AVB in festive mood at Spurs

Manager Andre Villas-Boas has reversed predecessor Harry Redknapp’s ban on Christmas parties at Tottenham, insisting he is happy for the squad to have “two or three” this winter.

Redknapp prevented his players from having a party three years ago after his team lost to Wolves just four days after Robbie Keane had organised a secret and raucous trip to Dublin.

Redknapp’s new team QPR will also not have a Christmas party this month, but Villas-Boas is happy for his players to let their hair down. “We will try to have two or three (parties),” Villas-Boas said. “It’s normal. It’s part of our group spirit.

“I don’t think it will affect performances. We will try to gather the group, to have dinner together and go on from there.”

Villas-Boas has been increasingly relaxed with his team playing some of their best football this season. The Londoners earned their third straight league win on Saturday beating Fulham 3-0 at Craven Cottage to move fourth and tonight they have a very good chance of progressing to the Europa League knockout stages if they don’t lose to Panathinaikos.

UEFA are considering scrapping the competition and replacing it with an enlarged Champions League, but the Portuguese thinks that would be a crazy idea. “It’s difficult for me (to accept),” Villas-Boas said.

“Increasing the Champions League means you have to remove the name ’Champions’ out of it as it would not make any sense. I think it would be an unpopular decision, certainly for me it would be a disappointment.”