Sandro: Everyone at Spurs “Likes” AVB and wants to play for him

Sandro and AVB

Tottenham midfielder Sandro has said that the team spirit at the club helped him through the hardest week of his life and the 6-0 defeat to Manchester City brought the squad closer together.

Spurs earned a draw in a scintillating 2-2 draw with Manchester United on Sunday. Sandro gave the north Londoners a 2-1 lead in the second half with a stunning 25-yard bullet that left David De Gea stranded.

They were much-improved following their humiliation in Manchester last week after Andre Villas-Boas claimed everyone at the club should be ‘ashamed’.

Asked whether the defeat to City had unified the squad, Sandro said: “Of course. As a team we have to stay together in the bad moments and I think we did that. Everyone stayed together, talked and it was good.

“Everyone likes him [Villas-Boas], we have to play for him and everyone is doing that on the pitch.

“It [criticism] happens to any coach if you do not win games. He knows we are here and we showed him what we are going to do [for him] yesterday. I play for him every game and I think everyone was amazing yesterday.”

Sandro’s rocket to give Spurs the lead was his first goal for a year, giving him a happy ending to a tough week.

“Last week was the worst week I have had in my career and that goal means a lot to me. It would have been better if we had won the game but we played well.

“It was good to play like that against United. Last week against City was so disappointing for us, we felt so bad but we deserved to win yesterday. We played better in this game and now I think this week will be better.”