Tottenham: Five tasks for the new manager André Villas-Boas

• zocoss

  27 Jun 12, 11:09

  Can you start right away? Spurs have offered job to Villas-Boas and want him to take over on July 1

   

  Chairman Levy reckons Portuguese can take the club to the "next level."

   

  

  Andre Villas-Boas: excited to take over at Spurs

   

   

   

  Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy has offered the Spurs job to Andre Villas-Boas - and wants him to start on July 1.

  Former Chelsea boss Villas-Boas has impressed the Spurs hierarchy with his plans for the club even though he was axed at Stamford Bridge after less than eight months in charge.

  Villas-Boas will be expected to work with Tim Sherwood at Spurs as his star is in the ascendancy and Levy wants him to be a key part of the set-up.

  France boss Laurent Blanc was also in the running but Villas-Boas impressed the most during Levy's search for a successor to Harry Redknapp.

   

   

  

  Non! Laurent Blanc set to miss out

   

   

   

   

  They also sounded out former England boss Fabio Capello who, along with Blanc, will remain in the frame until Villas-Boas is signed and sealed. Capello is interested in making a return to English football but his wage demands proved prohibitive.

  Levy initially fancied Everton boss David Moyes and Wigan's Roberto Martinez and decided to go foreign because he believes a new philosophy is needed to take the club to the "next level."

  Villas-Boas has some reservations about the job because he wants complete control and also fears losing Luka Modric who has made it clear he wants to leave for Real Madrd.

  Tottenham also want the new manager to start on July 1 for various contractual and legal reasons while Villas-Boas is also free from any ties to Chelsea.

  They are also confident of landing Hoffenheim midfielder Gylfi Sigurdsson from under Liverpool's noses - although Brendan Rodgers has one last ace to play.

• zocoss

  4 Jul 12, 09:08

  Second chance: Four months on from Chelsea sacking, AVB resurfaces at Spurs

   

   

  

  Man about town: Andre Villas-Boas is paraded by Tottenham just four months after he was sacked by London rivals Chelsea

   

   

   

   

  Andre Villas-Boas has been given a second chance to succeed in the  Barclays Premier League.

  As Sportsmail forecast last week, the Portuguese has been named as Tottenham’s new manager on a three-year contract.

  But the 34-year-old’s appointment only four months after his sacking by Chelsea drew quick criticism from former Spurs boss Glenn Hoddle.
  

  ‘I did not think that is the way Spurs would go,’ Hoddle told ESPN. ‘It’s more than a slight risk because of the way things didn’t work out at Chelsea.

  ‘I thought it might have been better for him to go and reinvent himself elsewhere before he had another crack at English football.’

  Villas-Boas was in London  yesterday to complete the deal to become Harry Redknapp’s successor, bringing trusted aides Jose Mario Rocha and Daniel Sousa with him as he bids to repair his reputation after poor results and talk of rifts with senior players marred his time at Stamford Bridge.

   

  

  All smiles: Villas-Boas familiarises himself with his new surrounding at Spurs Lodge

   

   

  ‘Tottenham Hotspur is a great club with a strong tradition and fantastic support, both at home and throughout the world. I feel privileged to be its coach,’ said  Villas-Boas. ‘For me, this is one of the most exciting coaching positions in the Premier League.

  ‘I have had several discussions with the chairman and the board and I share their vision for the future progress of this club.

  ‘This is a squad any coach would love to work with and together I believe we can bring success in the seasons ahead.’
  

  Chairman Daniel Levy will open the chequebook to help Villas-Boas reaffirm his position as one of Europe’s best coaches.

  ‘We are constantly looking to move the club forward,’ said Levy. ‘It is important we now look to develop the potential within the squads at all levels while strengthening the first team in the  summer in key positions with players who will become part of the future success of this club.’
  

  While Villas-Boas’s official title of head coach indicates he will not have total control over the club’s transfer policy, the Portuguese is wasting no time in strengthening his new squad.

  Spurs took significant steps towards completing the signing of Hoffenheim midfielder Gylfi  Sigurdsson on Tuesday after Villas-Boas approved the £8million signing. Ajax defender Jan Vertonghen — a man Villas-Boas scouted during his spell at Stamford Bridge — is expected to follow.

  Villas-Boas has also made it a priority to sign at least one big-name striker, with Spurs exploring the possibility of making a  permanent move for Emmanuel Adebayor, while they would want to take Real Madrid striker Gonzalo Higuain in any deal that sends Luka Modric to Spain. 

  

  All smiles: Andre Villas-Boas at Tottenham's training ground in Chigwell

   

  

  Focus: AVB gets used to his new surroundings across London

   

  

  On his way: Gylfi Sigurdsson is expected to become Villas-Boas' first signing

   

   

   

  Villas-Boas, who tried to sign Modric for Chelsea last summer, is privately resigned to losing the influential midfielder, with the Bernabeu his likely destination.

  There are also concerns over  current goalkeepers Brad Friedel and Heurelho Gomes and resolving the uncertainty over Ledley King’s playing future is also believed to be high on Villas-Boas’s agenda.

  The club captain’s contract expired on Sunday but he will test out his troublesome knee in  pre-season before making a final decision on whether to retire. Villas-Boas would be forced to pick a new skipper if King retires, with Scott Parker and Michael Dawson early contenders for the armband.

  In addition to Rocha and Sousa joining the club’s coaching set-up, it is understood Villas-Boas wants to add another two members to his backroom team.

   

  

  On his way out: Luka Modric is wanted by Spanish giants Real Madrid

  ANDRE VILLAS-BOAS FACTFILE

  1977: Born in Porto on October 17.
  1993: Invited to work as a trainee with FC Porto's youth-team coaches by manager Sir Bobby Robson.
  1994: Achieves UEFA C coaching licence in Scotland.
  2000: Takes charge of the British Virgin Islands for two international matches. Both end in defeat.
  2002: Becomes part of Jose Mourinho's backroom staff at Porto.
  2004: Follows Mourinho to Chelsea, where he works as an opposition scout.
  2008: Moves with Mourinho to Inter Milan.
  2009: Appointed manager of Academica in October, with the club bottom of the table and without a win. Villas-Boas guides them to an 11th-place finish and a Portuguese League Cup semi-final.
  2010: June 2 - Appointed manager of boyhood club Porto.
  August 7 - Wins Portuguese Supercup with 2-0 victory over Benfica.
  2011: April 3 - Leads Porto to their 25th league title, finishing with their biggest ever winning margin of 21 points.
  May 18 - Porto win the Europa League with a 1-0 triumph over fellow Portuguese side Braga.
  May 22 - Guides Porto to a trophy treble with a comprehensive 6-2 win over Vitoria de Guimaraes in Portuguese Cup final.
  June 21 - Porto confirm Villas-Boas has tendered his resignation and his contract will be terminated once his 15million euros release clause has been paid.
  Porto later announce they have received the required compensation, with Chelsea releasing a short statement confirming their interest in Villas-Boas and their intention to agree personal terms in the near future.
  June 22 - Appointed Chelsea manager on a three-year contract.
  June 30 - Wins first piece of silverware as Chelsea manager, taking the Barclays Asia Trophy.
  August 14 - Draws first match of the Premier League season 0-0 away at Stoke.
  September 18 - Suffers first defeat of the season with a 3-1 loss to Manchester United at Old Trafford.
  December 6 - Chelsea win their final Champions League group game 3-0 against Valencia with Leverkusen's 1-1 draw with Genk meaning they qualify from their group.
  December 12 - Chelsea become first team in 2011/2012 season to defeat Manchester City coming from behind with goals from Raul Meireles and a late penalty by Frank Lampard.
  February 21 - Leaves Ashley Cole, Frank Lampard and Michael Essien out of the team as Chelsea fall to a 3-1 defeat in their first leg Champions League tie with Napoli. Chelsea now have a record of one win in the last seven games and is
  under pressure at the club from fans and players alike with Ashley Cole in particular criticising his tactics.
  March 4 - Sacked by Chelsea a day after a 1-0 defeat at West Brom.
  July 3 - Confirmed as Tottenham's new head coach.

  
  
• dragg

  4 Jul 12, 09:17

  a very big gamble. but at least spurs show they have the hunger for something better than just wanting to finish 4th every season.
• dragg

  4 Jul 12, 17:04

  i'll be rooting for spurs next season. i just love the underdogs. i hope AVB can prove chelsea were wrong to axe him. interesting!!!!
• zocoss

  4 Jul 12, 22:25

  Tottenham: Five tasks for the new manager André Villas-Boas

  The Portuguese will need to appease Luka Modric and Gareth Bale while adding to his resources in defence and attack

   

  

  André Villas-Boas will have to handle players like Luka Modric and Gareth Bale better than he did the big egos at Chelsea. Photograph: Tom Jenkins/for the Guardian

   

   

  1 Resolve the Modric situation
  

  Tottenham's playmaker wants Champions League football and that's on offer at Real Madrid, Chelsea and Manchester United. Can AVB convince the Croatian to hold tight for at least a year, in the hope Spurs return to Europe's top competition in 2013-14? If he can't, the expected signing of Gylfi Sigurdsson may ease the blow of Modric's departure, especially as the Icelander may better balance André Villas-Boas's preferred 4-3-3 formation

  2 Sign a new centre back
  

  Tottenham have plenty of talent in the centre of their defence, but none of it is a surefire, long-term bet: Ledley King is on his last legs, Michael Dawson has been out injured for some time, and William Gallas isn't getting any younger. Steven Caulker, returning from a successful loan spell at Swansea, may be the answer, but if Villas-Boas decides the 20-year-old is not quite ready, he may need to dip into the market

  3 Keep Bale happy – within reason
  

  Gareth Bale's new four-year deal is great news for Spurs, but the player's ambitions will need to be kept in check. Bale is world class out wide but if last season is any guide, distinctly average in the middle of the park, where he has pretensions to play. Villas-Boas needs to gently disabuse the player of his Beckham-like desire to move away from where he shines – a test of the manager's ability to handle big egos with sense and sensitivity, something he failed to achieve at Chelsea

  4 A new striker
  

  Harry Redknapp has left Villas-Boas an attack-minded squad – albeit one light on actual attackers. Emmanuel Adebayor's loan period has come to an end, and Roman Pavyluchenko has left. Only Jermain Defoe of the big-name strikers remains, and he's not particularly happy with his role as a bit-part player. Daniel Sturridge could fill the gap

  5 Good PR
  

  Villas-Boas has much else on his plate – from sourcing a long-term replacement for the goalkeeper Brad Friedel to attempting to persuade his old Porto charge João Moutinho, below, to join him at White Hart Lane – but perhaps the most crucial task is to get the Spurs support onside. A section of the fanbase are sceptical in the wake of the Chelsea debacle. A modest acknowledgement of his mistakes at Stamford Bridge – even if they were blown out of all proportion by an unfairly critical media briefed by Chelsea's old guard – would help win hearts and minds, and buy him time he might otherwise not enjoy should his reign get off to a slow start