Next Monday marks a year since Andre Villas Boas was dismissed as Chelsea manager - not that he'll be too bothered. Tottenham are in fine form and preparations for the crucial derby showdown against Arsenal this Sunday will be his most immediate task.
Gareth Bale could turn water into wine, the current form he is on. But Villas Boas should be given credit for the way he has quietly gone about developing a squad which now look like posing a serious threat to Manchester City's second place spot.
Gone is the stubborn attitude he stood by at Chelsea. Michael Dawson was considered surplus to requirements at the beginning of the season; he's now back at the heart of the Tottenham defence. Villas Boas made hasty, bold decisions with regards to his player policy at Chelsea under the illusion this would earn him respect.
Villas Boas's willingness to restore Dawson to his starting line up is a sign of change and for a highly competitive squad such as Tottenham's it's important to know that your manager won't turn his back on you. Villas Boas needs to utilise the large and talented squad at his disposal, with Tottenham now serious contenders in the Europa League. Keeping everyone pulling in the right direction is crucial. He's started to realise this during his time at Tottenham; Hugo Lloris had to rightly wait his turn before claiming the No.1 goalkeeping jersey.
Villas Boas's playing style is working far better than it did at Chelsea too. At Chelsea he had the unfortunate problem of accommodating and trying to revive the fortunes of Fernando Torres. Jermain Defoe is more to Villas Boas's liking; fast, quick on the turn and lethal in front of goal. Villas Boas's enthusiasm can be seen from the touchline and this rubs off on his players. Defoe looks revitalised this season; Villas Boas has implemented a steely motivation that hasn't been there in the last few years.
Villas Boas was a sound replacement for Harry Redknapp. Redknapp built solid foundations but there was a sense at the end of last season that Tottenham were going backwards. They needed to be more daring, more innovative. Villas Boas wants attacking football, with an emphasis on flair which starts at the back. The players at Tottenham, like those during his time at Porto, are perfectly suited to such a style.
Kyle Walker and Jan Vertonghen are talented with the ball at their feet and Tottenham look more comfortable in possession this season then they did the last. Villas Boas knows that his team pose a big enough threat with with a 4-5-1 formation that includes Gareth Bale. The extra midfield position goes to Moussa Dembele who adds finesse and vision to the pace in front of him.
Villas Boas, true to the mould of a modern manager, works hard on the fitness of his players and this is paying dividends. Gareth Bale and Aaron Lennon have steered clear of injury and are showing no signs of wear coming off the back of the Christmas period.
Villas Boas's has taken things in his stride far better this season too. He's remained philosophical after loses to Man City and Chelsea, from positions where Tottenham could have gone on to win. He's not being asked to justify his selection policy constantly or why he can't get the best out of a £50 million pound striker. At Chelsea he got caught up in club politics.
Keeping characters like Emmanuel Adebayor happy is no easy feat either. It's clear that behind the scenes he is taking a more relaxed, pacifying approach. Failing to address the ego's of Didier Drogba and co. at Chelsea seems to have served as a painful but useful lesson for Villas Boas. At Tottenham he's spending more time on the training ground, adding his fresh approach to an already strong side.
The way Villas Boas has been handling Gareth Bale's situation is particularly refreshing. Rather than becoming increasingly paranoid like Arsene Wenger Villas Boas is unashamedly singing Bale's praises - most recently calling him an inspiration. He is not entertaining the thought that he may lose his star man. Their relationship appears strong; Bale went over to embrace his manager after his winning goal at Upton Park. Villas Boas is taking the right approach, encouraging Bale and letting him do the business on the pitch. What will be will be in the summer and Villas Boas is learning to accept and work around this.
Gone is the stubborn attitude he stood by at Chelsea. Michael Dawson was considered surplus to requirements at the beginning of the season; he's now back at the heart of the Tottenham defence. Villas Boas made hasty, bold decisions with regards to his player policy at Chelsea under the illusion this would earn him respect.
Villas Boas's willingness to restore Dawson to his starting line up is a sign of change and for a highly competitive squad such as Tottenham's it's important to know that your manager won't turn his back on you. Villas Boas needs to utilise the large and talented squad at his disposal, with Tottenham now serious contenders in the Europa League. Keeping everyone pulling in the right direction is crucial. He's started to realise this during his time at Tottenham; Hugo Lloris had to rightly wait his turn before claiming the No.1 goalkeeping jersey.
Villas Boas's playing style is working far better than it did at Chelsea too. At Chelsea he had the unfortunate problem of accommodating and trying to revive the fortunes of Fernando Torres. Jermain Defoe is more to Villas Boas's liking; fast, quick on the turn and lethal in front of goal. Villas Boas's enthusiasm can be seen from the touchline and this rubs off on his players. Defoe looks revitalised this season; Villas Boas has implemented a steely motivation that hasn't been there in the last few years.
Villas Boas was a sound replacement for Harry Redknapp. Redknapp built solid foundations but there was a sense at the end of last season that Tottenham were going backwards. They needed to be more daring, more innovative. Villas Boas wants attacking football, with an emphasis on flair which starts at the back. The players at Tottenham, like those during his time at Porto, are perfectly suited to such a style.
Kyle Walker and Jan Vertonghen are talented with the ball at their feet and Tottenham look more comfortable in possession this season then they did the last. Villas Boas knows that his team pose a big enough threat with with a 4-5-1 formation that includes Gareth Bale. The extra midfield position goes to Moussa Dembele who adds finesse and vision to the pace in front of him.
Villas Boas, true to the mould of a modern manager, works hard on the fitness of his players and this is paying dividends. Gareth Bale and Aaron Lennon have steered clear of injury and are showing no signs of wear coming off the back of the Christmas period.
Villas Boas's has taken things in his stride far better this season too. He's remained philosophical after loses to Man City and Chelsea, from positions where Tottenham could have gone on to win. He's not being asked to justify his selection policy constantly or why he can't get the best out of a £50 million pound striker. At Chelsea he got caught up in club politics.
Keeping characters like Emmanuel Adebayor happy is no easy feat either. It's clear that behind the scenes he is taking a more relaxed, pacifying approach. Failing to address the ego's of Didier Drogba and co. at Chelsea seems to have served as a painful but useful lesson for Villas Boas. At Tottenham he's spending more time on the training ground, adding his fresh approach to an already strong side.
The way Villas Boas has been handling Gareth Bale's situation is particularly refreshing. Rather than becoming increasingly paranoid like Arsene Wenger Villas Boas is unashamedly singing Bale's praises - most recently calling him an inspiration. He is not entertaining the thought that he may lose his star man. Their relationship appears strong; Bale went over to embrace his manager after his winning goal at Upton Park. Villas Boas is taking the right approach, encouraging Bale and letting him do the business on the pitch. What will be will be in the summer and Villas Boas is learning to accept and work around this.
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