It’ll quite possibly take a dying man’s autobiography to, in true Fleet Street fashion, “lift the lid” on the whole business. Speculation is rife.
What we know with absolute certainty is that Duncan Castles, Neil Ashton’s fluffer, got it wrong.
…he would already have been sacked by Levy had his contract not included a prohibitive penalty clause.
… the scale of the pay-off, which commits Tottenham to ensuring that Villas-Boas earns an annual salary of at least €3 million (£2.5m) net until the summer of 2014, will have reduced by the end of the season.
Of course, he will point out that he claimed that there was discord at the club and that proved to be correct. But this is precisely the thin excuse you expect from someone who didn’t have a source, but only half knew people who did.
Who are these people with a source? I’d suggest Jason Burt of The Telegraph, is certainly one.
He believes that the descent of AVB stemmed from an inability to secure primary targets. Which happened. And then, in a business that is frankly ethic and moral free, despite AVB turning down the advances of PSG with him only a year on his contract, THFC showed no interest in offering him an extension. Which happened.
This makes sense and has far more flesh to its bone than Castles piece.
The collapse of the Moutinho deal was perhaps in hindsight, the death knell. Modric – sold. Bale – sold. And instead of letting André build anew, he was presented instead with a line manager, enter Franco Baldini.
You then look at the players that came in during the spend up. With the exception of Soldado and to a lesser extent, Paulinho, all of them followed the Levy & Co. template. As they hopefully blossomed, their age wouldn’t hamper a decent resale value.
The resultant group assembled had lots in common, good teeth, great hair, but perhaps too little Premier League maturity and/or collective understanding of each other.
Do you know why the characters in the A Team worked together so well, despite being branded as mere mercenaries? They knew each other of old and could work as a cohesive unit. That’s how 4 unarmed men can overthrow a military complex guarded by 400 armed men, using just an old bed frame, a Vauhall Vectra and some twine.
The other problems were Adebayor and Benny. Adebayor is a know shiftless layabout, and part time time-waster. That’s his story.
As charmed as much of the world might be by the copiously Afro’d barnet of fun lovin’ Benny, the truth was less fuzzy, cuddly and gay. This is a guy that even Arry acknowledged was away with the fairies. He didn’t know when the next game was.
My guess is, that instead of knuckling down, he acted the clown and AVB didn’t need him and Ade distracting the group. For those quick to lambast the ex-boss for not managing these two for the greater good… I’d be delighted to have how explained to me.
If a footballer doesn’t fancy it, you’re stuffed. See Berbatov, see, Modric, see Bale… the list is endless.
Was AVB guilty of being stubborn, distant and lacking in warmth? Who knows or cares? What we do know for absolute certainty, is that history’s great men and women were not bed-wetters, who scuttled about, occasionally apologising for existing.
And so André was left in a position whereby the squad needed to be developed over time, and time wasn’t something he was to be afforded.
Or does that not quite add up? You’re right, it doesn’t.
Enter stage left, Iago. This gives Sherwood’s role too grand a name. We’ve all worked with a Sherwood. The person at the company that never misplaces a syllable. Their smalltalk sounds as if they suspect they are being recorded. The person at the company who’s never caught even tipsy at the farewell dos. Never late for work, never not in the CEO’s ear.
Levy & Co, are frequently accused of being ruthless, when in fact, they are merely being businesslike. But the machinations played out here suggest to me that this one was a botch job, an instance where the board lost composure, having fed on poor advice.
We would be told …that André’s inverted wingers, high line and “attitude” were all significant issues. Nails in his coffin. This might carry some weight had the bloke been signed up on a speed dating night.
This appointment was a considered one. They knew who and what they were hiring. Don’t be kidded otherwise.
What they clearly didn’t bargain for was him asking questions. Awkward ones, like “where’s the rest of the players on the list I gave you?” and “why can’t I get an extension, we’re in 3 cups, at the right end of the table, Arsenal shipped in 6 against City too…” Things like that.
We would be told that André failed to keep his end of the bargain. Which was what, exactly? To go about his business, come what may? Say nothing while the place collapsed around him? We would be told he failed to integrate the development lads. We would be told he wouldn’t play Lamela as much as was desired.
Most Spurs fans (me included) are big tough, unshaven beasts… but when it comes to our young players or new signings, with even the tiniest je ne sais pas about ’em. We lose reason and become as emotionally stable as a heavily pregnant woman.
The development squad guys aren’t light years from a Premiership gig, but most aren’t close. And Lamela’s probably had half a dozen good touches in the brief minutes he’s played. So I suggest that neither of those accusations are weapons grade reasons to have dismissed AVB.
The chilling aspect to all this of course, is the timing. Many of us adopting the rational approach, opposed to fidgeting like bored school children approach, could see the football was frequently on the the dull side of grim, but wanted to give him more than 16 games before binning him.
A significant positive, is that the timing has left the door open to a permanent appointment who won’t suddenly be firefighting relegation. However, that may be it on the positives front. Whoever comes in has to deliver two things.
1. Just get on with it, and don’t ask for any more money, or any questions.
2. Make the existing group playing entertaining football.
Poisoned chalice, anyone?
Those that scoffed at AVB, may well now be given a chance to repent at leisure. Yes, the inverted winger thing and the high line thing were frequently a hindrance rather than a help. But who is going to transform this little lot into a team that will continue upon the cold hard path of AVB’s track record? The “yeah but” brigade have been most vocal all season, despite the win percentage.
I would love to see us playing with greater flare, but not at the expense of sliding down the table or getting nudged out of the cups.
Those inclined, can bang on about how disillusioned they had become, but if Spurs go wonky, you can’t claim it was AVB’s fault. That is not an option.
You may have been underwhelmed, but the table doesn’t lie. We were 5 points off 4th under a manager with a record breaking win percentage. I’ll keep referring to his win percentage until it is beaten by the way. That’s how history works.
Iago has his first game as caretaker manager tomorrow evening. I have every confidence our performance will be the start of many to act as an advert to the world. See how easy it can be, once you rid yourselves of the wrong man.
Don’t misunderstand what I say here. I wish us well, I always have. The blinkered out there could only see apologists and reactionaries. Those of us who approached things more rationally are now as hopeful about the rest of the remaining 22 Premier League games as we were about the previous 16.
Don’t lose sight of this simple fact. The moment Levy & Co. pulled the trigger on AVB, they were saying, “No, I’ve got a better idea.”
After 22 league games and whatever the cups are kind enough to yield, we’ll see if their idea was better. Or it wasn’t.
That’ll be the truth.
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