The wait for Tottenham fans is over. After the surprise sacking of Harry Redknapp on the 13th of June a new man is at the helm. Names like David Moyes, Jürgen Klinsmann, Fabio Capello and Roberto Martinez were linked with the vacant post, but it was ultimately former Chelsea boss who landed the White Hart Lane hot seat.
The Spurs job could well have been seen as an attractive proposition for many. But with a squad of world class players and an expectant fan base in tow it comes with its own pressures. Despite Tottenham’s relatively impressive fourth place finish last season, Villas-Boas has a few issues that need addressing sooner rather than later if he is to prove his doubters wrong.
Up Front, Spurs currently only have one recognised striker on their books. Jermain Defoe will want assurances about his future if he is to continue as a Spurs player. And more will need to join him this summer. Proven goal scorers are hard to find and expensive to purchase. Spurs may need to spend big to bolster their front line, last season’s loanee Emmanuel Adebayor may be their most likely target.
Defence, Spurs had an extremely unsettled back four last season which contributed to their mid-season slump. Questions need to be asked. Will Ledley King and William Gallas be retained for another season? Can the best form of injury-plagued Michael Dawson be renewed? The future of Sebastian Bassong, farmed out to Wolves last season and unimpressive during his time at Spurs so far, will also need to be discussed. That’s the centre of defence, the full back situation is just as pressing.
Kyle Walker had a fantastic debut season, but the sales of Alan Hutton and Vedran Ćorluka have left him as Spurs only recognised right-back. While at left-back Benoît Assou-Ekotto is only backed up by young winger-turned-full-back Danny Rose. Walker, Assou-Ekotto and centre back Younès Kaboul are likely to play big roles for Spurs but who will join them at the back is still uncertain.
Ajax’s Jan Vertonghen has been repeatedly linked with Spurs and seems to be making all of the right noises, but this threatens to be one of the most drawn out stories of this summer’s transfer window. AVB will need to act quickly and decisively to sort out Spurs back line.
The Fringe Players, the ones who Harry Redknapp used so sparingly even though his team noticeably tired during last season’s run in. It’s simple for Villas-Boas, either involve them or let them go. After being used sparingly last season by Redknapp, Jermain Defoe is understood to have sought a move away from Spurs in January. And his sporadic appearances for his club contributed to him only playing 13 minutes for his country at this summer’s European Championships.
The likes of Giovanni Dos Santos, Tom Huddlestone, Jermain Jenas, David Bentley and Heurelho Gomes are all at stages of their careers where sitting on the bench or rotting in the reserves doesn’t appeal to them. The same goes for Steven Pienaar, one of the stars of the second half of last season, albeit for Everton where he enjoyed a second spell on loan. AVB will need to make better use of his squad than his predecessor, those he can’t make use of need to be shown the door.
The Big Names. The main criticism levelled at Villas-Boas during his unsuccessful tenure as Chelsea manager was his inability to appease the egos of Terry, Cole, Drogba, Lampard and the like. As soon as AVB lost those players, Chelsea’s most influential, the dressing room went with them. He cannot afford to do the same with the likes of Luka Modrić, Gareth Bale and Rafael van der Vaart.
Bale’s recent contract extension would suggest that he is remaining at White Hart Lane for the upcoming season at least. But big question marks hang over the futures of Modrić and van der Vaart, with reported interest from the likes of Real Madrid and Schalke respectively. If AVB wants to win these players over he’d better do it quickly. The signing of Gylfi Sigurdssðn would suggest that at least one of these two will be moving on. Whoever remains, Villas-Boas will need them to be on his side.
Keeping The Chairman Happy. What do George Graham, Glen Hoddle, David Pleat, Jacques Santini, Martin Jol, Juande Ramos and Harry Redknapp all have in common? They have all had Spurs chairmen Daniel Levy tell them that their services were no longer required. Villas-Boas may seem to be a long term solution for Spurs, part of a ‘5 year plan’ perhaps, then again that’s what Chelsea had told him too.
Hoddle, Santini, Jol and Ramos were all moved on before the end of October. Villas-Boas will need to act fast to keep the trigger-happy Spurs chairmen sweet.
Andre Villas-Boas has something to prove. He won the Portuguese League and the Europa League as manager of Porto, taking them through an unbeaten season. Something that even JoséMourinho didn’t do. But his spell at Chelsea has taken the shine off of that ‘Promising Young Manager’ tag.
And the fact that his number 2, Roberto Di Matteo, took that same Chelsea squad to Champions League and FA Cup triumphs seems to have turned AVB’s Chelsea stay from disappointing to a disaster.
He’s young, hungry and seemingly talented. And what’s more, the Spurs fans seem to have taken the news of his appointment relatively well. But wait until Christmas, if AVB’s Spurs aren’t firing on all cylinders by then the fans may not be so patient. What will they think if their team is struggling?
And what will Daniel Levy think?
Andre Villas-Boas has work to do at Spurs. Only time will tell if he is up to the challenge.