Tottenham Hotspur - Title contenders or just pretenders?

Although very different to the current Chelsea boss (funny game, football) both in personality and in his approach, it was always inevitable that Mourinho’s reign would be the yardstick for Villas-Boas’s time at the club. Both men are of Portuguese nationality, with no professional playing careers of their own to talk about (in itself an unusual occurrence). Both owe their breaks in the jungle (that we know and love as professional football) to the late Sir Bobby Robson. Both were imperious in their reigns at Porto (although Mourinho did win the Champions League as opposed to AVB’s Europa League triumph) before moving on to Chelsea.

One of the new signings, Roberto Soldado, has already scored twice in three league matches

You can almost forgive Roman Abramovich for shelling out a remarkable 15 million euros to meet Villas-Boas’s release clause at Porto. He buckled under the pressure, never really gained the respect of the Chelsea dressing room, and stuck to that absurdly high defensive line that had Chelsea conceding left, right and centre. But it has made him stronger, no doubt; there is a fire to go with the undoubted footballing intellect. Hell hath no fury like a manager sacked. Amen to that.

Erik Lamela, Cristian Eriksen, Nacer Chadli and Paulinho – sounds like a few of the names discussed ad nauseum in transfer rumour circles over the last couple of years or so. And somehow they have all conspired to end up at White Hart Lane this summer. The first three names rival any wonder-kid in modern day football for their skill, pace and that elusive stroke of genius only the truly blessed possess. It is another thing to go on and capitalize on that potential, so many have fallen by the wayside over the years.

But if you are looking for replacements for a recently departed Welshman, you would be hard-pressed to find better potential. Even so, Paulinho looks like he could be the key signing – the Brazilian was majestic at the Confederations Cup earlier in the summer, and will surely usurp a wildly inconsistent Sandro to the role of the rock in the centre. Further defensive reinforcements in the form of Romania’s Vlad Chiriches and Étienne Capoue, not to forget a much needed goalscorer in Robert Soldado, and you can forgive Spurs’s fans for thinking they have a legitimate shot at the title this year.

Villas-Boas’s immediate concern, of course, is gelling this incredibly talented group (the rest of the team are no pushovers, let me tell you) into a cohesive unit, a real team. And it is likely to remain his objective for the remainder of the season. You do not win a Premier League title without considerable Premier League experience, and this team is a little too wet behind the ears for a sustained challenge (that goes for the manager, as well). It is why Manchester United won the League last year (and a few times before that). Despite not being, on paper at least, the strongest team around, Sir Alex’s side practically cantered to the finish line. Tottenham’s early season loss to Arsenal was another case in point.

All in all, this is the strongest Spurs team in years, one that won’t stand down without a fight, but still, one that doesn’t have enough fight and guts to bleed its way to the title. That’s what it takes every year, as Villas-Boas knows only too well. Or maybe he’s playing a very clever game, and all those words were to take the pressure off his side. If that is his game plan, no wonder the serious players went all “gangsta” on him at Chelsea. This league doesn’t tolerate shielding and spoon feeding. The players have to be able to take everything on the chin, and still stand up for more. That is, by definition, a champion (Rocky Balboa, ladies and gentlemen). And that’s the bottom line.