Tottenham Hotspur coach Andre Villas-Boas, right, is starting to show signs of strain as pressure builds amid his team's underwhelming performances. Rune Stoltz Bertinussen / Reuters
Tottenham Hotspur coach Andre Villas-Boas, right, is starting to show signs of strain as pressure builds amid his team's underwhelming performances. Rune Stoltz Bertinussen / Reuters

Cracks starting to show in Villas-Boas’ cool facade



It is easy to understand why Andre Villas-Boas would object to a fan sitting behind his dugout and chanting, “You’re getting sacked in the morning.”

Yes, a lot of managers have had to put up with worse, but one voice in a generally quiet crowd can grate more than an entire grandstand bellowing abuse.

It is easy to understand, too, that security should have proposed moving the fan to the other side of the stadium as a reasonable way of resolving the issue.

And it is just as easy to understand why the fan, a Manchester United-supporting hairdresser, would decide to leave the ground altogether, then sell his story to the newspapers.

What happened during Tottenham Hotspur’s 2-0 Europa League win over Tromso on Thursday is not particularly important, but a narrative is in place. The incident confirmed the prevailing view of Villas-Boas as prickly and humourless, and it added to the impression that, for all his protestations, he is under pressure and beginning to feel it.

Whether he deserves to be under pressure is another issue, but once the stone of a firing story gets rolling, it is extremely difficult to stop. That makes Sunday’s game against Manchester United even more important for Tottenham.

Last Sunday’s 6-0 defeat at Manchester City has changed the mood.

Before that loss, there had been a mild grumbling about a lack of goals, an acceptance that, having brought in seven players and lost Gareth Bale, that it would take time for Spurs to find a rhythm. But the insipid nature of the City display, the lack of fight, the bewildering insistence on a high defensive line with two centre-backs, Michael Dawson and Younes Kaboul, who seem uncomfortable with it, has set alarm bells clanging.

Some perspective is required. This, after all, remains Tottenham’s third-best start to a Premier League season and Villas-Boas last season led them to their highest points tally in the Premier League era.

There might not have been much to celebrate in Villas-Boas’s 50th game in charge, but he should have credit in the bank – quite apart from the fact that the summer outlay, a rare if not unprecedented opportunity to strengthen the squad afforded them by the Bale windfall, has meant a second period of bedding in.

Perhaps the performance at the Etihad Stadium was just a glitch, a day in which everybody was off-colour, but the worry is it signalled a general loss of faith in the manager. Even Villas-Boas’s staunchest fans would have to admit that his inability to arrest the calamity was troubling.

“We need to bounce back and give the club and fans what they deserve,” the midfielder Gylfi Sigurdsson said. “We need to put on a performance that is more like us and we need to play attacking football, create chances and score goals and I am sure that we will do that on Sunday.”

Playing United is, in a sense, a bonus. A win would soon erase memories of the City defeat and, given United’s problems in midfield – Wednesday’s win in Leverkusen notwithstanding – Tottenham can take control of the centre.

But then, they have done that repeatedly this season. Their problem has been converting possession into meaningful chances. No side in the top half has scored fewer goals than Tottenham, yet no side in the division has had more shots.

The long-term aim must be greater patience and efficiency in attack, but for Sunday, regaining a measure of stability will do.

sports@thenational.ae

THE BIO

Favourite car: Koenigsegg Agera RS or Renault Trezor concept car.

Favourite book: I Am Pilgrim by Terry Hayes or Red Notice by Bill Browder.

Biggest inspiration: My husband Nik. He really got me through a lot with his positivity.

Favourite holiday destination: Being at home in Australia, as I travel all over the world for work. It’s great to just hang out with my husband and family.

 

 

Cryopreservation: A timeline
  1. Keyhole surgery under general anaesthetic
  2. Ovarian tissue surgically removed
  3. Tissue processed in a high-tech facility
  4. Tissue re-implanted at a time of the patient’s choosing
  5. Full hormone production regained within 4-6 months
The specs: 2018 Maxus T60

Price, base / as tested: Dh48,000

Engine: 2.4-litre four-cylinder

Power: 136hp @ 1,600rpm

Torque: 360Nm @ 1,600 rpm

Transmission: Five-speed manual

Fuel consumption, combined: 9.1L / 100km

Paatal Lok season two

Directors: Avinash Arun, Prosit Roy 

Stars: Jaideep Ahlawat, Ishwak Singh, Lc Sekhose, Merenla Imsong

Rating: 4.5/5

COMPANY%20PROFILE
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Other workplace saving schemes
  • The UAE government announced a retirement savings plan for private and free zone sector employees in 2023.
  • Dubai’s savings retirement scheme for foreign employees working in the emirate’s government and public sector came into effect in 2022.
  • National Bonds unveiled a Golden Pension Scheme in 2022 to help private-sector foreign employees with their financial planning.
  • In April 2021, Hayah Insurance unveiled a workplace savings plan to help UAE employees save for their retirement.
  • Lunate, an Abu Dhabi-based investment manager, has launched a fund that will allow UAE private companies to offer employees investment returns on end-of-service benefits.
Notable Yas events in 2017/18

October 13-14 KartZone (complimentary trials)

December 14-16 The Gulf 12 Hours Endurance race

March 5 Yas Marina Circuit Karting Enduro event

March 8-9 UAE Rotax Max Challenge

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If you go
Where to stay: Courtyard by Marriott Titusville Kennedy Space Centre has unparalleled views of the Indian River. Alligators can be spotted from hotel room balconies, as can several rocket launch sites. The hotel also boasts cool space-themed decor.

When to go: Florida is best experienced during the winter months, from November to May, before the humidity kicks in.

How to get there: Emirates currently flies from Dubai to Orlando five times a week.
German intelligence warnings
  • 2002: "Hezbollah supporters feared becoming a target of security services because of the effects of [9/11] ... discussions on Hezbollah policy moved from mosques into smaller circles in private homes." Supporters in Germany: 800
  • 2013: "Financial and logistical support from Germany for Hezbollah in Lebanon supports the armed struggle against Israel ... Hezbollah supporters in Germany hold back from actions that would gain publicity." Supporters in Germany: 950
  • 2023: "It must be reckoned with that Hezbollah will continue to plan terrorist actions outside the Middle East against Israel or Israeli interests." Supporters in Germany: 1,250 

Source: Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution

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How Voiss turns words to speech

The device has a screen reader or software that monitors what happens on the screen

The screen reader sends the text to the speech synthesiser

This converts to audio whatever it receives from screen reader, so the person can hear what is happening on the screen

A VOISS computer costs between $200 and $250 depending on memory card capacity that ranges from 32GB to 128GB

The speech synthesisers VOISS develops are free

Subsequent computer versions will include improvements such as wireless keyboards

Arabic voice in affordable talking computer to be added next year to English, Portuguese, and Spanish synthesiser

Partnerships planned during Expo 2020 Dubai to add more languages

At least 2.2 billion people globally have a vision impairment or blindness

More than 90 per cent live in developing countries

The Long-term aim of VOISS to reach the technology to people in poor countries with workshops that teach them to build their own device

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  • Use unique usernames and passwords while enabling multi-factor authentication.
  • Use an offline private key, a physical device that requires manual activation, whenever you access your wallet.
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COMPANY PROFILE
Name: HyperSpace
 
Started: 2020
 
Founders: Alexander Heller, Rama Allen and Desi Gonzalez
 
Based: Dubai, UAE
 
Sector: Entertainment 
 
Number of staff: 210 
 
Investment raised: $75 million from investors including Galaxy Interactive, Riyadh Season, Sega Ventures and Apis Venture Partners
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Guide to intelligent investing
Investing success often hinges on discipline and perspective. As markets fluctuate, remember these guiding principles:
  • Stay invested: Time in the market, not timing the market, is critical to long-term gains.
  • Rational thinking: Breathe and avoid emotional decision-making; let logic and planning guide your actions.
  • Strategic patience: Understand why you’re investing and allow time for your strategies to unfold.
 
 
Formula Middle East Calendar (Formula Regional and Formula 4)
Round 1: January 17-19, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
 
Round 2: January 22-23, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
 
Round 3: February 7-9, Dubai Autodrome – Dubai
 
Round 4: February 14-16, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
 
Round 5: February 25-27, Jeddah Corniche Circuit – Saudi Arabia
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The specs

Engine: Direct injection 4-cylinder 1.4-litre
Power: 150hp
Torque: 250Nm
Price: From Dh139,000
On sale: Now

THE SPECS

Engine: 6.75-litre twin-turbocharged V12 petrol engine 

Power: 420kW

Torque: 780Nm

Transmission: 8-speed automatic

Price: From Dh1,350,000

On sale: Available for preorder now

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