Villas-Boas impressed with Levy

14 July 2012 23:47

Tottenham manager Andre Villas-Boas is confident his new project can succeed at White Hart Lane with the full backing of chairman Daniel Levy.

The 34-year-old Portuguese coach came to Stamford Bridge last summer full of ambitions to take the Blues forwards. However, he was sacked by Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich just eight months into the job, with his team outside the top four of the Barclays Premier League.

Villas-Boas, however, has no doubts his fresh relationship with Levy will allow their plans to take Tottenham forwards flourish, and he said: "I met the chairman, and saw the way he goes about his business at the club. He knows what he is doing, approaching the market in a different way, is a person of great football understanding and he had the effect of giving me the assurances I wanted in terms of building something."

He went on: "Tottenham are linked with great football in the past. It is something they have always valued highly. There is a wonderful history of attractive football, and Bill Nicholson left these messages of football well played and doing things in style, which is what I want to achieve as well.

"With an owner that is involved on a daily basis at the football club, with his knowledge, that is the main difference.

"The structures that surround Tottenham are extremely good. There are competent people in and around the football club. The club is driven towards success, and everybody knows they must play a part in achieving that success.

"They are not looking for certain scapegoats, and when so many people are striving forward, it makes your job easier."

The manner of Villas-Boas' dismissal at Stamford Bridge in March continues to sit uneasy with the former Porto boss.

"The thing is that what we were doing (at Chelsea) in terms of the project, words did not meet the actions, so I think I was cut short," he said.

"All of us are emotional, and we all respond in a different way to sentiments of ambition and revenge, but it would be a wrong step if I were to take it that way. This club is much more important than me and what I have to do is try to take them to success and not make it a personal issue."

Source: PA