Football Season Guide

Tottenham embark on an exciting new era in the coming season after chairman Daniel Levy decided to dispense with Harry Redknapp at the end of the season despite Spurs finishing in the top four. Chelsea's improbable Champions League victory meant that Tottenham will have to do with the Europa League rather than the glamorous games in Europe's elite competition. It was a significant financial blow and Levy used the opportunity to dispense with a manager who he was not getting on with. He decided that a modern continental approach was the way forward and the appointment of Andre Villas-Boas as a new manager may just turn out to be a very inspired one. The Portuguese had torrid time at Chelsea but the dressing room at White Hart Lane is much less intimidating place and he will feel that his progressive methods will be taken more eagerly there. Gareth Bale is staying on but Luka Modric has once again openly instigated for a move with Real Madrid the suitors this time. Villas-Boas is playing hard ball though and Modric may just stay on for another season against the odds, just like last season. Despite the setbacks in the attempts to sign Emanuel Adebayor permanently, along with the rejections of Oscar and Santi Cazorla to join, the North London club still signed some very good players like Jan Vertonghen and Gylfi Sigurdsson. The big issue a week before the start of the season is the lack of real quality striker except Jermain Defoe. Villas-Boas also does not seem to trust his keepers too much as well but deals for Hugo Loris and Julio Cesar are yet to materialise. There are still a lot of question marks surrounding the team with just a week left but one feels that there is a lot of potential at Spurs and they may put themselves in the race for top places, just like last season. A lot will depend on the acquisition of new striker and how quick the players will take on the progressive tactics of the new coach.