Spurs: Why the future looks good under AVB
There has been a lot said about Tottenham's decision to appoint Andre Villas-Boas as manager; some believe it is a strange one, others, like me, though believe that it is an inspired choice.
The reason for my optimism is that the club and AVB are implementing a long-term plan which is to buy, keep and develop young players. This was shown to be the case by the club investing in a new training ground with the intention of giving the club’s young players the opportunity to shine and fulfil their potential.
I feel this philosophy is something the players have bought into. Welsh winger Gareth Bale, 22, ended speculation surrounding his future by signing a new four-year deal. I think I speak for all Spurs fans when I say that I was absolutely delighted that he has stayed loyal to the club.
Furthermore players such as Kyle Walker, who was named the Premier League’s Young Player of the Year, and Steven Caulker, who had a successful loan spell at Swansea City, have also committed their long-term futures to the club by signing until 2017 and 2016 respectively.
AVB has also been busy in the transfer market bringing the Icelandic international midfielder Gylifi Sigurdsson, 22, and Belgium’s international defender Jan Ventonghen, 25, to the Lane. I think these are two excellent additions to the team as Sigurdsson will be a goal threat, as he showed with his loan spell at Swansea City where he scored seven in 19 appearances. Ventonghen will also be a good signing as he will improve the defence with him partnering either Younes Kaboul or Michael Dawson with the added bonus that he can cover left-back, as we saw him do for his country, as well as having the ability to pop up at the other end and score.
I believe AVB will benefit hugely from this approach as younger players will be more willing to listen to the manager, as they are still keen to develop and improve. An additional benefit of having young players is that you can teach them about the history and traditions of the club and therefore be more likely to stay loyal. This will help with the stability within the team as they will be able to grow together and develop an almost telepathic understanding on the pitch which will hopefully lead to a successful team.
The players that I would like to see be given a chance in the first team are players such as Caulker, but also other youngsters like Harry Kane and Kyle Naughton. However, I acknowledge that it is important for Andre Villas-Boas to have older and more experienced players in the squad, i.e. Michael Dawson, as they can help the youngsters make the transition from being on loan or being in the academy to the first team easier.
A clear success of this approach was Kyle Walker, as he was on loan at Aston Villa and came back to the club and became one of our most outstanding players last season. The older players can also act as a sound board for the younger guys and can help give them confidence in themselves when maybe it’s not going as well as it should be.
But with the mix of Andre Villas-Boas and a number of young and hungry players in and around the squad, I firmly this will be a great season down at the Lane.
Calling all Spurs fans: Do you share my optimism for the season ahead? Would you like to see more youngsters getting valuable chances in the first team? How confident are you that AVB will be a success? Whatever your view I'd love to hear from you.
The Future is Bright, The Future is Lilywhite.
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