Tottenham Hotspur FC 2013/14

[hudson]

Steve Clarke wouldn't be a bad idea.

[bwi]

Thats the point i dont think there is anyone. Bring in a new manager and then you have a settling in period and its a write off the season move.

I'm leaning when i think about it to let AVB see the season out and see what happens, though that isnt normally what Levy decides.

[EJG1980]

I agree with bwi, if AVB was sacked I cannot think of anybody currently out of a job that I'd be enthused to see taking his place. Hiddink maybe, but I heard he was close to becoming the new Dutch manager. Also, as he's now 67 years old it wouldn't be very long before we'd need to replace him too.

We sacked Hoddle after a poor start in 2003, didn't have an instant replacement lined up, and had David Pleat as "caretaker" manager for nearly eight months. It was a disaster and we nearly got relegated. We can't make that kind of mistake again. I don't want to see AVB sacked, but if Levy's trigger finger is feeling itchy he'd better have a damn good replacement ready to come in right away.

The team's level of performance is a worry, the form of our players is a worry, but despite all the problems we're having we are not a million miles away from where we want to be in the league. That won't last though if the performances don't improve, but, AVB should be given the chance to make that improvement.

I think he'll get that chance, but this is modern football, and if we keep playing poorly and dropping further behind the top four places he's going to be under a hell of a lot of pressure.

[VR46]

Bar ten minutes after half time you were bad today. Players just seemed sluggish from the off and really not with it/interested. The space LFC had in the midfield at times was amazing. To have to take off a defender at half time without injury is the ultimate insult and says it all.
Sure you will bounce back against Wet Spam on Wednesday night. Need to. Another couple of defeats in the coming weeks will probably mean goodbye AVB. He just didnt seem to have the tactical experience to stop Liverpol today. Or the players.
Maybe you did just bring in too many foreign players at once.

[On The Edge of Insanity]

The co-commentator, Graeme Le Saux, I think, on the American stream I watched the game on made quite a good point re: the gap between defence and midfield. He said that even if the coach has asked the defence to play with a high line, someone like Dawson is much more comfortable defending close to his own goal and, after being skinned a couple of times, would naturally look to take a couple of steps back, taking the rest of the defence with him. If the midfield don't realise that, or are not told, you end up with a split team, like we saw yesterday.

That said, our midfield was, generally, pretty lethargic yesterday and once Sandro went off we didn't have a natural holder. When Coutinho came infield, Liverpool had a numerical advantage in the centre (4 vs 3) and with some slick passing and excellent off-ball movement were easily able to break past our midfield and get at the defence. The defending for the second goal was schoolboy stuff, with no-one tracking Henderson's run.

Re: Villas Boas: the fact we finished so close to top four last season, having sold Modric and VDV and not replaced them sufficiently, shows that AVB has merits as a coach, even if there have been a few terrible performances so far this season. It was always going to be difficult ask to assimilate so many new players into the team at the same time, and although I am far from happy with the current situation, I feel our performance last season [our best ever points total in the Premier League] warrants him being given until the end of the season.

The fact that there are no outstanding, realistic, immediately available candidates is another reason to stick with him for now.

[EJG1980]

I was about to write a post about this but it's all moot now, just got a text from my older brother saying he's been sacked

[sj33]

AVB sacked. What a joke.

[On The Edge of Insanity]

Yep, pretty much wasted words above. Unhappy about the decision, especially if we don't have anyone immediately lined up to replace him. Half a season with Sherwood/Ferdinand in charge is not something I would look forward to.

[VR46]

Yes that is harsh and who on earth is going to come in?

Agree with the points Edge of Insantiy said. Was like your guys had been out on the p*ss on Saturday and were all nursing hangovers or something.

[EJG1980]

Last season after 16 games we had 26 points. This season after 16 games we have 27 points. The level of performance has been disappointing but there's no way he should have gone, he deserved the chance to get the performance levels up.

I thought AVB was going to be the young manager to give us a long term vision, but if the board can lose faith in him so quickly, we're never going to get that unless we appoint someone who manages to have pretty much no dips in form, ever.

Bah.

Half a season with Sherwood/Ferdinand in charge is not something I would look forward to.

God it's like the Pleat scenario I mentioned above. If that does come to pass, we'll miss out on the top four without a doubt, so why not give the manager the rest of the season to see if he can do it?

[On The Edge of Insanity]

Yep, I think its pretty senseless sacking him, unless the guy we want for the long term is available right now. Drifting through the season with caretakers, or appointing someone who's only going to be at the club for a year and a half/two years is pretty pointless in my book.

I'm back in England for Christmas and depending on how swiftly we appoint the new man, could see his debut in person against Saints on Sunday. Or, more likely, have the dubious pleasure of watching Sherwood/Ferdinand in action.

[EJG1980]

I'm going to the Southampton match, my first visit there so I was really looking forward to it, but my enthusiasm for it has tanked. Same for the West Ham cup tie on Wednesday.

Oh, Europa League draw is imminent.

[On The Edge of Insanity]

I'm going with a Saints supporting friend, so will unfortunately be in the home section. My cousin, who knows a couple of people who work at the club, has texted me to say that the decision was made last night and contact has already been made with a potential replacement, so we will have to wait and see if there are further developments today/tomorrow.

[smouty]

AVB sacked? I don't know who they replace him with.

[hudson]

Ridiculous. Poor fella hasn't managed any of his 4 or 5 clubs for more than one season-ish. Most of them were because he had really positive stints... Until he came to the prem.

He had a lot of decent talent to juggle going into this season from various cultures, it was more than likely that he would need at least a season to get them going.

sorry for the 5 nil tonking