Is Andre Villas-Boas really the hotshot manager we once thought he was?

In the summer of 2011, as the youngest manager ever to win a European competition (with Porto, at 33 years and 213 days) and the third-youngest ever to win the Portuguese Primeira Liga, Andre Villas-Boas was one of the hottest properties in Europe. However, after his €15 million transfer to Chelsea, AVB’s reputation was left in tatters, as he was relieved of his duties after less than a season in charge.

Now, with just two points from his first three games in charge at Tottenham Hotspur, his reign as Spurs’ supremo has got off to the slowest of starts. After a loss at Newcastle and home draws against West Brom and Norwich, Tottenham sit in 14th place in the Barclays Premier League and are already under-performing.

So is AVB really the hotshot manager that everyone once thought he was? Or is he simply overrated and out-of-his-depth in the EPL?

As manager of FC Porto, Andre Villas-Boas won an incredible 45 out of his 51 games in charge; an astounding win percentage at 88.24%. Having worked at Chelsea previously under Jose Mourinho, it is little wonder that Abramovich thought he had landed himself the new ‘Special One’ when AVB arrived at the club in 2011. After all, the previous season Porto had won the treble, going undefeated as they won the league by more than 20 points, having conceded just 13 goals in the entire season. These statistics weigh heavily towards suggesting that Villas-Boas is a unique and remarkable manager.

Nevertheless, since leaving Porto for Chelsea, AVB’s infallibility evaporated. Of his 40 games in charge at Stamford Bridge, AVB won a modest 19, drawing 11 and losing 10, leaving his win percentage at just 47.50%. Following losses to rivals Liverpool, Manchester United and Arsenal, along with further defeats to QPR, West Brom and Napoli, AVB was replaced by interim manager Roberto Di Matteo in March 2012. Di Matteo subsequently went on to win both the FA Cup and the UEFA Champions League with the squad that he had inherited from his predecessor.

For beside his modest record as Chelsea manager, it was his poor relationship with his players that led to his downfall. Following a loss to Everton in February, several of his senior players openly questioned his leadership and tactics in front of owner Roman Abramovich. Many more visits to the training ground subsequently followed for Abramovich, in order to observe his under pressure manager.

In addition, Frank Lampard persistently found himself on the bench under AVB and the likes of Didier Drogba and Fernando Torres’ showed form well below their unplayable best. It is perhaps these illogical team selections, his players’ below par performance levels and the lack of harmony between himself and certain senior players that finally pushed AVB out of the door at Chelsea.

Consequently, Spurs’ decision to replace Harry Redknapp with Villas-Boas was, certainly in my mind, a strange one. And the results that have preceded his arrival have confirmed these initial doubts.

Although AVB is undoubtedly a supremely talented manager, his communication skills do not appear to be at the same level. The confident and classy Porto boss has been replaced by a nervy, fidgety front man, who seems to struggle to communicate his footballing philosophy in a foreign language to players from numerous nations and backgrounds.

Without a win in his first three games in charge, AVB’s attempts to redeem his reputation at the highest level have hit an early and significant snag. The pressure that strangled him at Chelsea is already beginning to build. And with the loss of playmaker Luka Modric to Real Madrid, his job is only going to get more difficult.

It is however, the early days of AVB’s second coming. Perhaps my inferences about AVB will prove to be wrong. Maybe he is still the same man that led his former club to so much success back in Portugal. If the Tottenham hierarchy allow him the time to imbed his own philosophy, as his three-year contract suggests they will, then there is yet a chance that AVB could achieve success within the English game. New additions such as Emmanuel Adebayor, Gylfi Sigurdsson, Hugo Lloris and Moussa Dembele will certainly help his cause. But if Spurs’ are indeed to reach the lofty heights of the Champions League once again next season, then Villas-Boas faces the uphill task of blending together a new look side, which is already falling behind to the Manchester clubs, as well as London rivals Chelsea and Arsenal.

Only a truly masterful manager will be able to conquer the quest ahead of him, to shake off the shadow of his predecessor and bring success to White Hart Lane this season. Is AVB the right man for the job? Only time will tell.

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