by title chasers from February onwards then I'd be pretty worried. But right now, something like 2 points off 4th and 4 points off second or whatever it is, I am not worried at all. Even the players are behind the manager - every story seems to stress boardroom discontent. I don't see any reason to abandon a long term project. It's not as if we are in the relegation zone. What does constitute an acceptable settling in period for you, considering this is a tight league and one win can move you multiple places? Is it only acceptable to be top 6 during a settling in period, and ultimately only top 4 during a period of expected consistency? Was Pellegrini soon to be out because he was below us until last weekend?
Personally I don't pay much mind to results when we have so many new players from foreign leagues settling in. As long as we are reasonable competitive, and still in line to achieve our objectives, it doesn't matter to me too much. Next season, if there isn't much upheaval then I'd be a lot more ****ed off. But it's like our board have thought 'Yeah we're selling Bale but we're so clever, we've done all these deals so it won't set us back at all' and they are now more ****ed off because it hasn't worked out how they expected. But any person involved with football, or any foreign player, would tell you it would take about 6 months before the player looks like they are settled and probably a year to see truly top form. So why were our board expecting so much in the first place. If they decide to go ahead with signing these players, the first thing their mind should be thinking is a management of expectations.
I don't mind that we signed so many. We have the Bale money, we use it now and have one big transition period where things look tricky followed by a few windows of relative calm, and we can come out all the better for it. Rather than multiple windows of bedding in new guys. It's just if we do that, we should just accept that it's going to be tough, at least initially, regardless. Bale leaving really screwed our plans for this season. You can tell the board thought this may be our shot, that the uncertainty at the other clubs could present us with an opportunity, and if they play their cards right then Bale leaving doesn't have to change that. But Bale leaving would always change that, unless they signed 7 players that were proven quality in this league. But they didn't, and now they are clearly annoyed that it isn't working out.
It's like they don't have the confidence to believe we can challenge the other clubs when they aren't bedding in new managers, and the only way we could have possibly done it was by exploiting these managerial changes. If we give up now, or in the next couple of weeks, it will be a stupid, stupid decision. The players we signed are all quality, and I am confident over the longer term they will show that. So I think it was worth the investment. We should just immediately manage our expectations once Bale says he's going and we decide we can't resist world record money.
A new man will be picking up results in the new year, no question. But we would have gotten them anyway as our players settle. I really, really hope we have the foresight to see it through. I just have a sneaky feeling we won't.
If we are routinely losing home matches to mid-table teams and getting hammered by title chasers from February onwards then I'd be pretty worried. But right now, something like 2 points off 4th and 4 points off second or whatever it is, I am not worried at all. Even the players are behind the manager - every story seems to stress boardroom discontent. I don't see any reason to abandon a long term project. It's not as if we are in the relegation zone. What does constitute an acceptable settling in period for you, considering this is a tight league and one win can move you multiple places? Is it only acceptable to be top 6 during a settling in period, and ultimately only top 4 during a period of expected consistency? Was Pellegrini soon to be out because he was below us until last weekend?
Personally I don't pay much mind to results when we have so many new players from foreign leagues settling in. As long as we are reasonable competitive, and still in line to achieve our objectives, it doesn't matter to me too much. Next season, if there isn't much upheaval then I'd be a lot more ****ed off. But it's like our board have thought 'Yeah we're selling Bale but we're so clever, we've done all these deals so it won't set us back at all' and they are now more ****ed off because it hasn't worked out how they expected. But any person involved with football, or any foreign player, would tell you it would take about 6 months before the player looks like they are settled and probably a year to see truly top form. So why were our board expecting so much in the first place. If they decide to go ahead with signing these players, the first thing their mind should be thinking is a management of expectations.
I don't mind that we signed so many. We have the Bale money, we use it now and have one big transition period where things look tricky followed by a few windows of relative calm, and we can come out all the better for it. Rather than multiple windows of bedding in new guys. It's just if we do that, we should just accept that it's going to be tough, at least initially, regardless. Bale leaving really screwed our plans for this season. You can tell the board thought this may be our shot, that the uncertainty at the other clubs could present us with an opportunity, and if they play their cards right then Bale leaving doesn't have to change that. But Bale leaving would always change that, unless they signed 7 players that were proven quality in this league. But they didn't, and now they are clearly annoyed that it isn't working out.
It's like they don't have the confidence to believe we can challenge the other clubs when they aren't bedding in new managers, and the only way we could have possibly done it was by exploiting these managerial changes. If we give up now, or in the next couple of weeks, it will be a stupid, stupid decision. The players we signed are all quality, and I am confident over the longer term they will show that. So I think it was worth the investment. We should just immediately manage our expectations once Bale says he's going and we decide we can't resist world record money.
A new man will be picking up results in the new year, no question. But we would have gotten them anyway as our players settle. I really, really hope we have the foresight to see it through. I just have a sneaky feeling we won't.
milo
Jack L. Jones
Re: ***The Official AVB Discussion Thread***
Really? Could you post some Jose-esque quote from AVB?
Really? Could you post some Jose-esque quote from AVB?
Daisuk
Dimitar Berbatov
Re: ***The Official AVB Discussion Thread***
That tweet by rastofedo was posted on the 24th of Nov, it's still there, doesn't look fake to me;
https://twitter.com/rastofedo/status/404607464316080128
Not that it means anything, of course, but it's not fake.
That tweet by rastofedo was posted on the 24th of Nov, it's still there, doesn't look fake to me;
https://twitter.com/rastofedo/status/404607464316080128
Not that it means anything, of course, but it's not fake.
Re: ***The Official AVB Discussion Thread***
Yep, definitely not a fake and some of the responses are priceless.
Yep, definitely not a fake and some of the responses are priceless.
thfcsteff
George Hunt
Re: ***The Official AVB Discussion Thread***
Jason Burt's piece is pretty accurate to everything I've heard…I'll add one more rumor to the mill, which is that Baldini and Levy are having a frosty time HOWEVER as Burt himself says, that could just be because Levy takes time to warm to anyone in such a position but still wants the position to be filled. I'm glad that someone has finally confirmed that half the signings made were made with the idea Bale was staying; I think some people knew this, but others wrote it off.
Jason Burt's piece is pretty accurate to everything I've heard…I'll add one more rumor to the mill, which is that Baldini and Levy are having a frosty time HOWEVER as Burt himself says, that could just be because Levy takes time to warm to anyone in such a position but still wants the position to be filled. I'm glad that someone has finally confirmed that half the signings made were made with the idea Bale was staying; I think some people knew this, but others wrote it off.
shaney
Alan Hutton
Re: ***The Official AVB Discussion Thread***
Dont you mean GARETH BALE delivered us record points last season ?
Dont you mean GARETH BALE delivered us record points last season ?