Touted as the next “special one” Chelsea fans were aroused by the appointment of AVB in the summer of 2011, many predicted that Chelsea will once again embark on a golden age which was previously led by Jose Mourinho.
There were many reasons for Chelsea fans to be excited by his arrival, owing to the similarities he shared with Chelsea favorite Jose Mourinho. Both managers had led Porto to European titles, AVB had also previously served his compatriot as his assistant manager during his spell at Chelsea.
However eight months from his appointment, things looked bleak for the London side, not did they just miserably fail to challenge the Manchester clubs for the title, they even fell short of finishing in the top four and needed a dramatic Champions League victory to guarantee a spot in Europe’s most illustrious competition.
A season later Villa Boas finds himself in-charge of another London club, but this time he is under an owner who is much more tolerant to changes.
In his nine year reign as owner of Chelsea, Abramovich has appointed nine different managers, seven of these men were discharged of their duties before their contracts could expire, the list includes high profile names such as Jose Mourinho, Carlo Ancelotti and Luiz Felipe Scolari. AVB’s successor Roberto Di Matteo who guided Chelsea to their first ever Champions League title was also unable to survive the owner’s wrath and was fired just six months after winning an FA Cup and Champions League double.
Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy on the other hand has been more modest in his dealings with the managers, in his 11 years as owner of the North London side six managers have been discharged off their duties.
Villa Boas is now allowed to function in an environment where he has more freedom in terms of tactics as well as team selection, unlike his stint at Chelsea where he was forced to justify his team selection to the higher authorities.
Villa boas reportedly fell out with Chelsea’s veteran leaders, and dropped talisman Frank Lampard and full back Ashley Cole to the bench in an all important Champions League tie against Napoli. This did not settle with the Chelsea owner who demanded an explanation from his Portuguese manager.
This is in contrast to how things are at Tottenham. After signing a world class goalkeeper in Hugo Lloris, AVB persisted in playing the aging Brad Friedel in goal in recognition of his consistent performances. Even though the fans and the media opposed his decision, he had the backing of the owner.
AVB in contrast to his time at Chelsea has also managed to maintain peace in the dressing room. There have been minimal reports of disrupt between the players or the manager, this has resulted in a more unified performance from the Tottenham players.
Player politics is not a concern at Tottenham, dissatisfied players including Luka Modric, Niko Kranjcar and Dos Sanots were shown the exit door. Villa boas now has at his expense players who are in full support of him, and this is very evident through the confidence which the sides seems to possess.
At Tottenham AVB has less pressure, he is not forced to compete at all fronts and should the Portuguese guide his side to a top four place, he can be proud of a successful campaign.
As a tactician he has been astute, having recognized the frailties in the side he signed top class players in the summer who have contributed heavily to the clubs success this season. Belgian duo Jan Vertonghen and Mousa Dembele in particular have been highly consistent performers and have seamlessly slotted in the side.
A change of tactics also resulted in Gareth Bale being moved to a more central position where he is allowed to move around more freely. The decision has paid off to significant results, with the Welshman currently enjoying his best scoring record to date.
On Wednesday night Villa Boas returns to Stamford bridge, and one can wonder how different Chelsea’s fate would have been had they been more patient with their Portuguese tactician. A win against his former side would put Spurs one point ahead of their North London rivals Arsenal and in the driving seat for a top four berth.
At just 35, Villa Boas has a long future ahead of him as a football manager. After failing to impress at Chelsea, the former Porto boss has firmly established himself as one of the best managers in the country this season.
If he continues to improve and remains flexible in his decision making,with financial backing from the owner he can guide Tottenham to greater things in the future.
However eight months from his appointment, things looked bleak for the London side, not did they just miserably fail to challenge the Manchester clubs for the title, they even fell short of finishing in the top four and needed a dramatic Champions League victory to guarantee a spot in Europe’s most illustrious competition.
A season later Villa Boas finds himself in-charge of another London club, but this time he is under an owner who is much more tolerant to changes.
In his nine year reign as owner of Chelsea, Abramovich has appointed nine different managers, seven of these men were discharged of their duties before their contracts could expire, the list includes high profile names such as Jose Mourinho, Carlo Ancelotti and Luiz Felipe Scolari. AVB’s successor Roberto Di Matteo who guided Chelsea to their first ever Champions League title was also unable to survive the owner’s wrath and was fired just six months after winning an FA Cup and Champions League double.
Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy on the other hand has been more modest in his dealings with the managers, in his 11 years as owner of the North London side six managers have been discharged off their duties.
Villa Boas is now allowed to function in an environment where he has more freedom in terms of tactics as well as team selection, unlike his stint at Chelsea where he was forced to justify his team selection to the higher authorities.
Villa boas reportedly fell out with Chelsea’s veteran leaders, and dropped talisman Frank Lampard and full back Ashley Cole to the bench in an all important Champions League tie against Napoli. This did not settle with the Chelsea owner who demanded an explanation from his Portuguese manager.
This is in contrast to how things are at Tottenham. After signing a world class goalkeeper in Hugo Lloris, AVB persisted in playing the aging Brad Friedel in goal in recognition of his consistent performances. Even though the fans and the media opposed his decision, he had the backing of the owner.
AVB in contrast to his time at Chelsea has also managed to maintain peace in the dressing room. There have been minimal reports of disrupt between the players or the manager, this has resulted in a more unified performance from the Tottenham players.
Player politics is not a concern at Tottenham, dissatisfied players including Luka Modric, Niko Kranjcar and Dos Sanots were shown the exit door. Villa boas now has at his expense players who are in full support of him, and this is very evident through the confidence which the sides seems to possess.
At Tottenham AVB has less pressure, he is not forced to compete at all fronts and should the Portuguese guide his side to a top four place, he can be proud of a successful campaign.
As a tactician he has been astute, having recognized the frailties in the side he signed top class players in the summer who have contributed heavily to the clubs success this season. Belgian duo Jan Vertonghen and Mousa Dembele in particular have been highly consistent performers and have seamlessly slotted in the side.
A change of tactics also resulted in Gareth Bale being moved to a more central position where he is allowed to move around more freely. The decision has paid off to significant results, with the Welshman currently enjoying his best scoring record to date.
On Wednesday night Villa Boas returns to Stamford bridge, and one can wonder how different Chelsea’s fate would have been had they been more patient with their Portuguese tactician. A win against his former side would put Spurs one point ahead of their North London rivals Arsenal and in the driving seat for a top four berth.
At just 35, Villa Boas has a long future ahead of him as a football manager. After failing to impress at Chelsea, the former Porto boss has firmly established himself as one of the best managers in the country this season.
If he continues to improve and remains flexible in his decision making,with financial backing from the owner he can guide Tottenham to greater things in the future.
