As indicated when I concluded the 2011-12 end-of-season blog, Yesterday’s Papers, which was written when Harry Redknapp was still Manager, I thought the
time was right for Tottenham to look to a long-term plan.
In the last twenty years, only
five clubs have won the Premier League. Two, Manchester United and Arsenal,
have enjoyed success as part of long-term approach. Although Arsene Wenger won
the League in his first full-season, the model that brought three Championships,
including two doubles, was based on building a foundation. The same has of
course been true at Manchester United, with a Manager in place for a long-term
tenure.
The other three clubs, Blackburn,
Chelsea and Manchester City, have all benefited from a large injection of cash.
But even if Tottenham were to suddenly find themselves flush with greater
financial resource from new investors, it is the first model that is the way
forward.
Harry Redknapp’s departure was inevitable
due to the specifics of the situation, the reasons of which I expanded on in
this piece for The Football Project. But the aim of the change was not just
another hit on the fruit machine in an effort to strike lucky on a new Manager
to bring greater success: it is part of the development a long-term plan where
the relative progress of the last three years is built upon.
That is why the new man, Andre
Villas–Boas, is not the new Manager, but the Head Coach. It is the structure
that is key, with a Head Coach who believes in playing passing, moving and attacking
football, and developing technical ability and footballing intelligence. This 2009
interview with Daniel Sousa, who is now our opposition scout, in which Villa-Boas
talks about his time working at Chelsea under Jose Mourinho, suggests he has
those attributes. (It is a fascinating read, although if he thinks Drogba has a
bad first touch, his orange hair may turn grey if he sees Adebayor try and trap
a ball).
While clearly a student of the
game, Villas-Boas’ return to Chelsea raised doubts about the way he man-managed
players he already knew and the way he handled the press and the pressure.
Which is why it was pleasing to hear him say yesterday he knew he had made mistakes
last season yet still found it a very gratifying experience from which he has learned.
Though Chelsea finished sixth in the League last season, their decline started
under Carlo Ancholetti the previous season, as I wrote in ‘Glory Nights: From Wankdorf to Wembley’ ahead of a potential 2010/11 Champions League
Quarter-Final.
The experience of understanding one-size
doesn’t fit all, when it comes to both man-management and tactics is crucial. If
Villas-Boas work experience in West London has taught him that, it has been
time well spent from which we will hopefully benefit. Double training sessions
won’t work for every player, just as having a tactical approach is fine, as
long as recognizing formations depend on the talent at your disposal. Even Pep
Guardiola adjusted Barcelona’s formation last season to suit both his players
and the situation, while still maintaining his principles. Not having the
ability to adapt, and being insistent on one formation, is asking for trouble.
All-in-all it was a positive
first public appearance for the new Head Coach yesterday. He spoke about “us”,
he wasn’t shy to talk about challenging for silverware and he even spoke about “Harry”,
although he hadn’t got the measure of how to drop the ‘aitch.
The references to Redknapp’s legacy
were on the money though. In the few minutes of answers Villa-Boas gave the
mics, voice recorders and mobile phones stuck under his chin against the sleek looking
backdrop of our new training ground yesterday, it was good to hear his wish to
build upon the excellent foundations in the first-team squad already there.
With Juande Ramos’ first-full
season fresh in the memory, The Board will surely have made clear that while progression
is important, it is no good throwing the baby out with the bath water. At the
start of 2008-09 the majority of the first-team was replaced - experience and
goals gone, the talent of Aaron Lennon bizarrely excluded for David Bentley,
one of eight new first-team players who struggled to cope with the burden of
expectation in a formation that wasn’t getting the best of out of them. Ramos should
have played 4-2-3-1, with Lennon, Modric and Dos Santos playing behind
Pavlechcnko, in a position he excelled in just weeks earlier in Euro 2008.
Four years on, success is within
reach for this Tottenham side if Villas-Boas makes the most out of the very
good squad he has. And the leadership, experience and footballing qualities of
Scott Parker and Rafa van der Vaart could be as crucial as the players who
developed so well last year, like Walker and Kaboul. Combined with the new
signings, that would include a top class striker, and the squad is as strong as
any in the country other than Manchester City. So, Villa-Boas was right to talk
about “titles”, with respect to both winning cups and challenging for the
League.
The start will be important. With
a pro-Redknapp press looking for mistakes, the pressure of a bad start could affect
the confidence of the players. But it is clear the Board are more concerned
about the structure, and having a system in place that will continue even if
any of the new appointments don’t work out. The choice of Steffan Freund, a
player who always showed his commitment on the pitch but looked like he could
spend extra–time on the training ground working on his crosses from the right
and his shooting, shows the Board have appointed not only an up and coming
coach with a loyalty to Tottenham, but a pair of eyes and ears in the dressing
room of someone they trust. And it makes sense in what is a new managerial team
in a developing structure.
As is to be expected, all the
noises in Week One of Training are positive, with every player seemingly being
given a clean slate. Even Bentley has said he is eager to show the new Coach
what he has to offer. Let’s hope he doesn’t think that means he should start kicking
balls into a skip again.
However well training is going, the aim now should be for the
club to complete its transfer business by the end of July.
MG
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| My e-book on Tottenham Hotspur's return to the European Cup after an absence of 49 seasons is now available to buy for £4.27 (inc VAT) on Amazon and Smashwords. It recalls the Glory Nights at the San Siro, the North London Derby Comeback, Peter Crouch's winner at Manchester City, putting Inter to the sword at White Hart Lane and Diego Maradona's one appearance in a Spurs shirt. It ends with an epilogue at the end of 2012 season, the day after another season of Europa League was confirmed. Further details and photos here. |
