Last Updated: 01st July 2012
ANDRE VILLAS-BOAS will be a huge success as Tottenham manager.
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That is the verdict of Porto and Portugal star Joao Moutinho, tipped to be AVB’s first White Hart Lane signing.
He said: “AVB is one of the best coaches I’ve worked with. I’d work with him again tomorrow.
“I don’t really know what happened at Chelsea — but when you employ a new coach you have to give him time.”
Villas-Boas was sacked by Chelsea in March, just eight months into a three-year contract.
He is set to be named as Harry Redknapp’s Tottenham successor within the next 48 hours.
Moutinho, 25, won the Europa League under AVB at Porto and believes he will be far stronger for his traumatic experience at Stamford Bridge.
He said: “You can’t always base his progress on results. If players are obstructive it makes the job very difficult.
“Perhaps in the end he was judged more on immediate results than he was on his long-term vision.
“All I do know is he did a fantastic job at Porto.
“He didn’t win the league title and the Europa League by chance.
“But then he had a set of players who bought into his ideas and were enthusiastic and supportive.
“He was very much like Pep Guardiola was at Barcelona. He loved to deploy systems to bring the best out of the players.
“I remember talking to him about England when he was poised to leave.
“He was so enthusiastic, he was so determined to make a success of it.
“AVB isn’t the type to want revenge, his only motivation is to prove to people that he can be a success in England.”
Moutinho is shocked that AVB, 34, appeared to have so many problems with players at Chelsea.
He added: “I didn’t see his age as a problem. At Porto it brought him closer to the players. The players loved him.”
Moutinho also claims that AVB was a lot calmer than Jose Mourinho.
He added: “They both demand discipline but Mourinho was a lot harder when things went badly.”
The midfielder, who played in Portugal’s Euro 2012 semi-final defeat to Spain, is valued at around £25million by Porto.
Manchester United are ready to battle Spurs for his signature.
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