Where did it all go wrong for Andre Villas-Boas at Tottenham in the Premier League?
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Tottenham Hotspur sack Andre Villas-Boas
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Yesterday 5:19
THE blame game can now begin in earnest.
For some, Andre Villas-Boas is responsible for failing to get $190
million worth of talent to gel at White Hart Lane after the Portuguese
manager's contract was torn-up in the wake of Tottenham's 5-0 home
humiliation at the hands of Liverpool.For others, the decision by Spurs chairman Daniel Levy to part company with his manager less than 24-hours after their latest drubbing represents a knee-jerk reaction.
After all, how can Villas-Boas have been expected to create a finely-oiled machine following the departure of his matchwinner Gareth Bale and the arrival of eight foreign players new to the Barclays Premier League in such a short period of time?
If the writing was not already on the wall for Villas-Boas following the capitulation against Liverpool, then it certainly was when he decided to rope Levy and technical director Franco Baldini into the mess.
'Is this your team?' questioned Sportsmail's Neil Ashton as Villas-Boas delivered his post mortem on the humiliating 5-0 home defeat at the hands of Liverpool. 'Are these the players that you want to work with and the players you would choose to work with?'
'I'm not sure if I can make it public,' came the intriguing reply from the under-fire Portuguese manager, before he headed off down the route of collective responsibility. 'We have worked hard to build a strong team and we have a strong team and we are happy with the signings,' he added.
It’s all over for Andre Villas-Boas.
Source: Getty Images
But why should the question of who was ultimately responsible for the summer splurge remain shrouded in mystery?
By pondering whether he should make Tottenham's transfer policy public, the inference by Villas-Boas was that something is wrong with it.
But where the meddling director of football argument falls down is, of course, by virtue of the fact Villas-Boas enjoyed his most successful season in football management working under precisely that arrangement at Porto.
Working in conjunction with Porto general director Antero Henrique, who provided Villas-Boas with the likes of James Rodriguez, Joao Moutinho and Nicolas Otamendi to play with, the Portuguese giants went on to clinch four titles in a single campaign - a track record which prompted Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich to come calling.
In theory, Villas-Boas should have been entirely suited to the continental club structure which Levy clearly favours.
Why then, with a 5-0 defeat by Liverpool and a 6-0 thumping at the hands of Manchester City on his CV this season, has that set-up failed so spectacularly?
On paper the array of talent Villas-Boas had at his disposal should have been plenty enough to cope with the loss of Bale.
Who is responsible for transforming Roberto Soldado from a striker who bagged 81 goals in 101 appearances for Valencia into one who has managed to find the net just four times in the league on these shores?
There was a lot of frustration around Ange Postecoglou.
Source: AFP
There will be those Tottenham fans who feel Villas-Boas has simply not been given enough to time to get such a radically reworked team singing from the same hymn sheet.
After all, for every foreign import who has hit the ground running in the Premier League there are plenty more, regardless of their track record abroad, who have needed at least a season to find their feet.
For others, it will simply boil down to Villas-Boas not being the right man for such a mammoth managerial task.
They will point to his persistence with a high-line defence, his decision to hand a poacher like Soldado the lone striker's role and the question marks regarding his man-management skills which have stuck with him since his brief tenure at Chelsea.
Would it have been different under a different manager? Levy's decision to replace Villas-Boas will, at least, settle that debate.
Fabio Capello is the current short-price favourite for the post - an easy conclusion to spring to given the former England manager's relationship with Baldini. But can the 67-year-old Russian national team coach be persuaded back into the cut and thrust of club management?
Despite the odds, Sportsmail understands veteran coach Guus Hiddink is the preferred choice of Levy to perform the same rescue job he carried out with such success at Chelsea.
Hiddink has been out of work since he left Russian crisis club Anzhi Makhachkala in the summer but, like Capello, the Dutchman is thought to be reluctant to commit to the daily grind of top level club football again.
Ajax coach Fran de Boer is understood to be a contender as is Basle's Murat Yakin. Meanwhile, Michael Laudrup is not expected to consider his position at Swansea until the end of the season. Spurs legend Glenn Hoddle features in the betting markets as does USA coach Jurgen Klinsmann.
There will be no shortage of candidates lining up to replace Andre Villas-Boas.
Source: AP
We all know how that one turned out, and as if we need any reminding, Ramos's replacement, Harry Redknapp, was always quick to issue a reminder of the position Spurs found themselves in when he arrived.
'Two points from eight games,' was Redknapp's repeated lament. After handing the recruitment reins over to Redknapp, Spurs made it to the promised land of the Champions League and were only denied a second crack at Europe's top competition after finishing fourth once more due to Chelsea winning the competition the previous season.
Handed the kind of control by Levy that Redknapp enjoyed, would Villas-Boas have been able to achieve similar success?
We will never know, and neither will his replacement.
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