Second home: Villas-Boas is no stranger to Stamford BridgeThe arrival of Andre Villas-Boas has sparked a fascination not seen since the days of Jose Mourinho but, despite symmetric career paths, their gravity pull have different origins indeed.
Media behaviour at Stamford Bridge has been amusing in recent weeks. The arrival of the misleadingly dubbed “Mini-Mourinho” has provoked the treatment you’d give an alien on earth; careful questioning, intense listening and an analytical approach designed gain understanding of something you’ve not quite seen before.
Not that a stone remains unturned. The career of Villas-Boas has been narrated, analysed and examined; his leaked scout report dissected more than once. Yet nobody knows what we all crave to know; the mystery of his methods, his motives and how he managed to claim that blue chair at 33.
You’d be forgiven for treating Villas-Boas as a space-like creature, for his story is truly alien to what modern football has seen. Amateur footballers have aspired to great achievements as coaches – Rafa Benitez and Jose Mourinho of late – but never at such an age. It is only natural, when confronted with an unparalleled achievement, we wonder how it was done.
Mourinho’s two faces
This is where the fascination of Villas-Boas differs to that of Jose Mourinho. Of course, the disclosure of Mourinho’s training methods would have brought interest, but many have already come to light (such as “guided discovery”, short, intense sessions and focus on training with ball). It is Mourinho the character that really grips us.
Patrick Barclay of the Times spent a book trying to unpick Mourinho’s personality, analysing his attitudes to family, religion and, of course, football. It is a compelling character that unfolds under the microscope, particularly given it has two vastly different faces; one designed to win trophies, one for his private life.
With the danger of going off topic, it is worth exploring this briefly. Through Mourinho’s professional mask, every word spoken, every action taken is aimed at winning trophies. His presence turn press conferencess into theathres, his interviews are aimed not at the TV audience, but the players. Every fight picked, every complaint made; it all serves a unified purpose.
The converse personality is, fittingly, incomparable to such behaviour. Barclay explores this; how the otherwise grumpy Mourinho can suddenly be seen chatting with the cantina staff at training grounds, or catching up with an old friend from school. During a chat with Henry Winter of the Daily Telegraph, I was told the same. He’d hardly met a more charming manager in his career.
Mourinho reveals these faces too when he asked his opinion on mounting criticism against him. “True,” he answers, “but how many of these people truly know me?”
Comparisons
A book like that of Patrick Barclay will not be written about Villas-Boas. His uniqueness lies not in charisma, opinion and self-obsession – that which Mourinho demonstrated as he burst into the Stamford Bridge saloon, but in quiet genius of unparalleled nature.
This makes comparisons between the two misleading. While their training methods are similar – an inevitability given their learning environments and close relationship – their characters are incomparable. Even their names reflects this; Mourinho adopting a catchy single-worded synonymous, Villas-Boas preferring his modest, nearly awkward-sounding surname.
Perhaps the biggest difference is how Mourinho uses his own personality as a weapon, a feat of unknown territory to Villas-Boas. He is, for the sake of comparison, more similar to Rafael Benitez; an obsessive analyst who prefers to work. Attempts have been made to compare his media handling at Porto with that of Mourinho, but without much conviction.
Messi: Players like him do not come often. Photo: Adidas ItalyThis difference is only natural given their experience. Mourinho has studied sports science and psychology comprehensively, equipping him with an all-round approach.Villas-Boas is a purist, his past as chief scout giving him tactical understanding such detail he has not needed to get under people’s skin.
Tactically they both share the notion of preparation and organisation. They prefer physical teams – Villas-Boas’ Porto was above all extremely powerful and dynamic, similarly to Chelsea and Inter under Mourinho. They also share smaller preferences such as inverted wingers, defensive midfielders and, notably, a corner tactic where the ball whipped towards the near post for a flick-on (at one point, Porto scored at least three goals in three games from this under Villas-Boas).
But where Villas-Boas comes short in mind games and psychology, he compensates with the understanding of attacking movements seemingly alien to Mourinho. His Porto side netted over a hundred goals last year, often through offensive full-backs and highly intelligent midfield runs. Free-flowing, yet always balanced and measured.
Indeed, when facing questions over defensive play, Mourinho often passes his style off as “balanced”, despite actually playing counter-attacking football. Porto under Villas-Boas seemed to define balance as well as anybody.
Comparisons with Messi
Given that Villas-Boas is significantly younger than Mourinho was at Chelsea, it is tempting to suggest Villas-Boas as a technically superior coach. This is dangerous of course; he will do emulate the work Mourinho did in England and Italy, but for what has happened so far, Villas-Boas has exceeded his perceived mentor.
To recap his past, his league record at Porto (24-2-0) resembles a raw talent of near inhuman measure. Not dissimilar to a certain Lionel Messi. It is problematic comparisons in many ways, but the sheer scale of their talent, and at the age it is demonstrated, they have a lot in common.
Both came through the ranks in unusual circumstances (Messi through a growth hormone and a Barca president who gave him a chance, Villas-Boas living in the hallways of Bobby Robson, who took him under his wing), and both are extraordinarily gifted. They are not outspoken, not controversial, but humble and diplomatic. Seemingly, their whole existence revolves around what happens on the pitch.
The first ‘Football Manager’
Another level of fascination comes from the fact that Villas-Boas was, originally, a football fan – a regular guy with an obsession about football surpassing the average armchair follower. Granted, he is unusually clever and hard-working but, while he may be unique to some extent, it would have been nothing without opportunity.
Indeed, just as characters such as Bobby Robson are rare to football, so are coaches such as Villas-Boas. You may say, it took a special manager to create another. Only access to professional football could have provided a regular fan with the learning environment required to become a top coach. Forget coaching courses; we are talking about hands-on experience at the highest level.
More to follow?
Many will say the rise of Villas-Boas will give belief to the uncountable number of aspiring sofa managers (just ask SI Games, developers of the Football Manager series), but that would undermine the luck Villas-Boas had. Yet of course, if you do happen to live in the hallway of an experienced world-class manager willing to give you a shot, then the best of luck to you.
A more likely conclusion is to pass Villas-Boas off as a one-of-a-kind talent, produced through series of lucky breaks explored to the fullest, through cheek, bravery and talent. Like Messi, people like Villas-Boas?come around extremely rarely. It is just how special he is that is so exciting to find out.
View the original article here
Soccer Jerseys Cheap Soccer Jerseys Cheap Sexy Lingerie Кожаный чехол для iPad