The AVB Thread

SuprSi

Really encouraging words from Defoe there, very impressed.

Hatch99

Leinstersqspur wrote: »

Most pessimists said he was a terrible man manager, JD on Friday:

"Away from football, as a person, he is a top guy, a really nice guy. After every session he will come into the changing room or treatment room and go to every player to see if you are OK. 'How do you feel? How's your legs?' General chit chat. He will do it with every player, every day," he explains. "Even when I was away with England he will send me a message sometimes – 'Good luck. How's the game?' Stuff like that. When you have got a manager like that you want to play for him and do well."

For Defoe, first impressions have had a lasting impact. Villas-Boas was unequivocal about his plans for Defoe from day one. "In pre-season obviously there was a lot of speculation about me and whether I was going to stay or leave, and I had a meeting with him and he said: 'I want you to stay. Last season you should have played a lot more than you did. I was watching the games, the goals you scored. A player of your quality, I need you at the club.' For me that was such a big thing.

"It's always difficult for a manager coming into such a big club," Defoe continues. "Obviously it's difficult for André because he was at Chelsea and things weren't great there. He's come to Tottenham and everybody's looking at him. Even before the season started a lot of people were doubting him, which was harsh. You've got to give everybody an opportunity. What he has done so far has been brilliant. All the lads love him. He's got great ideas. He's really organised."

Encouraging words. I kinda wanna leave the thread title as it is, because every time we get a good result, it makes those who supported it look even more silly

tippspur

JD loves AVB.

Eamo71

I think we all need to buckle up for the rest of the season because I have a feeling it's going to continue to be topsy turvey. There'll be win runs and lose runs. I think AVB's big season will obviously be next year. His style should be fully imprinted on the team and he'll bring in a few new players and some will be shipped out.
I like AVB but i do think we're fortunate that Chelsea and Arsenal are faltering a bit. Anyway let's keep on keeping on. COYS!

Hatch99

Eamo71 wrote: »

I think we all need to buckle up for the rest of the season because I have a feeling it's going to continue to be topsy turvey. There'll be win runs and lose runs. I think AVB's big season will obviously be next year. His style should be fully imprinted on the team and he'll bring in a few new players and some will be shipped out.
I like AVB but i do think we're fortunate that Chelsea and Arsenal are faltering a bit. Anyway let's keep on keeping on. COYS!

Fully agree, with the league positions very close and separated by so little points, it's gonna be an eventful season.

yiddo59

Eamo71 wrote: »

I think we all need to buckle up for the rest of the season because I have a feeling it's going to continue to be topsy turvey. There'll be win runs and lose runs.

It's never ever neen any other way at WHL

2nd Row Donkey

The Mail on Sunday match report opened with this statement "Tottenham under AVB have so far looked like a team either on the verge of excellence or the cusp of a crisis"

I think that sums us up perfectly. Im not anti AVB, more anti Levy. I think AVB is goog. He could be great but id have preferred HR to stay.

DubPerryman

http://www1.skysports.com/football/news/11675/8310713?

What about this lads?

AVB saying that the Spurs players can have "two or three" Christmas Parties!! :D

Completely flying in the face of what Harry was saying. The grinch has even cancelled Christmas in QPR!

Eamo71

yiddo59 wrote: »

It's never ever been any other way at WHL

Fair point!

Hatch99

OK I have decided to change the thread name, hope this doesn't upset anyone

Check out AVB's Q&A session today.

http://storify.com/SpursOfficial/spursqanda-with-andre

Leinstersqspur

Sure dont we all enjoy the odd bottle of Phelan Segur 1986!;)

Hatch99

Leinstersqspur wrote: »

Sure dont we all enjoy the odd bottle of Phelan Segur 1986!;)

Must ask for one of them in the Chinese on sat night....:D

Leinstersqspur

Clearly hasn't got a clue!

Its early doors but AVB now has the best win record (62.5%) of any Spurs manager since the club joined the Football League in 1908.

Saab Ed

Leinstersqspur wrote: »

Clearly hasn't got a clue!

Its early doors but AVB now has the best win record (62.5%) of any Spurs manager since the club joined the Football League in 1908.

This humble pie ain't the most tasty I've ever had, gotta admit.

2nd Row Donkey

Surprised by that statistic tbh.

The manner of the defeats we have suffered is my worry.
Still can't stomach the arsenal performance never mind the result.

markesmith

Great to see it working out for AVB, and long may it continue!

philon

Wonder what "Saab Ed" thinks of AVB these days

Saab Ed

philon wrote: »

Wonder what "Saab Ed" thinks of AVB these days

Well firstly I'll happily admit that my reaction to his appointment was over the top. Secondly his tactics are obviously effective and so long as the team is doing well then I'm delighted.

Still wouldn't have given him the job though. Statistics can easily be manipulated. This is the worst PL in years, chelsea weren't at it, city aren't at it, arsenal were off the pace and despite AVBs win rate, we're off the pace too given our points deficit compared to this time last year.

It's easy to nit pick for sure but the reality is , given the poor standard of opposition this year, we should probably have even more points on the board. Let's also not forget the context of his defeats, Wigan firstly and two goals in two minutes v Everton was just not on .

Onwards and upwards though. COYS.

2nd Row Donkey

It's still a bit soon to be saying he has cracked it but he's going in the right direction. We have a good run of fixtures coming up and who knows were we might end up if we can beat united again in 2 weeks time.

This is the first time I have enjoyed watching us since AVB took over, long may it continue.

A couple of injuries to Sandro, Parker or defoe and we would struggle though.

irishmover

Saab Ed wrote: »

Well firstly I'll happily admit that my reaction to his appointment was over the top. Secondly his tactics are obviously effective and so long as the team is doing well then I'm delighted.

Still wouldn't have given him the job though. Statistics can easily be manipulated. This is the worst PL in years, chelsea weren't at it, city aren't at it, arsenal were off the pace and despite AVBs win rate, we're off the pace too given our points deficit compared to this time last year.

It's easy to nit pick for sure but the reality is , given the poor standard of opposition this year, we should probably have even more points on the board. Let's also not forget the context of his defeats, Wigan firstly and two goals in two minutes v Everton was just not on .

Onwards and upwards though. COYS.

Half of the starting 11 from last season has been missing for the majority of this season so far. Not to mention two of our best players over the last few seasons left in the summer.

I find it quite remarkable the position we find ourselves in currently and giving all that still would be happy with a top 6 finish this season. AVB still hasn't got close to moulding his desired team. Just imagine what it could be like next season if he's allowed to bring in players which suit his formations better.

Just look at the u21's far away the most goals so far and they're playing his formations.

Big Pussy Bonpensiero

Saab Ed wrote: »

This is the worst PL in years

As it was last year, the year before and the year before that. Every year people pedal that shít, yet in reality, if you compare the point accumulations from the winners, runners up and 4th spot it's nearly always similar. The weakest season that I can remember was last year, and Harry went and fcuked that up for us.

2nd Row Donkey wrote: »

Still can't stomach the arsenal performance never mind the result.

Performance was good up until Ade decided it was a good idea if he went in studs up about 2 foot off the ground.


AVB has been excellent thus far. With the squad we have, coupled with the complete change in managerial approach, I did not expect us to be so high in the table. Of course there is a long way to go yet, but if he maintains this form he will have proved most (including myself - I was predicting top 6 - no more) wrong.

One of the main things I am very impressed with this season is the squad rotation. Last year, I remember posting it here, I was worried that we were going to suffer big time from fatigue, which I don't think was the main problem, but it certainly was a contributing factor. Every week, unless there was an injury or suspension, we saw more or less the same XI. This year, however, it's very different. Yesterday for example, we saw a whole new defence, with the exception of Walker, from the game before. I am obviously aware that fatigue is not the principle reason for dropping some players, but it will stand to us big time 3/4 months down the line. We see similar things at United, it's no fluke they consistently play much better in the second half of seasons.

I've predicted before that AVB will mount a title challenge 2/3 years down the line, and I see no reason not to change that prediction. He is undoubtedly a fantastic manager, who was unfairly shafted at Chelsea, and everyone that wants Spurs to do well should be fully behind him at this stage. In AVB we trust:D

2nd Row Donkey

I'm not usually as pessimistic person but I am when it comes to spurs. I still think we would be doing better (fractionally) if HR was in charge - maybe 1 or 2 points better off than are current total. However in the long term Appointing AVB looks like the better option. We were soooo close to a title challenge last season I could taste it. Only for HR and the English FA to feck it all up. Anyway if I agree we will challenge next season so here's hoping.

Leinstersqspur

Saab Ed wrote: »

This humble pie ain't the most tasty I've ever had, gotta admit.

Haha good man, welcome back, you'll note the thread has been renamed in your absence! As an AVB optimist I'm very pleased with our form to date, admittedly a few shaky moments but nothing a good transfer window won't sort out. Also, I'm delighted for AVB as he was shafted at Chelsea!

As I said, early doors but long may it continue, pressure on Levy to deliver top players now!

WHL

I wouldn't go too hard on the AVB doubters. We all want the same thing at the end of the day. I said here that I didn't want him but he had to be given a chance. I think that, at this stage, he has been excellent. He seems willing to learn - there was lots of mumbling about playing 4-5-1 and he seems to have taken that onboard (given the way that Ade is playing he might have been right on that one!!). The quality of football is good and we are on a great run. Long may it continue. Only four points from safety.......

PS: I don't appeciate Saab Ed picking out the poor results at home to Wigan and away to Everton - they were the only two games I was at so far:mad:

mushykeogh

I thought AVB was going to be a disaster. Around October, i still thought he was going to be a disaster. However, he has done one major thing that i dont think he did at chelsea, he changed, we now have two up front, and i dont think our high line is quite as high anymore. So far so good, we are finally putting in some really good performances, the hidings at Arsenal and to Chelsea probably leave us with a few doubts, and looking at RVP theses days i cant believe he missed thoses chances against us at old trafford!
Well done AVB, keep it up.
Also, Saab gets alot of stick on here, but he has an opinion and he let it be known, and he is still back on here admitting he got it wrong, so fair play to him.
BAE back training and hopefully Kaboul back in the near future too. Onwards and upwards.

2nd Row Donkey

'tis a bit early for the back slapping just yet - it could all go sour very quickly if we lost 3-4 winable games in a row.


P.S. My new years resolution is to be more optimistic!:D

mushykeogh

2nd Row Donkey wrote: »

'tis a bit early for the back slapping just yet - it could all go sour very quickly if we lost 3-4 winable games in a row.

True, cant afford to lose 6 games in the second half of the season.

WHL

2nd Row Donkey wrote: »

'tis a bit early for the back slapping just yet - it could all go sour very quickly if we lost 3-4 winable games in a row.


P.S. My new years resolution is to be more optimistic!:D

I doubt that you would find any Spurs fan anywhere that would be back-slapping in December

Hatch99

As pleased as I am so far, it's still quite early, and as mentioned, things can change in a week or two. But we are going well, and fingers crossed if we keep everyone fit in the New Year, we can have a good 2nd half to the season.

So far, it's a pleasing 7.5/10 COYS

2nd Row Donkey

Hatch99 wrote: »

As pleased as I am so far, it's still quite early, and as mentioned, things can change in a week or two. But we are going well, and fingers crossed if we keep everyone fit in the New Year, we can have a good 2nd half to the season.

So far, it's a pleasing 7.5/10 COYS

Could be looking at 10 points from the next 4 games.
That could lead to one hell of an interesting run in..