Villas-Boas "Tottenham Board Destroyed Everything I Built"

Well this thread suddenly got more entertaining

He wasn’t there long enough to ‘build’ anything and the abject performance in his last game in charge turned my nephews into ManU fans!!!

Jonboy said:

I’m still reeling Greenwood got the gig before clough

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Jonboy said:

I’m 41 years old pal

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Greenwood got the job in 1977. Did you have Sky Sports News in your mum’s womb? ?

FWIW, I agree with both sides. Redknapp definitely did flirt with England and went downhill after that but I don’t blame him for doing so, it’s the ultimate job for a manager. Left us with some blinding memories though.

onthetwo said:

He wasn’t there long enough to ‘build’ anything and the abject performance in his last game in charge turned my nephews into ManU fans!!!

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Oh dear. I'm minded to ask if you're OK, even after six years. The only thing I could imagine that would be worse would be if they had become Arse fans!

bomberH said:

Greenwood got the job in 1977. Did you have Sky Sports News in your mum’s womb? ?

FWIW, I agree with both sides. Redknapp definitely did flirt with England and went downhill after that but I don’t blame him for doing so, it’s the ultimate job for a manager. Left us with some blinding memories though.

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My mistake, I must of confused myself. I can’t remember who got the gig instead of clough

Jonboy said:

Harry flirted with England and took his eye of the ball with us.
He thought he was untouchable and got what he deserved in my opinion.
He showed a lack of respect to spurs

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Still think he should’ve been given another season to make up for it.

riggi said:

Still think he should’ve been given another season to make up for it.

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I personally think another season could have set us back years considering all the behind the scenes stuff that was going on.

Should read:
Villas-Boas "Tottenham Board Finally Repaired Everything I Screwed Up"

TorontoYid said:

Should read:
Villas-Boas "Tottenham Board Finally Repaired Everything I Tim Screwed Up"

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Fixed that for you

Apologies for the 'diversion' earlier...let's get back on track with the thread title. Planet Football have this to say about AVB :

Andre Villas-Boas
Taking over from Redknapp after Spurs had finished fourth but been denied a Champions League place courtesy of Chelsea winning the competition, Villas-Boas got his own taste of misfortune in his only full season in charge as a then-record Premier League points tally still wasn’t enough to get them into the top four.
Their 72 points in 2012-13 was actually more than Spurs managed when finishing third under Pochettino three years later, and though the Portuguese manager undoubtedly benefitted from Gareth Bale’s incredible form, it was a hugely entertaining season.
It’s also worth pointing out Hugo Lloris, Jan Vertonghen, Mousa Dembele and Christian Eriksen were all signed during his time in charge.Now that last line makes interesting reading, just how involved was AVB in bringing those players to the club ?

Bleacherreport printed an article saying "While Tottenham Hotspur chairman Daniel Levy is notoriously watchful when it comes to keeping control of the purse strings, he allowed Spurs’ manager Andre Villas-Boas to reinvest the money as he saw fit. The result was the Portuguese bringing in seven players (excluding youth prospect Zeki Fryers) with the goal of taking Spurs to the next level."

That doesn't sound anything like the Daniel Levy I have come to know and love....giving a relatively new manager the millions earned from Bale to just buy,buy,buy ?? Sorry to painfully remind everyone again but we recruited Paulinho, Roberto Soldado, Nacer Chadli, Etienne Capoue, Christian Eriksen, Vlad Chiriches and Erik Lamela with the money from the sale of the Wales international but the team had been unconvincing that season.The nail in the coffin being the 5-0 drubbing we took from Liverpool (Yes..them again)

Lord Sugar (bless him ) said "The money was spent irresponsibly, in the sense that you can't just go and buy, quickly, seven players and shove them into a team.

So who bought those players ? was it really money just handed to AVB and away he went on a shopping spree ? If it was then it certainly would explain Levy's extremely hardened approach to transfer dealing since then...but I don't (forgive the pun) buy it.

I believe that when AVB came into the club and it was suddenly awash with money from the Bale deal then meetings took place to target incoming players, he would have contributed his opinion. The final decision though must have rested with Levy and the board. So the unforgettable influx of players took place. https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-2420146/Spurs-new-boys-pictured-time.html

In short I believe AVB was made the scapegoat for such a move. I admit I did not like his style of play (especially after watching Harry's team, which I also admit was very 'cavalier' but by Christ it had the heart pumping) . The team performances were awful, the magnificent seven were a laughing stock and the fans were revolting (not literally of course...we're all great people ). He was the perfect donkey to carry the full burden of responsibility and the Liverpool match lit the fuse.

To summarise..(in my opinion) AVB came to the club at the wrong time and brought the wrong brand of football with him following Redknapps departure. He was standing like King Canute against a wave of displeasure and dissatisfaction following Bale's exit and the majority of resultant incomers. So it was wash the decks and get rid...enter Tim Sherwood and his ego....but that's another story. I felt genuinely sorry for the guy but can totally understand the reasons for his leaving. It suited everyone at the club..except him.

I also think the guy who sat at the back in the shadows when the shit hit the fan was Franco Baldini (Technical Director)....a complete idiot and in my opinion very, very influential in the signings...

bomberH said:

Greenwood got the job in 1977. Did you have Sky Sports News in your mum’s womb? ?

FWIW, I agree with both sides. Redknapp definitely did flirt with England and went downhill after that but I don’t blame him for doing so, it’s the ultimate job for a manager. Left us with some blinding memories though.

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This is why Harry gets away with so much of the unpfrofessional shit he’s done in his career. You can’t blame him, guv. Yes, I fucking can.

I’d have had no problem if he’d have taken the England job after the season finished, got his head down and been professional, had some fucking pride in his work, but no, he was all about England, and let us slide away.

Glad Levy fired his ass. The night Chelsea won the CL was one of my worst as a Spurs fan.

danielneeds said:

This is why Harry gets away with so much of the unpfrofessional shit he’s done in his career. You can blame him, guv. Yes, I fucking can.

I’d have had no problem if he’d have taken the England job after the season finished, got his head down and been professional, had some fucking pride in his work, but no, he was all about England, and let us slide away.

Glad Levy fired his ass. The night Chelsea won the CL was one of my worst as a Spurs fan.

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Nah I disagree. The job was available from the new year ish and the media speculation was just ridiculous. He was getting asked about it in every interview and in the main he always said the right thing. He also said that an English manager’s dream is to manage England. He said that throughout his career and while he was at Spurs too. He wanted the job, he wouldn’t have left for anyone else in my opinion. It’s England. It’s the pinnacle. And it was only available mid season. He knew this could be his last chance of managing England and it let him get the better of him. He fucked up with us and was probably rightly fired for it but I still don’t blame him for having his head turned. Every single person in the game thought he’d get it. You can’t really compare it with any other footballing situation because it’s your country.

I remember Keegan when he was managing Fulham and part time England coach. He said ‘anyone who knows me knows I won’t leave Fulham for the England job full time’. He did exactly that a few days later. If Redknapp had said anything similar then I’d understand the anger but he didn’t. He openly admitted to always wanting the England job. It was shit the way it all happened but, well, shit happens. He has a lot of faults of course but for me personally, he gave us our best times since the 80’s so I have zero issues with him.

bomberH said:

Nah I disagree. The job was available from the new year ish and the media speculation was just ridiculous. He was getting asked about it in every interview and in the main he always said the right thing. He also said that an English manager’s dream is to manage England. He said that throughout his career and while he was at Spurs too. He wanted the job, he wouldn’t have left for anyone else in my opinion. It’s England. It’s the pinnacle. And it was only available mid season. He knew this could be his last chance of managing England and it let him get the better of him. He fucked up with us and was probably rightly fired for it but I still don’t blame him for having his head turned. Every single person in the game thought he’d get it. You can’t really compare it with any other footballing situation because it’s your country.

I remember Keegan when he was managing Fulham and part time England coach. He said ‘anyone who knows me knows I won’t leave Fulham for the England job full time’. He did exactly that a few days later. If Redknapp had said anything similar then I’d understand the anger but he didn’t. He openly admitted to always wanting the England job. It was shit the way it all happened but, well, shit happens. He has a lot of faults of course but for me personally, he gave us our best times since the 80’s so I have zero issues with him.

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As I said, I would have had no problem with his taking the job. But he clearly didn’t give a shit about us when he thought he had it. A decent professional would have said to the FA, “I’d love the job, but I’ve got a crucial 8 weeks at Spurs. I need to finish the job here well, then I can focus on the Euros.” That’s Harry all over, and always has been. All about him. The club he’s at is always a distant afterthought.

If I remember rightly
AVB was after hulk & moutiniho.
(Who I believe we nearly signed)
However it’s what? 5 years later and we still haven’t spent the money on any single player that hulk would of cost.
So either AVB was lied to or he was a fool for thinking we had that money

bomberH said:

Nah I disagree. The job was available from the new year ish and the media speculation was just ridiculous. He was getting asked about it in every interview and in the main he always said the right thing. He also said that an English manager’s dream is to manage England. He said that throughout his career and while he was at Spurs too. He wanted the job, he wouldn’t have left for anyone else in my opinion. It’s England. It’s the pinnacle. And it was only available mid season. He knew this could be his last chance of managing England and it let him get the better of him. He fucked up with us and was probably rightly fired for it but I still don’t blame him for having his head turned. Every single person in the game thought he’d get it. You can’t really compare it with any other footballing situation because it’s your country.

I remember Keegan when he was managing Fulham and part time England coach. He said ‘anyone who knows me knows I won’t leave Fulham for the England job full time’. He did exactly that a few days later. If Redknapp had said anything similar then I’d understand the anger but he didn’t. He openly admitted to always wanting the England job. It was shit the way it all happened but, well, shit happens. He has a lot of faults of course but for me personally, he gave us our best times since the 80’s so I have zero issues with him.

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I would understand that if it wasn't for the fact that we were on a title wining/challenging form by the time he got his head turned. I like Harry but that was simply unforgivable.

bomberH said:

Nah I disagree. The job was available from the new year ish and the media speculation was just ridiculous. He was getting asked about it in every interview and in the main he always said the right thing. He also said that an English manager’s dream is to manage England. He said that throughout his career and while he was at Spurs too. He wanted the job, he wouldn’t have left for anyone else in my opinion. It’s England. It’s the pinnacle. And it was only available mid season. He knew this could be his last chance of managing England and it let him get the better of him. He fucked up with us and was probably rightly fired for it but I still don’t blame him for having his head turned. Every single person in the game thought he’d get it. You can’t really compare it with any other footballing situation because it’s your country.

I remember Keegan when he was managing Fulham and part time England coach. He said ‘anyone who knows me knows I won’t leave Fulham for the England job full time’. He did exactly that a few days later. If Redknapp had said anything similar then I’d understand the anger but he didn’t. He openly admitted to always wanting the England job. It was shit the way it all happened but, well, shit happens. He has a lot of faults of course but for me personally, he gave us our best times since the 80’s so I have zero issues with him.

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Can’t really agree.

For a start there was that former West Ham star (honestly can’t remember his name...the twat Skinner and Baddiel took the piss out of) was on the England board, and has some ongoing grudge against Harry. It was never going to happen.

He refused to rule himself out pretty much immediately after we supported him through his court case. The top level ITK on here at the time suggested that he stopped turning up to training sessions after that. I was at the Newcastle game when this all blew up, with the crowd chanting ‘Harry Redknapp, we want you to stay’, and he simply carried on pimping himself out to the FA as our form collapsed.

I think it was JJ who said that the clincher was Harry phoning Levy to demand a pay rise...as Levy was attending his mother’s funeral.

I still like him and the memories he left, but he deserved to be sacked after all of that.

Jonboy said:

Just remind me what he has won again

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More than Poch? (And I'd take Pochettino every day over Harry, for info.)

danielneeds said:

As I said, I would have had no problem with his taking the job. But he clearly didn’t give a shit about us when he thought he had it. A decent professional would have said to the FA, “I’d love the job, but I’ve got a crucial 8 weeks at Spurs. I need to finish the job here well, then I can focus on the Euros.” That’s Harry all over, and always has been. All about him. The club he’s at is always a distant afterthought.

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Be careful mate, some people in these parts don't like differences of opinion.
I agree with you 100%, he was all about England. Stopped attending training and lost all focus.
As soon as he didn't get the gig, demanded a pay rise.
Unbelievable really.
Meow, saucer of milk, table 2!!!!!

scat1620 said:

More than Poch? (And I'd take Pochettino every day over Harry, for info.)

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How many years has Harry been a manager compared to Poch?
Not really a relevant argument in my opinion

Fancy a wager that when Poch retires he has more trophies than Harry?

Jonboy said:

How many years has Harry been a manager compared to Poch?
Not really a relevant argument in my opinion

Fancy a wager that when Poch retires he has more trophies than Harry?

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No.