Villas-Boas hits out at “personal attacks”

Andre Villas-Boas pointed to an agenda against himself and Tottenham following the club’s 2-2 draw with Manchester United on Sunday.

The Tottenham manager has come under pressure after seeing his side suffer a humiliating 6-0 defeat at Manchester City last weekend.

While acknowledging the impact of that heavy defeat, Villas-Boas railed against what he perceived as unfair criticism from certain quarters.

In the press conference that followed Sunday’s game, the former Porto and Chelsea boss said: “I think it’s pretty clear; People insult my integrity, my human values and my professionalism and one of these people is sitting over here and insults the success I have achieved in other clubs.

“I think it is a lack of respect and an attack on a person’s integrity.”

Villas-Boas went on to explain he had taken exception to his comments being taken out of context after the City defeat, while also suggesting rival managers had not faced such negativity from the press.

“I never said the players should feel ashamed of themselves. (I said) we, that includes me, every time,” he continued.

“We is us. Don’t you agree? Why do you think there is any intention to separate myself from it?

“I don’t want to undermine other managers,(but) I think you can easily compare the situation.

“We were sitting above Man City before (last weekend) and above Man United as well before, and we haven’t seen any kind of personal attacks on somebody. I think it is unfair.

“It’s something that obviously comes with a 6-0 thrashing but more important is the team, more important is the response and I think the players did that in great fashion.”

In an interview with BBC Radio, Villas-Boas also took aim at former Tottenham chairman Alan Sugar.

Again discussing recent media coverage of Tottenham, the 36-year-old said: “I think it’s a very driven agenda by somebody that doesn’t honour the club, neither myself nor my players.

“It’s their (the Tottenham fans’) team, their passion and they don’t trade it for anything else, not like Alan Sugar who trades it for money.”

Villas-Boas felt his side’s performance against Premier League champions United merited additional reward.

Tottenham twice led through Kyle Walker and Sandro, only for Wayne Rooney to draw the visitors level on each occasion.

Rooney’s first came after a poor touch in the box from Walker, while the England forward also converted a penalty after Hugo Lloris was adjuged to have brought down Danny Welbeck.

“We deserved a bit more I think. We had great chances to go 2-0 up in the first half,” said Villas-Boas.

“(We were) very, very unlucky to suffer the goals in the fashion we did, with Walker’s unlucky touch for the first one and a penalty that is not difficult to accept but could have been another call.

“It was a good response from a heavy defeat that we took against Man City, not perfect because perfect would have been to win the game, but a good response from a group of players who want to do well.

“It keeps us in touch with the group at the top and gives us the motivation to go forward.”