I've just come across this article on ViralSpurs about our manager and I thouroughly enjoyed it and thought i share it!
AVB
Learning to love anti-AVB bias
Did any watch that ancient dinosaur of a football programme on BBC the other week? You know, the one where overpaid ex-professional footballers are given heavily edited highlights of all the matches that have been played that day and use them to reaffirm their preconceptions and prejudices about players, teams, clubs and managers, all delivered with a liberal dose of cliché and catchphrases.
Because I am unable to get to White Hard Lane to watch games, it wasn`t until live internet streaming enabled me to watch just about every game in full that I realised just how poor some of the punditry and commentary in the media is.
Again and again, they repeat the same old mantras about the same players: Alan Hansen suggesting that Benoit Assou-Ekotto is a liability in defence when he has been one of the most consistently excellent players for Tottenham for at least three season (albeit with the occasional lapse); everyone suggesting that Harry Redknapp is some sort of genius wheeler-dealer in the transfer market, when, of all his achievements at Tottenham, transfers were one of the areas that let him down; and then there is Jermain Defoe who everybody, apart from people who actually watch Spurs every week, seems to suggest is one of the most deadly poachers/finishers in the Premier League. Jermain Defoe is a good finisher and has an excellent attitude. His application and effort - not to mention his goals - are a credit to him and of great value to the team but he is not, and never will be, a deadly finisher. He scores lots of goals but he misses a lot too. He is good but not great. And when the ball is laid on plate for him by one of our excellent midfielders the ball is not "only going to finish in one place". It is just as likely to be scuffed, miss the target or hit straight at the goalkeeper as it is to end up in the back of the net.
And of course there is AVB, media darling extraordinaire, who can simply do no wrong. OK, so he`s let them down by not falling flat on his face at Tottenham; he masterminded a stunning victory away at Old Trafford; he`s brought the best out of Gareth Bale, Aaron Lennon and Sandro; he has successfully converted Defoe into a lone striker (which no other manager has managed to do); he has skilfully managed a depleted squad, having lost three of our best ever players in the summer and several more through injury, without ever once complaining; he`s integrated youth players into the team and kept all the senior players onside; he`s taken the Europa and Capital One cups seriously, qualifying for the knockout stages of the former while maintaining strong challenge for a Champions League place. When problems have emerged - such as that of conceding late goals - instead of mouthing clichés and deflecting blame he has analysed the data and taken steps to rectify the problem. Most disappointingly, he has not been arrogant, naïve or intransigent tactically as so many had hoped, confidently switching formations to suit the occasion and the players available.
It goes on but there's not enough characters left, so here is the link for those interested.
http://www.spurs.vitalfootball.co.uk/article.asp?a=7514313
Great piece on our team, AVB and pundits
posted on 15/1/13
Good balanced viewpoints.
posted on 15/1/13
Nice article
AVB has been an easy target for both the press and opposition fans, but it's about time people acknowledged that he is doing a very good job, tactically, squad wise, man management wise, Europa cup wise and results wise. Our 6 best players over last season were: King, Modric, VDV, Bale, Parker & Kaboul. 5 of them have not been here this season yet he has rolled with it and is challenging better than most expected for a CL spot. I'm relishing the last few months of the season, I think we can do good things under AVB - this year and in the coming seasons, he is the future.
#relish
posted on 15/1/13
Glad to hear something positive about AVB. He's had a lesser squad to work with than redknapp did yet he's been given all sorts of stick whenever we've lost a game, all because he's not mr rent-a-quote from his car window. The press are too busy focusing on lampard, mourinho and redknapp to look at the positives mentioned in the piece. Wish they'd open their eyes up and look at redknapp getting ready to bankrupt a second club in 5 years
posted on 15/1/13
Not sure I agree with the attitude that to compliment AVB you have to slate Harry. Contrary to popular belief Harry doesn't control what the press write about him or anyone else, nor does he write the cheques at qpr or pompey. He did a good job for us with our best consecutive finishes in decades, CL quarters and some of the best football I've seen at the Lane, I wish people would stop knocking him.
posted on 15/1/13
im with ace on the points about HR....
and ive said in recent weeks.....while i cant warm too avb.....he is however impressing me more and more with the job he is doing.
posted on 15/1/13
'White Hard Lane' i like dat
posted on 15/1/13
posted 35 minutes ago
Not sure I agree with the attitude that to compliment AVB you have to slate Harry. Contrary to popular belief Harry doesn't control what the press write about him or anyone else, nor does he write the cheques at qpr or pompey. He did a good job for us with our best consecutive finishes in decades, CL quarters and some of the best football I've seen at the Lane, I wish people would stop knocking him.
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You don't have to agree to it, each to their own
posted on 15/1/13
Speaking of Harry, looks like he's about to sign Remy and M'Vila for QPR. These are players that have been touted to join much bigger clubs during recent transfer windows, why in the name of all that's sacred are they going to that god forsaken hell hole Loftus Road to get a relegation on their cv. Greedy b*stards.
posted on 16/1/13
This is QPRs squad:
Goalkeepers
Cesar
Green
Cerny
Murphy
Defenders
Nelsen
Traore
Hill
Bosingwa
Mbia
Onuoha
Fabio
Ferdinand
Harriman
Young
Ben Haim
Midfielders
Taarabt
Wright-Phillips
Granero
Hoilett
Faurlin
Park
Diakite
Derry
Buzsaky
Andrade
Ehmer
Ephraim
Forwards
Cisse
Mackie
Zamora
Johnson
Bothroyd
Campbell
32 players with 2 or 3 more on their way!!!
And when you think that Hary said Bosingwa was on more at QPR than any player was on at Spurs you can only imaging what their wage bill is.
Some of those, like Campbell, Bothroyd etc are good honest pros who will want to be playing rather than taking money for doing nothing.
Problem QPR will have is getting rid of those on high wages because the likes of Bosingwa will take there £80-90k a week and sit in the reserves rather than take a pay cut and move on!
Their own better have deep pockets otherwise they might be scewed in the long term espewcially if they go down.
Whether they had the foresight at the time of signing 13 new players in the summer to actually have a clause in contracts relating to wages and relegation, who knows. They probably did not expect to be rock bottom so maybe not......another Pomepy in the making, although no fault of Harry, of course
posted on 16/1/13
I would love for AVB to be a sucess at spurs and go on to manage us long term as fergie has. He has age on his side so could manage us for a long time.