After the win at Reading, Spurs must build momentum in the upcoming Premier League games against QPR and Manchester United.
Football loves a story, when Andre Villas-Boas arrived in England he was Mourinho reborn, a man with success oozing out of him who was ready to transform Chelsea into a dynamic, young attacking unit, prepared to dominate Europe for years. Within months however he cut a deject and confrontational figure in press conferences, fielding a barrage of questions about his future. Having seemingly led Chelsea out of the Champions League after a 3-1 loss to Napoli, the writing was on the wall, and Roman Abramovich sacked the young Portuguese this March following a 1-0 defeat to West Brom.
The narrative was now entirely different, AVB was inexperienced, arrogant. His success at Porto due to a weak league and an exceptional squad including players like Falcao, Hulk and Joao Moutinho, rather than any precocious brilliance on his part. He had attempted to make too many changes too quickly, and senior players had failed to respond to his tactics or man management style. This narrative, however accurate or inaccurate it may be, still dogs Villas-Boas, and any indication of similar problems at Tottenham will be pounced upon by a press that is eager to back up their opinions. Nothing issues like Hugo Lloris starting behind Brad Friedel in the pecking order are blown up into crises of man management, even before the Frenchman had even trained with Tottenham.
Changing this narrative is the first big challenge for AVB. It’s a difficult task, as the situation at Spurs may take some time to settle with new players bedding in and the club adjusting to the loss of Luka Modric. The comprehensive win away at Reading gives a chance to build some momentum, and the next two league games give the perfect chance to capitalise on this. First up Spurs have QPR at home, a game where AVB will have the chance to blend his other new signings into the squad, with Dempsey and Lloris perhaps given a start, though Adebayor will likely remain on the bench behind Defoe after his brace at Reading. It is game Spurs should, and need to win. The following game against Manchester United represents a completely different challenge, Tottenham’s record at Old Trafford is abysmal. If Villas-Boas can mastermind a good result there, he will give a clear indication of the potential of his reign at Spurs, and how it can succeed where others have failed.
As long If he can provide a new narrative, a story that can lead to the problems at Chelsea being laid at someone else’s feet, then the press may start to turn around. He has been backed by Daniel Levy as the man to lead the change at Spurs, who have moved into an excellent new training facility, and have a new stadium on the horizon. Tottenham’s season has begun with the win at Reading, the next two league games are an opportunity to show how AVB will take Spurs forward, winning home games against the supposedly smaller opposition, and challenging the very biggest on their home turf.
images: © Vladimir Maiorov, © Vladimir Maiorov
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