When Andre Villas-Boas was called into a meeting at White Hart
Lane with chairman Daniel Levy and director of football Franco Baldini
on Sunday evening, he still had a chance to save his job.
Humiliation does not sit well with Levy but after an embarrassing 5-0 defeat against Liverpool at White Hart Lane, it was becoming an all too familiar emotion.
Tottenham’s directors, squirming in their seats high up in the West Stand, spotted Brendan Rodgers hold up five fingers to his coaching staff when Jon Flanagan scored Liverpool’s third.
End of the road: Andre Villas-Boas has been sacked by Tottenham after
the embarrassing 5-0 defeat to Liverpool
Livid: Daniel Levy watching Liverpool's destruction of his Tottenham side on Sunday - AVB was fired the next day
Premonition: Liverpool boss Brendan Rodgers held up the number five after the Reds' third goal
They were stunned by the audacity, but Rodgers had called it right.
Levy was livid. He wanted Villas-Boas to change his ways but the
Tottenham coach was in a militant mood during that super-charged meeting
inside the stadium.
It had been a scandalous surrender by Tottenham’s players and emotions were still running high. Nevertheless, Villas-Boas was not prepared to change — even if it cost him his job.
Although all three resolved to sleep on it, Levy was not about to let the matter rest.
Only three weeks had passed since he had been forced to make small talk with Manchester City’s director of football Txiki Begiristain and chief executive Ferran Soriano over a cup of tea in the chairman’s suite after City had thrashed Spurs 6-0. Levy vowed never to be put through that again.
On Sunday, Liverpool’s visiting officials were still grabbing their coats from the cloakroom in the boardroom at White Hart Lane when Levy and Baldini made their way down to see Villas-Boas.
Beginning the rot: Levy vowed he didn't want a repeat of Manchester City's 6-0 drubbing of Spurs last month, with Jesus Navas netting the first over Hugo Lloris after just 13 seconds of the match (above)
Getting no better: Luis Suarez races through the Spurs defence to net Liverpool's fourth goal on Sunday
During
some tense discussions, Levy demanded the re-integration of Emmanuel
Adebayor into the Tottenham team and for Villas-Boas to set aside his
personal issues with the striker.
Up at Tottenham’s magnificent new training complex in Enfield, north London, it is common knowledge that Villas-Boas and Adebayor cannot stand the sight of each other.
The striker has played once this season, a half-hearted effort after coming on as a half-time substitute during the 6-0 mauling at the Etihad Stadium.
The deterioration of their relationship is the reason Adebayor was instructed to train with the youths at the start of the season. As a senior professional, Adebayor has never forgiven his manager.
Villas-Boas’ response to the problem up front was, apparently, to remind the Tottenham chairman that he wanted to sign Hulk from Zenit St Petersburg. Yet this had never been discussed in the summer.
On Sunday evening, when Sportsmail asked: ‘Is this your team? Are these the players you want to work with and are these the players you would choose to work with?’ Villas-Boas offered an interesting reply.
He said: ‘I’m not sure I can make it public. We have worked hard to build a strong team and we have a strong team and we are happy with the signings.’
That night, Match of the Day 2 highlighted the exchange during their analysis of Villas-Boas’ diminishing influence at White Hart Lane.
Next on the agenda was Steffen Freund’s role in the coaching set-up after a spectacular fall-out between the pair when Tottenham were beaten 1-0 by Arsenal on September 1.
Freund, a former Tottenham player who returned to the club as a coach at Levy’s insistence, had always taken a seat next to Villas-Boas on the bench.
Former star: But Spurs coach Steffen Freund (right) was marginalised by Villas-Boas after the pair fell out
Left behind: Emmanuel Adebayor was banished to the youth team
after a furious bust-up with Villas-Boas
But after the derby, when they had a huge disagreement over the
team’s approach and the substitutions, Villas-Boas promoted Luis
Martins and relegated Freund in the seating positions.
Martins, who arrived at Tottenham with Villas-Boas when he was appointed in 2012, became the manager’s primary confidant. Inevitably it created tensions at the training ground and Freund felt alienated as his role vanished.
Levy was also concerned with the team’s identity and he reminded Villas-Boas that playing football with style and some swagger is a prerequisite for any Tottenham side.
Preparation was everything to Villas-Boas, something that factored heavily in his favour when he was chosen to replace Harry Redknapp as manager.
Despite this reputation, Gary Neville’s remarkable analysis on Sky’s Monday Night Football on November 25, the day after the 6-0 defeat at City, suggested Spurs’ players were no longer responding to his methods.
Down and out: Tottenham's players, with Michael Dawson (right) and Lewis Holtby, have lost all confidence
The shame: Kyle Walker hides his face after Suarez nets Liverpool's fourth goal in the rout
At the moment City kicked off, Neville had spotted two Tottenham
players tying up their boots, one looking in another direction and a
fourth having a conversation on the touchline.
Thirteen seconds later Jesus Navas put the ball in the back of Hugo Lloris’ net. On high, Neville’s observations resonated.
Despite the escalating internal problems, reserve goalkeeper Brad Friedel — who had a massive row with Villas-Boas over his handling of the goalkeeping situation last season — claimed team spirit was ‘good’. Others would disagree.
The issue of the team’s style had been overlooked when Tottenham won their first four games of the season — two in the league, two in the Europa League — and did not concede once.
It was a decent start, yet defeat by Arsenal, along with their failure to turn the screw on Chelsea after Gylfi Sigurdsson had put Tottenham ahead during an exhilarating first half, caused some concern. The Chelsea game ended 1-1.
Nadir: Ravel Morrison (centre) nets past Hugo Lloris in West Ham's 3-0 humbling of Spurs at White Hart Lane
Although the 3-0 loss to West Ham at White Hart Lane was written off
as an aberration, Villas-Boas then criticised the supporters for failing
to get behind the team in a dreadful 1-0 win over Hull.
This was not what Joe Lewis had envisaged when he authorised a massive spending spree from his super yacht moored off New Providence Island in the Bahamas during the summer.
With three of the top four teams in the Barclays Premier League changing managers, Lewis was convinced the league’s big clubs were vulnerable and shared a growing belief that it could be Tottenham’s turn to win the title.
Arsenal have not won the Premier League since 2004, while Chelsea (under Jose Mourinho), Manchester United (David Moyes) and Manchester City (Manuel Pellegrini) were starting again.
Out in the cold: Roberto Soldado has been criticised for his lack of goals since his £26million arrival
In meetings with Levy, Lewis agreed to plough all the money from the
world-record £86million sale of Gareth Bale to Real Madrid back into the
team.
Inadvertently, it placed Villas-Boas under almost intolerable pressure.
He could not handle it.
Last season Spurs finished a point behind Arsenal and missed out on the Champions League. This season’s target was far more ambitious — the title.
To do it, director of football Franco Baldini criss-crossed Europe and beyond to complete the signings of Paulinho, Nacer Chadli, Roberto Soldado, Etienne Capoue, Vlad Chiriches, Christian Eriksen and Erik Lamela.
Many of them arrived after the start of the season but it only added to the wave of optimism enveloping White Hart Lane.
Welsh wizard: Spurs pumped the money from the world record sale of Gareth Bale back into the team
Roll call: Spurs signings Paulinho, Christian Eriksen, Roberto Soldado, Nacer Chadli, Etienne Capoue, Vlad Chiriches and Erik Lamela (left-right) have not lived up to expectations since their arrivals
Instead, it has all unravelled so quickly and by the time Spurs drew
2-2 with Manchester United on December 1, Baldini was the only
influential figure left at the club showing any support for
Villas-Boas. The rest were ready to sack him.
That game was followed by an exchange with the Daily Mail when Villas-Boas claimed he was being attacked ‘from the side’ and that the criticism was personal. He could not have been more wrong.
It was a shame it came to that, but it was another illustration of his deepening paranoia. All that ever mattered was whether Villas-Boas was up to the job of managing a club the size of Tottenham and securing Champions League football.
Monday morning, after a good night’s sleep, Levy decided he was not.
Humiliation does not sit well with Levy but after an embarrassing 5-0 defeat against Liverpool at White Hart Lane, it was becoming an all too familiar emotion.
Tottenham’s directors, squirming in their seats high up in the West Stand, spotted Brendan Rodgers hold up five fingers to his coaching staff when Jon Flanagan scored Liverpool’s third.
End of the road: Andre Villas-Boas has been sacked by Tottenham after
the embarrassing 5-0 defeat to Liverpool
Livid: Daniel Levy watching Liverpool's destruction of his Tottenham side on Sunday - AVB was fired the next day
Premonition: Liverpool boss Brendan Rodgers held up the number five after the Reds' third goal
It had been a scandalous surrender by Tottenham’s players and emotions were still running high. Nevertheless, Villas-Boas was not prepared to change — even if it cost him his job.
Although all three resolved to sleep on it, Levy was not about to let the matter rest.
Only three weeks had passed since he had been forced to make small talk with Manchester City’s director of football Txiki Begiristain and chief executive Ferran Soriano over a cup of tea in the chairman’s suite after City had thrashed Spurs 6-0. Levy vowed never to be put through that again.
On Sunday, Liverpool’s visiting officials were still grabbing their coats from the cloakroom in the boardroom at White Hart Lane when Levy and Baldini made their way down to see Villas-Boas.
Beginning the rot: Levy vowed he didn't want a repeat of Manchester City's 6-0 drubbing of Spurs last month, with Jesus Navas netting the first over Hugo Lloris after just 13 seconds of the match (above)
Getting no better: Luis Suarez races through the Spurs defence to net Liverpool's fourth goal on Sunday
During
some tense discussions, Levy demanded the re-integration of Emmanuel
Adebayor into the Tottenham team and for Villas-Boas to set aside his
personal issues with the striker.Up at Tottenham’s magnificent new training complex in Enfield, north London, it is common knowledge that Villas-Boas and Adebayor cannot stand the sight of each other.
The striker has played once this season, a half-hearted effort after coming on as a half-time substitute during the 6-0 mauling at the Etihad Stadium.
The deterioration of their relationship is the reason Adebayor was instructed to train with the youths at the start of the season. As a senior professional, Adebayor has never forgiven his manager.
Villas-Boas’ response to the problem up front was, apparently, to remind the Tottenham chairman that he wanted to sign Hulk from Zenit St Petersburg. Yet this had never been discussed in the summer.
On Sunday evening, when Sportsmail asked: ‘Is this your team? Are these the players you want to work with and are these the players you would choose to work with?’ Villas-Boas offered an interesting reply.
He said: ‘I’m not sure I can make it public. We have worked hard to build a strong team and we have a strong team and we are happy with the signings.’
That night, Match of the Day 2 highlighted the exchange during their analysis of Villas-Boas’ diminishing influence at White Hart Lane.
Next on the agenda was Steffen Freund’s role in the coaching set-up after a spectacular fall-out between the pair when Tottenham were beaten 1-0 by Arsenal on September 1.
Freund, a former Tottenham player who returned to the club as a coach at Levy’s insistence, had always taken a seat next to Villas-Boas on the bench.
Former star: But Spurs coach Steffen Freund (right) was marginalised by Villas-Boas after the pair fell out
Left behind: Emmanuel Adebayor was banished to the youth team
after a furious bust-up with Villas-Boas
Martins, who arrived at Tottenham with Villas-Boas when he was appointed in 2012, became the manager’s primary confidant. Inevitably it created tensions at the training ground and Freund felt alienated as his role vanished.
Levy was also concerned with the team’s identity and he reminded Villas-Boas that playing football with style and some swagger is a prerequisite for any Tottenham side.
Preparation was everything to Villas-Boas, something that factored heavily in his favour when he was chosen to replace Harry Redknapp as manager.
Despite this reputation, Gary Neville’s remarkable analysis on Sky’s Monday Night Football on November 25, the day after the 6-0 defeat at City, suggested Spurs’ players were no longer responding to his methods.
Down and out: Tottenham's players, with Michael Dawson (right) and Lewis Holtby, have lost all confidence
The shame: Kyle Walker hides his face after Suarez nets Liverpool's fourth goal in the rout
Thirteen seconds later Jesus Navas put the ball in the back of Hugo Lloris’ net. On high, Neville’s observations resonated.
Despite the escalating internal problems, reserve goalkeeper Brad Friedel — who had a massive row with Villas-Boas over his handling of the goalkeeping situation last season — claimed team spirit was ‘good’. Others would disagree.
The issue of the team’s style had been overlooked when Tottenham won their first four games of the season — two in the league, two in the Europa League — and did not concede once.
It was a decent start, yet defeat by Arsenal, along with their failure to turn the screw on Chelsea after Gylfi Sigurdsson had put Tottenham ahead during an exhilarating first half, caused some concern. The Chelsea game ended 1-1.
Nadir: Ravel Morrison (centre) nets past Hugo Lloris in West Ham's 3-0 humbling of Spurs at White Hart Lane
This was not what Joe Lewis had envisaged when he authorised a massive spending spree from his super yacht moored off New Providence Island in the Bahamas during the summer.
With three of the top four teams in the Barclays Premier League changing managers, Lewis was convinced the league’s big clubs were vulnerable and shared a growing belief that it could be Tottenham’s turn to win the title.
Arsenal have not won the Premier League since 2004, while Chelsea (under Jose Mourinho), Manchester United (David Moyes) and Manchester City (Manuel Pellegrini) were starting again.
Out in the cold: Roberto Soldado has been criticised for his lack of goals since his £26million arrival
Inadvertently, it placed Villas-Boas under almost intolerable pressure.
He could not handle it.
Last season Spurs finished a point behind Arsenal and missed out on the Champions League. This season’s target was far more ambitious — the title.
To do it, director of football Franco Baldini criss-crossed Europe and beyond to complete the signings of Paulinho, Nacer Chadli, Roberto Soldado, Etienne Capoue, Vlad Chiriches, Christian Eriksen and Erik Lamela.
Many of them arrived after the start of the season but it only added to the wave of optimism enveloping White Hart Lane.
Welsh wizard: Spurs pumped the money from the world record sale of Gareth Bale back into the team
Roll call: Spurs signings Paulinho, Christian Eriksen, Roberto Soldado, Nacer Chadli, Etienne Capoue, Vlad Chiriches and Erik Lamela (left-right) have not lived up to expectations since their arrivals
That game was followed by an exchange with the Daily Mail when Villas-Boas claimed he was being attacked ‘from the side’ and that the criticism was personal. He could not have been more wrong.
It was a shame it came to that, but it was another illustration of his deepening paranoia. All that ever mattered was whether Villas-Boas was up to the job of managing a club the size of Tottenham and securing Champions League football.
Monday morning, after a good night’s sleep, Levy decided he was not.
