Spirit at Tottenham outshines Chelsea, says former Blues boss Villas-Boas

Andre Villas-Boas has taken a veiled swipe at his former Chelsea players as he insisted the team spirit at his new club Tottenham is incomparable.

 The Portuguese head coach cut a relaxed figure on Friday night here in Baltimore, ahead of Tottenham's friendly against Liverpool here, significantly more at ease than during his final days at Stamford Bridge.

 Villas-Boas' spell in charge at Chelsea was peppered with clashes with senior players and claims that he had lost the dressing room, so it was significant to hear his pointed views when he was asked about how he had been received by Tottenham's players.

 'It is a question you need to ask the players,' said Villas-Boas, who added there was 'nothing new' to say about Luka Modric's position.

 'But from my perspective I have been adapting to them. They are enjoying what they are doing.

 'You will get a more specific answer from the players, of course. I think the warmth of the group is excellent to see.

 It is two different groups reacting differently. We have seen the spirit of this group and it is different from what I had last year.'

 After playing Liverpool here, Tottenham head up to New York where they will face the New York Red Bulls and Villas-Boas is hoping that Rafael van der Vaart, who hobbled off with a groin problem in the 1-1 draw with LA Galaxy.

 Gareth Bale scored Tottenham's goal in LA but his presence in that match, 24 hours before Team GB began their Olympic campaign, caused a furore, prompting FIFA president Sepp Blatter to wade into the row.

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Villas-Boas praises Tottenham players' great effort in pre-season

Tottenham manager Andre Villas-Boas has expressed his delight at the players' efforts during their pre-season tour of America.

 The squad are preparing for a game against LA Galaxy at the Home Depot Center, and have had two training sessions to acclimatise to their new surroundings.

 The 34-year-old coach is happy with the progress his team are making and is hoping they can build on their form ahead of their first Premier League game of the campaign against Newcastle.

 “It's always a difficult first session after the long trip, most of the players are still getting used to the new time zone, most of them woke up early, but it was a great effort," Villas-Boas told the club's official website.

 "We're continuing to build on what we've been working on from the start and to improve small bits and pieces, and putting the team together.

 "We've come to America and the level of difficulty increases in terms of the opponents and our objective, which [is] to be ready for Newcastle.

 We're building physically and tactically to be ready for that game." Spurs travel to the Sports Direct Arena against the Magpies for their 2012-13 Premier League opener on August 18.

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Villas-Boas appointed new Tottenham manager

The former Chelsea boss emerged as the outstanding candidate during a process that lasted almost three weeks since Spurs sacked Harry Redknapp last month.

 Chairman Daniel Levy was so impressed by Villas-Boas during a series of talks that he shelved plans to talk to Laurent Blanc, the former France coach who started the process as the leading candidate.

 The 34-year-old fits the club’s desire for a young, progressive manager who can get Spurs back in the Champions League with an attacking brand of football, while lowering the average age of the squad and making shrewd signings in the transfer market.

 To that end, the Portuguese will be heavily backed this summer, with Spurs ready to spend up to £70 million on new players, although that will be partly offset by the anticipated departure of £35m-rated Luka Modric to Real Madrid.

 Villas-Boas will look to convince Modric to stay and assess the rest of the squad when their pre-season preparation kick in to gear next week, but has already been heavily involved in proposed transfers.

 Tim Sherwood, the club’s technical co-ordinator, is also expected to receive a promotion as the Londoners take a more consultative approach towards transfers than under Redknapp.

 Tottenham believe they have beaten Liverpool in the race to sign midfielder Gylfi Sigurdsson for £8m from Hoffenheim, with the 22-year-old having agreed personal terms and completed a medical.

 Jan Vertonghen, the Ajax captain, is also likely to join in a £9.6m deal once he has resolved a dispute with the Dutch club over his entitlement to a 15 per cent share of the transfer fee.

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Tottenham to Appoint Villas-Boas Before Launching Bids for Chelsea and FC Porto Stars

Andre Villas-Boas will make signing Porto star Joao Moutinho his No.1 target if he takes charge of Tottenham as expected next week. 

Villas-Boas is set to be confirmed as the new manager at Spurs, who sacked Harry Redknapp earlier this month. 

The 34-year-old has spoken with chairman Daniel Levy over his plans and ideas for the club as part of the interview process and knows that he will probably have to find a replacement for Luka Modric. Villas-Boas is believed to already have a replacement in mind and wants to be reunited with Moutinho. 

The former Chelsea coach signed Moutinho from Sporting Lisbon when he was Porto coach in 2010 and he played a key role in winning the Portuguese League and Cup, as well as the Europa League that season. 

Villas-Boas wanted to buy the Portugal international after he took charge of Chelsea last summer, but Porto refused to sell. 

It will still be difficult for Tottenham to prise Moutinho, who impressed for Portugal during their run to the semi-finals at Euro 2012, away as he has three years left on his contract. 

The 25-year-old also has a £35m buy-out clause, although Spurs will obviously be able to fund such a transfer should they receive a large fee for Modric. 

Villas-Boas will also consider making a move for Chelsea striker Daniel Sturridge with the forward’s future at Stamford Bridge already uncertain, even before the potential arrival of Hulk.

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AVB: Spurs talk 'lies'

Andre Villas-Boas has rubbished suggestions that he is about to be confirmed as the new manager of Tottenham Hotspur.

 Villas-Boas has been out of work since being sacked by Chelsea in March, and after being linked with the Liverpool job earlier in the summer it was reported that talks with Spurs were at an advanced stage.

 The Portuguese remains the favourite to succeed Harry Redknapp at White Hart Lane, but comments he has made to newspaper suggest the bookies are wide of the mark.

 "There is nothing, it is all lies," the 34-year-old said.

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Tottenham Hotspur sound out Andre Villas-Boas over vacant post

Tottenham Hotspur have made contact with representatives of former Chelsea boss Andre Villas-Boas as the club's search for a new manager gathers pace.

 Intermediaries acting for Spurs have contacted the 34-year-old's agent to gauge his interest and he may even be interviewed later this week.

 Chairman Daniel Levy returns to London on Monday and will personally take charge of the recruitment process.

 France coach Laurent Blanc has also emerged as a potential candidate.

 Villas-Boas's agent was in London over the weekend, although Spurs insist they will not be rushed into a knee-jerk appointment and plan to speak with a number of candidates.

 Harry Redknapp was sacked last Wednesday after almost four years in charge at White Hart Lane.

 The decision came after weeks of growing tension between the 65-year-old and his chairman, the situation coming to a head when Redknapp was told the club had decided to go in a fresh direction and look to the future.

 Levy will assume responsibility for the recruitment of the new manager alongside owner Joe Lewis and directors Sir Keith Mills, Matthew Collecott and Donna Cullen. Ex-Porto boss Villas-Boas, who was sacked by Chelsea in March, is understood to have privately expressed an interest in the post.

 There is also interest in Blanc, whose contract with the France Football Federation expires after the European Championship.

 His future will, however, depend on France's performance in the rest of the tournament and he may yet stay on.

 Wigan manager Roberto Martinez is another who is likely to be considered while Fabio Capello and former Tottenham striker Jurgen Klinsmann, who is currently in charge of the United States national team, have also been linked with the post.

 Everton manager David Moyes has admirers at White Hart Lane but there are concerns that the 49-year-old Scot may not fit the mould of the modern and perhaps continental coach Spurs have discussed.

 Tim Sherwood and goalkeeping coach Tony Parks are the only two of Redknapp's backroom staff to have been retained by Spurs. Levy is known to rate Sherwood, who is likely to figure prominently in the new set-up.

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