The empathy I feel towards Andre Villas-Boas grows with each passing day. Here stands a man desperate to emerge from The Special One’s shadow as he struggles to adapt to life in English football. The constant glare of the media spotlight and the expectant home crowd has forced him to employ a strange, crouching position on the touchline in an attempt to cope with the pressure. Have we been too quick to pass verdict on a managerial career still in its infancy or are we looking at a man simply out of his depth?

His arrival at the gates of Stamford Bridge should have signalled a return to the ‘glory days’ judging by the fact he boasted an alarmingly similar record to Jose Mourinho at Porto. In spite of this, the new Portuguese sensation was keen to refute any further comparisons and began dismantling the ‘Old Guard’ that had proved so instrumental under Mourinho. Instead of phasing out these popular and egotistical individuals, Villas-Boas tried to assert his authority with a cut-throat approach before he had placed his feet firmly under the table.

His downfall at Chelsea was the result of too many drastic changes within an unrealistic timeframe, a blunder that the manager himself has admitted and is keen to avoid again.

‘There are changes that have to be done here at Tottenham but I won’t promote change as aggressively as at Chelsea. 

‘Our setbacks last year had a tremendous impact when we wanted to correct things. But it was always like we were putting out fires and never establishing what we were before. So I think change will become progressive at Tottenham.’ (Daily Mail)

However, contrary to his stance in pre-season press conferences recent reports would suggest the feeling of Déjà vu. Michael Dawson looks set to depart White Hart Lane in the wake of fellow long-term injury sufferer Ledley King’s retirement, despite his strong affinity with the supporters. Tom Huddlestone still looks likely to join Stoke on loan, a team with such a contrasting style of play to his own that it threatens to nullify his career. Speculation also surrounds the futures of Scott Parker, Aaron Lennon and Rafael van der Vaart with the latter likely to be rejoining Hamburg later today.

All of the aforementioned players played a vital role in Harry Redknapp’s successful period at the club, which surely begs the question why Villas-Boas is so eager to rip the tried and tested foundations in his own quest for glory, especially as there are more suitable candidates for the axe within the squad.

I can understand that every manager wants to make his own mark on his arrival at a new club. Brendan Rodgers is currently dispatching every transfer made under Kenny Dalglish – at a significant financial loss I might add – as he seeks to install tiki-taka football on Merseyside. While this maverick approach sparks a degree of excitement in the stands, you only have to look at Roberto Di Matteo and Chelsea to witness the benefits of maintaining a strong squad harmony. It’s also worth mentioning that Chelsea’s incredibly busy period of transfer activity was completed well before the start of the season. Is the pursuit of a bargain in the transfer market worth paying the price of trying to install success in a team full of strangers?

I admire the ambition of Villas-Boas and Daniel Levy in their search for new, high-profile signings but I fear each name will spawn a prolonged transfer saga that the club can ill afford. I will, along with every other Spurs supporter, await the outcome of today’s activity with bated breath. How long will any potential new foreign imports need to settle in? How long can Villas-Boas appease the fans if the team continues to struggle? How long can Levy’s stubborn mentality hold out?

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