Positive Spurs Article in the Guardian

[venablesphil]

Really good positive article in the guardian after AVBs first press conference.

​

http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/blog/2012/jul/11/andre-villas-boas-tottenham-hotspur-title

Colin Mafham of the Sunday express shame this is how you write a football article

 

[nightgoat]

David Hytner is usually never shy in slagging off Spurs as much as possible. I'd imagine that will be one of the most positive articles to be written about yesterday's press event.

 

[Bus-Conductor]

One by one they arrived, the dreadfully cynical figures of the national football press, and their eyes dilated in amazement. Tottenham Hotspur's new state-of-the-art training centre, which sprawls across 73 acres in Enfield, is magnificent. Potential signings could be swayed by the facilities, that include 15 grass pitches, an indoor artificial surface, a swimming pool and an enormous gym. As everybody agreed, lightheartedly, it was a far cry from Spurs Lodge.
The afternoon's show-stopper, though, was still to come. When André Villas-Boas sat down for his first newspaper briefing as the Tottenham manager, his dismissal from Chelsea towards the end of last season was always going to be on the agenda. But nobody expected his blast at Roman Abramovich for failing to "put up to the things that he promised".
Previously departed Chelsea managers have tended to take their severance packages, shrug stoically and bite their lips. But the fiery and hugely self-assured Villas-Boas is different. It was hard to recall anyone ever slagging off Abramovich. Villas-Boas has some cojones.
His suggestion that Chelsea might still have won the Champions League and FA Cup last season under him might have needed a few tablespoons of salt and he weakened the argument when he admitted that his departure had provided the pressure release that fired the players. Yet the overriding impression was of a 34-year-old with absolute conviction in himself and his methods and one who was ready for the next challenge of his career. He might be a mere boy in managerial terms but nothing can deflect him from his sense of purpose.
The job that awaits him is daunting. Under Harry Redknapp in the Premier League last season, Tottenham finished behind only the world's richest club, the country's biggest and one that has enjoyed consistent achievement and the revenue from a 60,000-seater stadium. Tottenham finished above the European champions and Liverpool and yet Redknapp was still sacked.
No pressure, then. But Villas-Boas positively embraced it as he talked up the ultimate goal. To his mind, Tottenham ought to be genuine title contenders from the outset. The chairman, Daniel Levy, is determined not only to return to the Champions League but to win the Premier League, and with the training ground, the plans for the new stadium and a squad studded with quality, he and Villas-Boas bristle with big-time ambition.
"Last year was the first year in recent times that Tottenham made it so public that they wanted to go for the title but you also have to agree with me that Harry [Redknapp] was in and out of that quotation," Villas-Boas said. "It's very well to promote yourself to the title and to quit the week after. Not that this is a criticism but if we really want to go for it, this is something we have to assume from the start.
"It is a proposition I put to the players on the first day that we met. We would like to assume this responsibility, not to put more pressure on ourselves but because it goes along with what we are trying to build at this club. We are trying to put together a squad that makes us compete for the title."
Villas-Boas is preoccupied with his moves in the transfer market which are aimed at completing a squad that has, according to him, "some fragilities, particularly on the striker position". Jermain Defoe is the only established forward on the pay-roll at present and Villas-Boas confirmed the intention to sign Emmanuel Adebayor to a permanent contract, although the Manchester City player will surely not be the only addition up front.
It was amusing to hear Villas-Boas's choice of language when he described what Tottenham were famous for on the market. "Being very precise," he said, as opposed to notorious hagglers and purveyors of deadline-day brinkmanship. The first-team squad is bloated with the number of returning loanees and Villas-Boas has plenty to do to reshape it in his image.
Ledley King is poised to announce his retirement and move into an ambassadorial role at the club but there are seven other centre-halves on the books. The final day of the window should be frantic, as usual. Villas-Boas is also keen to sign a goalkeeper; he likes Hugo Lloris of Lyon and Thibaut Courtois, who is on loan from Chelsea at Atlético Madrid.
The Luka Modric situation is key. Villas-Boas admitted that the playmaker wanted to leave, with Real Madrid his expected destination, but he stressed that the fee needed to be right. Porto's João Moutinho is Villas-Boas's No1 target, even if he is a slightly different type of midfielder.
"He [Moutinho] was one of the most important players at Euro 2012, he had a fantastic tournament," Villas-Boas said. "It doesn't mean that he's the only target but if something happened, of course he's a player that we look on with some interest.
"With Luka, there is interest and the player raises interest. The interest that he is getting from a number of clubs is the same as he got last year. If the player's ambition is to move to another club, we can respect that decision but there are club interests that the chairman will defend and only when the right offer is met will there be more use."
Villas-Boas has been parodied, in some quarters, following his failure at Chelsea but the optimists consider him a better fit at Tottenham, where the dressing-room might be more receptive to new ideas and the team is faster and more dynamic, perhaps better equipped to play his style of football. Helping Villas-Boas will be his latest signing, the assistant manager Steffen Freund, who played for Tottenham between 1998 and 2003.
"What we want is that winning mentality," Villas-Boas said.
"We want to build it by assuming we have to compete in a different way …by trying to win trophies. From my initial reception from the players, I think it is possible."

 

[StartingPrice]

No, sorry, Phil, but AVB wasn't talking about the title. I read the title to the article, prior to your link, and immediately wanted to leave a reply explaining this.
In his interview on STV, he very clearly says that we haven't won a title since 2008. Now, since we ALL know it was the Carling Cup we won in 2008, I would suggest it is a translation problem, and what he really means whenever he says title is trophy. That simple, really.
I don't think he would be crayzee enough to start spouting off about getting the club winning titles again (like it was ever a regular occurence); winning trophies again that's understandable.

 

[Bus-Conductor]

Look, I know if we are sitting bottom in November then these words will become somewhat hollow, and I know after Redknapp, Kedd Dodd would sound earnest, but they are the type of words I've wanted to hear from a spurs manager for a very long time.

He even said something many of us have pointed out numerous times about Redknapp:

"Last year was the first year in recent times that Tottenham made it so public that they wanted to go for the title but you also have to agree with me that Harry [Redknapp] was in and out of that quotation," Villas-Boas said. "It's very well to promote yourself to the title and to quit the week after. Not that this is a criticism but if we really want to go for it, this is something we have to assume from the start.

 

[venablesphil]

No, sorry, Phil, but AVB wasn't talking about the title. I read the title to the article, prior to your link, and immediately wanted to leave a reply explaining this.
In his interview on STV, he very clearly says that we haven't won a title since 2008. Now, since we ALL know it was the Carling Cup we won in 2008, I would suggest it is a translation problem, and what he really means whenever he says title is trophy. That simple, really.
I don't think he would be crayzee enough to start spouting off about getting the club winning titles again (like it was ever a regular occurence); winning trophies again that's understandable.

""Last year was the first year in recent times that Tottenham made it so public that they wanted to go for the title but you also have to agree with me that Harry [Redknapp] was in and out of that quotation," Villas-Boas said. "It's very well to promote yourself to the title and to quit the week after. Not that this is a criticism but if we really want to go for it, this is something we have to assume from the start."

I think he is talking about the title in this instance, I do however agree on SSN there was a lost in translation moment when he was clearly talking about trophies and not titles

However the main point was that the article was a very positive one about Spurs and about AVB. I thought the press would be on his back form day one but this and some others just coming out are encouraging. I don't like the article because he is talking about winning things although I love that mentality, I like the article because it paints spurs and the decision to hire AVB in a positive light

 

[Berglad]

Really good article, and it's astounding he said all that yet the only headlines this morning were "Villas-Boas admits Modric could leave." Cretins.

 

[danielneeds]

I like what he has been saying. Calling the players out, and basically saying, look at the lush surroundings of the new training centre, this is sort of place winners come to work. Do you guys want to be winners?

 

[Mullers]

I'm liking the cut of his jib, I hope he is given sufficient time and panic doesn't set in if we are not where we want to be at Christmas.

 

[vegassd]

Couldn't agree more BC. I was quite a Redknapp fan but I did hate how he would flip-flop between sentiments on an almost daily basis.

AVB's quote will look a bit stupid if we go and lose our first 5 games, but then he will look pretty stupid in that case anyway. I think that the off-season is the perfect time to be talking about challenging for the title, particularly when doing it inside a lovely new training ground.

 

[jimtheyid]

http://www.soccerclips.net/videos/soccer-am-team-mates-gold-david-ginola-100410



ARBEIT!

 

[Adam456]

Positive but STILL keeps going on about how top 4 wasn't good enough for Harry to keep his job - even with AVB spelling it out that you can't have a manager asking the players to win a title but lining himself up for another job next week

Still a feckwit journo

 

[StartingPrice]

Look, I know if we are sitting bottom in November then these words will become somewhat hollow, and I know after Redknapp, Kedd Dodd would sound earnest, but they are the type of words I've wanted to hear from a spurs manager for a very long time.

He even said something many of us have pointed out numerous times about Redknapp:

"Last year was the first year in recent times that Tottenham made it so public that they wanted to go for the title but you also have to agree with me that Harry [Redknapp] was in and out of that quotation," Villas-Boas said. "It's very well to promote yourself to the title and to quit the week after. Not that this is a criticism but if we really want to go for it, this is something we have to assume from the start.

Look, BC,I agree, it's great news that our coach is talking in such a positive fashion.
I just don't agree with the media are picking up on this right.
I can see what he is saying here, exactly, and I mean it, it really is great news.
But there is a difference between saying that you can't sound positive one week and then not the next, this time in the context of challenging for the title, or in saying we want to win the title, or want to aim for the title, and saying we are going to challenge for the title. That is the way the journos are picking up on it, and it is setting him up for a fall imminently, this season, when that possibility just shouldn't be there. Why? Because that's what journos do.
He is talking about winning trophies great (though, I repeat, when he talked about winning title, I think we should substitute trophies). He is talking about being positive and staying positive - great. He is talking about wanting to win the title - great. He is talking about the potential to maybe challenge for the title at some unspecified future date - great. But he isn't claiming that we will get back to winning titles this year - as in the EPL this year.

""Last year was the first year in recent times that Tottenham made it so public that they wanted to go for the title but you also have to agree with me that Harry [Redknapp] was in and out of that quotation," Villas-Boas said. "It's very well to promote yourself to the title and to quit the week after. Not that this is a criticism but if we really want to go for it, this is something we have to assume from the start."

I think he is talking about the title in this instance, I do however agree on SSN there was a lost in translation moment when he was clearly talking about trophies and not titles

However the main point was that the article was a very positive one about Spurs and about AVB. I thought the press would be on his back form day one but this and some others just coming out are encouraging. I don't like the article because he is talking about winning things although I love that mentality, I like the article because it paints spurs and the decision to hire AVB in a positive light

For main point, see above ^^^

Otherwise, yes, Phil, it is a decent article, it is a pleasant change to have journos being nice about us, and it is great what AVB is saying. I just think that the journos are conflating two wholly seperate things:
We need to get back to winning titles - for which, read trophies.
And, we need to be positive and stay positive, not send out contradictory signals, stick to our goals, and have the ambition to challenge for the title, and try to fulfill that ambition.
Into: We will challenge for the title (imminenetly) - which heaps a hell of a lot of pressure and expectation that just shouldn't be there at this moment in time, IMHO.

 

[Bus-Conductor]

SP

I haven't actually seen much of the Sky interview. I'm not really commenting (and didn't comment) on how it was or will be perceived in the media. I merely commented on my own interpretation. I like what he said. I like the way he said it. I couldn't agree more with the message. It's not about promising to win the league this season, it's about having belief and passing that belief on to those you are responsible for teaching.

The message from Redknapp was always mixed. "this bunch of players can win the league, if they believe in themselves" one week, then "it's going to be hard to finish top 4" the next. How do players get that extra belief when they constantly get this mixed signal and lack of belief coming from their leader/teacher.

AVB has to walk the walk as well, which we all know is harder than talking the talk, but that unswerving belief is a good building block.

 

[Riandor]

I agree with BC and SP... as i actually think you're both pretty much saying the same thing with only some minor differences.

The key part is if you believe you can win the title, you have to keep saying it. You have to keep believing it right up to the point where it is no longer possible. Of course it will get tougher, but you don't flip between the two constantly so that it sounds like you#re hitting your targets by moving those targets!

If... IF, AVB says he wants to aim for the title, whether it's this coming season or the one after, then i have no issue with that. If he falls short, then he falls short, but the aim is the right one.

If you aim for the title, plan for it, try to achieve it, then unless you are completely unrealistic in the first place, then you are going to be up there and that will equate to probable CL qualification as a by product.

If you aim for CL qualification then you are flirting with 4th and that means you could fall short and drop into the UEFA Cup.

Man City, Man United and even Arsenal are in the CL because they aim for the league title.

R.

 

[THOWIG]

I'm actually scared about how exicted I am about this new era. I want him to be given time.

 

[StartingPrice]

SP

I haven't actually seen much of the Sky interview. I'm not really commenting (and didn't comment) on how it was or will be perceived in the media. I merely commented on my own interpretation. I like what he said. I like the way he said it. I couldn't agree more with the message. It's not about promising to win the league this season, it's about having belief and passing that belief on to those you are responsible for teaching.

The message from Redknapp was always mixed. "this bunch of players can win the league, if they believe in themselves" one week, then "it's going to be hard to finish top 4" the next. How do players get that extra belief when they constantly get this mixed signal and lack of belief coming from their leader/teacher.

AVB has to walk the walk as well, which we all know is harder than talking the talk, but that unswerving belief is a good building block.

I agree with everything you say.
But I was solely referring to the way the meeja are reporting his comments. Like I said, I think they are collating a mistranslation about winning titles, where he clearly meant trophies, and the statement you quoted which is not saying we will be well clear in third and in touch with the top and so I will say, but, if we were well clear in third and in touch with the top I wouldn't say we can win the title one week and then the next week change tack, because you have to esude belief(which, in itself, is absolutely spot on). He obviously would like to win the EPL, and may even consider it a target, which, again, is great news, but he wasn't saying we will win the title this season.
I just wanted to draw attention to this misunderstanding as the article Phil links has this error as intrinsic to its basic arguments.
I certainly wasn't arguing with you about the quality of either of his TV appearances to date (other than, maybe Andre, clear yer throat fer feck sake ), because they are two very good and very encouraging interviews.

I agree with BC and SP... as i actually think you're both pretty much saying the same thing with only some minor differences.

The key part is if you believe you can win the title, you have to keep saying it. You have to keep believing it right up to the point where it is no longer possible. Of course it will get tougher, but you don't flip between the two constantly so that it sounds like you#re hitting your targets by moving those targets!

If... IF, AVB says he wants to aim for the title, whether it's this coming season or the one after, then i have no issue with that. If he falls short, then he falls short, but the aim is the right one.

If you aim for the title, plan for it, try to achieve it, then unless you are completely unrealistic in the first place, then you are going to be up there and that will equate to probable CL qualification as a by product.

If you aim for CL qualification then you are flirting with 4th and that means you could fall short and drop into the UEFA Cup.

Man City, Man United and even Arsenal are in the CL because they aim for the league title.

R.

And this...thanks Goode Bud-E

 

[hellava_tough]

SP

There were two seperate sections to the press conference yesterday when 'titles' and 'the title' were mentioned

You're quite right in saying that AVB refered to "not winning a title since 2008" as meaning a trophy

But then in a different part of the press conference he mentioned "the title" meaning the EPL - basically being champions of England

I can't be arsed to dig out the video footage, but if you watch the press conference again you'll see what I mean

Hope that clears things up

 

[StartingPrice]

SP

There were two seperate sections to the press conference yesterday when 'titles' and 'the title' were mentioned

You're quite right in saying that AVB refered to "not winning a title since 2008" as meaning a trophy

But then in a different part of the press conference he mentioned "the title" meaning the EPL - basically being champions of England

I can't be arsed to dig out the video footage, but if you watch the press conference again you'll see what I mean

Hope that clears things up

I don't think, anywhere, is he saying we will be genuine title contenders this season, which is where the confusion is coming from. I am commenting on the spin the media has put on things by conflating seperate statements. We will be aiming to win trophies, we would like to win the EPL, and will certainly try to, if we are in the position we were in last season, he won't be saying we are genuine challengers one week and not contenders at all the next. Put all them three together and the meeja are getting AVB claims Spurs can win the title (with the emphasis being on this year). I think that is wrong, not what he meant at all, and is a hell of a lot pf pressure to put on himself, and something the meeja will have a field day with if we don't get off to a flyer - eeven if we are coasting along nicely, andf showing steady signs of improvement.