André Villas-Boas: 'We are looking to go all the way, as it will mean so much to our history'

Published: 21 September, 2012
by PAUL COWLING

Europa League, Group J
SPURS 0, LAZIO 0

BEFORE this match, André Villas-Boas talked up the importance of Spurs winning the Europa League.

Having won the trophy a year ago with Porto, and needing to prove himself in English football following a rude awakening at Chelsea, AVB is on a mission to succeed again.

"The Europa League is something Spurs want to win,” said Villas-Boas, following last night’s 0-0 home draw with Lazio.

“We are looking to go all the way, as it will mean so much to our history, and it will be emotional for the fans.”

But those fans were left frustrated, as Spurs had to settle for a solitary point on a frustrating night at the Lane.

The home side can consider themselves unlucky not to have got their campaign off to the perfect start, having had three goals ruled offside and penalty appeals turned down by the Romanian officials.

Emmanuel Adebayor was missing with a hamstring injury, and how Spurs fans could have done with him to get the one goal that would have got his side the three points, as Lazio offered virtually nothing.

For all their possession (some 59 per cent in total), Spurs seemed to be merely weaving pretty patterns, and lacked that killer instinct in front of goal.

In the first half, it was virtually all Spurs, as Lazio had no answer to the home side's high tempo and quick passing. Spurs were quicker to the ball, not giving their visitors a chance to settle. When they lost it, they soon got it back.

On 16 minutes, Aaron Lennon charged down the right, and delivered a tempting cross for Gareth Bale, who had time to place his header, but it was tipped over by Lazio keeper Federico Marchetti.

Six minutes later Clint Dempsey had the ball in the net from a Bale cross, (the first of three disallowed goals on the night) but his header was wrongly disallowed, as Senad Lulic had played him onside.

The second half was much the same as the first – with Spurs in total command.

On 51 minutes, Lennon appealed for a penalty, after being brought down, but played was waved on.

Spurs had the ball in the net a second time on 58 minutes, but Bale was rightly ruled offside.

Tottenham's frustration was complete, when late in the game, Steven Caulker had a header ruled out for a foul on Stefano Mauri.

After the match, Villas-Boas spoke of his frustration at drawing the match, but he was still pleased with the performance.

"I think we did enough to get the win today," he said. "I am extremely happy with the performance and the effort that the players put in.

"You can't reprimand them for anything, they were outstanding, they managed to create enough opportunities to win the game.

"The team put the ball in the back of the net three times, but all the goals were disallowed by the ref, so it's a bit disappointing.

"It shows that we are on the right track to giving something back to the fans. We were superior against a team that is doing extremely well. We can be happy with that performance."

For Spurs, it was two points dropped, but the signs are there that the side is becoming an effective unit.

On a sour note, Villas-Boas refused to be drawn on reports that some Lazio fans had subjected Spurs' black players to racist abuse. But, he did say there was no place in the game for racial abuse, and hoped that Uefa President Michel Platini (who was at the match) would look into the allegations.

Spurs: Lloris, Walker, Caulker, Vertonghen, Naughton, Sandro, Dembele (Mason +2), Lennon (Townsend 81), Dempsey (Sigurdsson 75) , Bale, Defoe. Subs: Cudicini, Huddlestone, Gallas, Dawson.
Lazio: Marchetti, Lulic, Dias, Biava, Cavanda, Ledesma, Onazi (Zarate 80), Gonzalez, Hernanes ( Ciani,+1), Mauri (Ederson), Klose. Subs: Bizzarri, Scaloni, Kozak, Floccari.
Referee: Ovidiu Alin Hategan (Romania)
Attendance: 25,030

SPURS COMMENT by Paul Cowling

THE Lazio fans got off the train with their high-decibel chanting.

It sounded rather ominous, and a large presence of police suggested the same. Then the tifosi burst into passionate praise for Paul Gascoigne, as if to say, “It’s alright, we come in peace.”

Lazio were paying homage to the midfielder who played for both clubs. The club’s general manager, Maurizio Mancini, even talked of a “corner of Tottenham in Lazio's hearts”, such is their feeling for him.

The love-in continued at the Lane. The visiting fans rose to Gascoigne again, and Spurs fans applauded and chanted back. How we loved it. It's how football should be. There would never be any Prada “handbags” with the Spurs fans afterwards.

It was good natured. Or so it seemed.

There were rumours of monkey chanting from the Lazio corner. In a football crowd, racism gets lost in the mayhem, but it was there at the Lane.

For all that love for Gascoigne, there was hatred for Jermain Defoe and Spurs' other black players.

Would those racist fans love Defoe more if he had signed for them, and scored the goal that won the league?

Probably not. After all, Chelsea's John Obi Mikel has just closed his Twitter account because of the “feedback” from some of his own “fans” for giving away an equaliser.

Uefa President Michel Platini was at the Spurs match, but will he do more than just sweep racism under the carpet with a meagre club fine?

A lot changes in football, but some things never do.