Villas-Boas changes tactics to cope with United’s cavalier style

Should Tottenham be holding off Manchester United as tomorrow’s game comes to a close, Andre Villas-Boas had better hope his tailored training drills have paid off by the time that stoppage-time board goes up.

Because, as the Spurs manager admitted yesterday, those electronic numbers have an odd “effect” when you’re playing a club so renowned for their stoppage-time comebacks. “I can’t deny that,” he said yesterday.

The irony is that, as the team to have dropped the most points from late goals this season, Tottenham are actually one of the few to deny Alex Ferguson’s side in the dying stages. When the two clubs met at Old Trafford in September and the score was pulled back to 3-2, all seemed set for another vintage United recovery.