Tottenham Hotspur manager Andre Villas-Boas under pressure to perform ahead of visit of Manchester United

Tottenham Hotspur manager has been backed by Chairman Daniel Levy so far, but Spurs' stop-start Premier League campaign could see a resurfacing of previous tension between the two. Jason Burt looks at why Andre Villas-Boas is under such scrutiny

Hit for six: Tottenham Hotspur manager Andre Villas-Boas cuts a forlorn figure after seeing his side ship six goals against a rampant Manchester City - a result that plunged the Portuguese's methods under intense scrutiny Photo: GETTY IMAGES

By Jason Burt, Football Correspondent

11:00PM GMT 30 Nov 2013

Comment

Andre Villas-Boas once said that he is “very Porto school. And there is only one rule – no one is more important than the club”.

Villas-Boas grew up a Porto fan and went on to coach there with great success. That ethos continues to define everything he does and it also explains some of the strains that have emerged at Tottenham Hotspur.

He can be right but he can also be rigid. Villas-Boas is highly principled but also, still, headstrong. If he does not get things his way, even if he is doing it for the common good, then it can add to the tension.

The 36-year-old is clearly under pressure and understandably so. But what are the factors behind the current uncertainty at Spurs?