The Gaffer Tapes

Christmas is almost upon us and, as ever in football, the headlines are dominated by talk about the sack.

This week we have seen another two Premier League managers — Steve Clarke at West Brom and Andre Villas-Boas at Spurs — lose their jobs, while Malky Mackay seems to have been given a ‘jump or you’ll be pushed’ ultimatum at Cardiff. In recent weeks we have also heard constant speculation about managers from Chris Hughton to Sam Allardyce, all of which reflects the huge pressure imposed on gaffers by the financial implications of either relegation or, in Spurs’ case, not making that illustrious top four brigade for Champions League football.

I do have sympathy for these managers but in AVB’s case, probably less so. For a start, he was appointed as Spurs ‘head coach’ and not the manager. I have no doubt that when AVB took the job, he was aware of what the chairman, Daniel Levy, is like and how he does business. Over recent seasons, he has sought to exert more control over the club by implementing a very continental approach with the appointment of a director of football. He has had Damien Comolli in the past and that seemed to work quite well, but it seems Franco Baldini’s appointment in June was the beginning of the end for AVB.