Andre Villas-Boas - Head Coach

[The Moonlit Knight]

Re: AVB - Making Tottenham His Own

If Naughton can rise to the call then I think we are ok at the back but nobody can guarantee that we will find an effective midfield in the first 6 games, the players we have are to samey IMO.

I don't think Naughton will be first choice for us. He may play left back this season as AVB doesn't seem to rate Ekotto, but I believe AVB's preferred option would be a new left back.

 

[NaijaSpurs]

Re: AVB - Making Tottenham His Own

I guess. I do feel the "Beast" tag has meant he's a little overrated.

Great to have options though!

I think when fit Sandro is good enough to start in any midfield in the country

 

[Spurs7891]

Re: AVB - Making Tottenham His Own

As long as AVB does not get his head turned, this could be a bit of a dynasty. Levy obviously backs the man, unlike he did Redknapp - the interim manager. I love the way it seems synchronised now. AVB has his ideas - Baldini is sent like a honing missile to gather the crop. It obvious, AVB does not think much of the previous players here, and is slowly shoehorning them out. Exciting, but hopefully for bloody once it will not be transitionary, but the start of a Man-Unitedesque stability for years to come.

If we do really well coming season, can see big clubs coming in for AVB. Not sure if he can resist the lure of big clubs like Real Madrid and Barcelona. Don't think AVB will be lured by big money but rather the chance to manage big-name players like Ronaldo and Messi. I think that will be too much to turn down.

 

[sebse]

Re: AVB - Making Tottenham His Own

If we do really well coming season, can see big clubs coming in for AVB. Not sure if he can resist the lure of big clubs like Real Madrid and Barcelona. Don't think AVB will be lured by big money but rather the chance to manage big-name players like Ronaldo and Messi. I think that will be too much to turn down.

Well I hope he wants to master the premier league before going to another nation, and I hope he does it with Spurs.

 

[braineclipse]

Re: AVB - Making Tottenham His Own

I guess. I do feel the "Beast" tag has meant he's a little overrated.

Great to have options though!

I will now list the players in the world that I think are clearly better than Sandro at closing down, tackling and winning one on ones. Feel free to add to the list.

-

 

[DubaiSpur]

Re: AVB - Making Tottenham His Own

If we get into the Champions League, I think he'll stay another year. It would only be the second time he's ever managed in it, and the first time wasn't exactly a stellar account of his managerial talents. Do not see him being here beyond 2016, his desire for a short career and his slightly unusual desire to compete in the Dakar Rally would necessitate him moving to the likes of Madrid, Barca etc., to experience the pinnacle of club management for four or five years before he retires.

 

[DubaiSpur]

Re: AVB - Making Tottenham His Own

I will now list the players in the world that I think are clearly better than Sandro at closing down, tackling and winning one on ones. Feel free to add to the list.

-

Those two, I'd go for Lloris.

 

[Rossi22]

Re: AVB - Making Tottenham His Own

"His Porto side -- which remains a better representation of his favoured footballing style than his efforts with Chelsea or Tottenham thus far -- was a perfect example. Porto had talented midfielders, but they didn't hold onto possession for the sake of it -- they attempted to transfer the ball into the final third as quickly as possible. Porto were relentless, powerful and determined, consistently launching wave after wave of direct, immediate attacks. Opponents were overblown by their sheer force, rather than cut open slowly by their subtlety. "

 

[El Guepardo]

Re: AVB - Making Tottenham His Own

If we do really well coming season, can see big clubs coming in for AVB. Not sure if he can resist the lure of big clubs like Real Madrid and Barcelona. Don't think AVB will be lured by big money but rather the chance to manage big-name players like Ronaldo and Messi. I think that will be too much to turn down.

If we do really well this season, we'll have a lot of top managers to pick from to replace him. I want AVB to stay for a long, long time to come but if he doesn't, we won't be left having to appoint Shteve McLaren as his replacement.

 

[El Guepardo]

Re: AVB - Making Tottenham His Own

And that said, I don't think McLaren is a bad manager, just that he's not the higher level that I feel we could get. Plus, we would have Baldini to identify a new manager to recruit, so that the Director of Football/Coach system continues to work successfully.

 

[elltrev]

Re: AVB - Making Tottenham His Own

"His Porto side -- which remains a better representation of his favoured footballing style than his efforts with Chelsea or Tottenham thus far -- was a perfect example. Porto had talented midfielders, but they didn't hold onto possession for the sake of it -- they attempted to transfer the ball into the final third as quickly as possible. Porto were relentless, powerful and determined, consistently launching wave after wave of direct, immediate attacks. Opponents were overblown by their sheer force, rather than cut open slowly by their subtlety. "

I'm reading this book at the moment - http://www.amazon.co.uk/André-Villa...F8&qid=1376142537&sr=8-1&keywords=special+too - and it says virtually the opposite. That he favoured a patient, possession-based game and believed in the principle of resting with the ball.

I've heard all sorts of different things about what his favoured style is, and am left none the wiser.

 

[BrainOfLevy]

Re: AVB - Making Tottenham His Own

I'm reading this book at the moment - http://www.amazon.co.uk/André-Villa...F8&qid=1376142537&sr=8-1&keywords=special+too - and it says virtually the opposite. That he favoured a patient, possession-based game and believed in the principle of resting with the ball.

I've heard all sorts of different things about what his favoured style is, and am left none the wiser.

Agreed, I've read that too and was surprised to read now that he favours a more direct style. Surprising from Michael Cox as I think he's just seen how he played with Harry's team at Spurs and assumed he did the same at Porto. When actually he did appear to be patient there.

Maybe a key to his success is building a squad of versatile players able to change styles and adapt quickly. Which is why it's hard to pin him down to one style.

 

[elltrev]

Re: AVB - Making Tottenham His Own

Agreed, I've read that too and was surprised to read now that he favours a more direct style. Surprising from Michael Cox as I think he's just seen how he played with Harry's team at Spurs and assumed he did the same at Porto. When actually he did appear to be patient there.

Maybe a key to his success is building a squad of versatile players able to change styles and adapt quickly. Which is why it's hard to pin him down to one style.

Yeah, in fairness I remember seeing / reading an interview with AVB in which he described discovering that 'transitions' are much more important in the Premier League than the other top European Leagues, so maybe the way he wants his teams to play is evolving accordingly.

 

[BrainOfLevy]

Re: AVB - Making Tottenham His Own

Yeah, in fairness I remember seeing / reading an interview with AVB in which he described discovering that 'transitions' are much more important in the Premier League than the other top European Leagues, so maybe the way he wants his teams to play is evolving accordingly.

Yeah interesting point actually. It's probably why he's been happy to keep Lennon and wasn't overly concerned with a switch to 4-3-3, because the way we are now means we are set up to play transitions quite well.

I just hope that we will eventually become better at imposing our style on lesser teams at home, because we can't always rely on transitions or Bale to get the job done for us.

 

[braineclipse]

Re: AVB - Making Tottenham His Own

Do you guys think we'll see a permanent change to zonal marking for corners and set pieces, or was it just an experiment yesterday and we'll be back to the standard marking against Palace?

 

[Kingdawson]

Re: AVB - Making Tottenham His Own

Do you guys think we'll see a permanent change to zonal marking for corners and set pieces, or was it just an experiment yesterday and we'll be back to the standard marking against Palace?

If it's permanent then we're going to be in big big trouble.

 

[elltrev]

Re: AVB - Making Tottenham His Own

Do you guys think we'll see a permanent change to zonal marking for corners and set pieces, or was it just an experiment yesterday and we'll be back to the standard marking against Palace?

I think it's going to be permanent, at least in terms of the near future. We were playing it in the other pre-season games I saw too. We were awful at defending set pieces last season too, so I think the zonal system is an attempt to change that.

I think I'm one of the few people that thinks a zonal system could work very effectively (in general, not just for Spurs), but it never seems to work as well in practice as it does in theory. The problem always seems to be that the defenders are too static, rather than attacking the ball if it comes into their zone. Perhaps the problem with the system is that it's not obvious whose zone it's coming into until it's too late.

In any case, it was Soldado who was at fault yesterday, so maybe it will be more effective when everyone has practiced it in training (which Soldado presumably hasn't had much of a chance to do so far).

 

[braineclipse]

Re: AVB - Making Tottenham His Own

If it's permanent then we're going to be in big big trouble.

No point in trying it in the last preseason game if there's not at least some chance of it being a more permanent move.

I don't think zonal marking for set pieces is intrinsically worse than normal man marking, but it's perhaps a bit more difficult to implement since most players are used to the man marking system.

Stats highlighting Liverpool's goals conceded from set pieces under Rafa Benitez, most of those years he used a zonal marking systems I believe:

Stats compiled by a site I've never heard of before, but they claim the stats are from opta. Source: http://www.rafabenitez.com/web/index.php?act=mostrarBlog&id_entrada=32&idioma=in

Worth mentioning that Liverpool during those years had Pepe Reina in goal almost all of the time I think, a goalkeeper that's not exactly known for being commanding in the box.

Zonal marking for set pieces gets a lot of negative press, particularly in England I believe. I think when goals are conceded by a team using zonal marking then the system gets the blame very often, but if a team using a man marking system concedes a goal then individual players are usually blamed. I can't ever remember any journalist or commentator saying after a goal against a team using man marking highlighting the choice of system and suggesting a change to a zonal system.

I wouldn't be against us making a move to a zonal marking system, at least try it out.

 

[Kingdawson]

Re: AVB - Making Tottenham His Own

We tried it under Ramos and we looked absolute toilet tinkle.

 

[elltrev]

Re: AVB - Making Tottenham His Own

No point in trying it in the last preseason game if there's not at least some chance of it being a more permanent move.

I don't think zonal marking for set pieces is intrinsically worse than normal man marking, but it's perhaps a bit more difficult to implement since most players are used to the man marking system.

Stats highlighting Liverpool's goals conceded from set pieces under Rafa Benitez, most of those years he used a zonal marking systems I believe:

Stats compiled by a site I've never heard of before, but they claim the stats are from opta.

Worth mentioning that Liverpool during those years had Pepe Reina in goal almost all of the time I think, a goalkeeper that's not exactly known for being commanding in the box.

Zonal marking for set pieces gets a lot of negative press, particularly in England I believe. I think when goals are conceded by a team using zonal marking then the system gets the blame very often, but if a team using a man marking system concedes a goal then individual players are usually blamed. I can't ever remember any journalist or commentator saying after a goal against a team using man marking highlighting the choice of system and suggesting a change to a zonal system.

I wouldn't be against us making a move to a zonal marking system, at least try it out.

Yes - this is one of many footballing pet peeves of mine!