Is AVB in trouble at Tottenham?

This is a little late but thought i should put it out anyways…

What a comeback! The Barclays Premier League proved once again just how good a competition it is with another weekend of unexpected results enthralling millions worldwide.

In happier times

Despite the Topsy-turvy season all of the top teams are having, one team is under some serious pressure even so early on in the season. Yes, you guessed it right, Andre Villas-Boas’ Tottenham side has rarely shown the form of a team challenging for a top 4 finish this season.

After selling off Gareth Bale for a record 100 million pounds and buying players like Soldado, Lamela, Erikson, Paulinho & Chadli for a collective amount even greater than that, many believed that Spurs posed a very serious threat to all the top teams this season. The transition period can be cruel at times as AVB has discovered. In the 12 games they have played this season, Tottenham have scored only 9 goals (3 of them penalties). Like I mentioned in my previous post as well, even bottom placed Crystal Palace has scored more goals than them.

To blame it all on the transition would not be fair either. The tactics used by Villas-Boas have not always been spot on as demonstrated by the recent massive defeat against Manchester City. To not use the pace of Townsend and Defoe against some of the slowest defenders in the Premier League – Nastasic and Demichelis – was surprising and absurd to say the least.

That Villas-Boas prefers Soldado over Defoe is evident, but to what extent is the question. Defoe has been contributing regularly in the Europa League where Tottenham have scored 17 goals in 6 games and conceded just once.

Blaming others – AVB’s comments to the media have not been well recieved

He didn’t help himself when he blamed the fans for creating a “very tense, difficult atmosphere”. Villas-Boas said it was “like it drags the ball into our goal, instead of the opponent’s goal”, and added that “this is something that is felt within the squad. It’s a feeling that invades us in fixtures like this”. His comments after the defeat to City put the blame back on the players who looked bereft of any belief right from kick off.

So what is it, the fans? the players? or himself?

Villas-Boas apparently rejected Real Madrid & PSG to stay with Spurs at the start of this season. The White Hart Lane faithful would soon start hoping he hadn’t if things continue in similar fashion. With reports that the Clubs management is fast losing patience with the Portuguese, Villas-Boas needs a string of good results to avoid a similar fate to last year starting with the Europa League fixture against Tromso and then at home against Manchester United.

These are testing times for him and he would do well to come out with just a few bruises to tend to.