Venables: Villas-Boas must be humble

Tottenham Hotspur favourite Terry Venables believes manager Andre Villas-Boas must show humility to succeed at White Hart Lane.

Villas-Boas, 34, was appointed as Harry Redknapp’s successor on a three-year deal on Tuesday, five months after his sacking by Chelsea.

The Portuguese coach reportedly alienated several senior players during his time at Stamford Bridge, and Venables, an FA Cup winner as a manger at Tottenham, feels the former Porto man must learn from his mistakes.

“The first thing new Tottenham chief Andre Villas-Boas needs to do is be humble,” he told The Sun.

“Having led unbeaten Porto to a treble in his first season, he arrived at Chelsea as a manager who had never tasted defeat.

“As we all know, he came unstuck. He must admit he got things wrong last time and then prove it by listening to what the senior players have to say. Treat them like adults and they will prosper.”

Venables’ fellow former Tottenham manager Glenn Hoddle feels the pressure will be on Villas-Boas to prove himself quickly after Redknapp’s successful tenure.

“He needs to handle the pressure. It was a big call from chairman Daniel Levy to let Harry Redknapp go – and an even bigger one to bring in AVB,” he said.

“It means the club are at a crossroads. They didn’t need to be in this position. They should have been moving forward, keeping star players, bringing in some new ones and improving the stadium.

“Anyone would be under pressure. But he’s under more because of what happened at Chelsea.”