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But... But... But AVB doesn't rate him, don't you know!?
"Assou-Ekotto discusses his own situation this season and the difficulties that he has faced, which stem from the injury to his left knee that ruled him out from early September and left him playing catch-up in terms of match fitness but, also, include the transition to a new manager's methods and the style of new team-mates. The left-back has found a new player to his immediate right in the shape of the summer central defensive signing Jan Vertonghen and a new midfielder in front of him, with Gareth Bale having been moved to a more central attacking role.
"Maybe you had a little head movement that you used to do with a guy," Assou-Ekotto says. "You have to find these things again. It's new partnerships, maybe new languages and it takes some time."
The bottom line is that there is no spell to accelerate the re-assimilation of a player in the second-half of a season. If there were, Assou-Ekotto might have been spared the insistent speculation about his future. Since his return to first-team contention in January, he has started 12 of the club's 21 matches and the related theory goes that Villas-Boas does not rate him sufficiently and is open to selling him.
There have also been rumours that Assou-Ekotto's preference to avoid knee surgery in favour of a longer, more thorough rehabilitation programme was badly received and, even, that he has clashed with Villas-Boas. Assou-Ekotto confronts each notion and dismantles it.
"The manager recommended the specialist that I went to see in Barcelona," he says. "And when the specialist recommended the programme to strengthen the muscle around the knee, rather than go for the quick-fix operation, the manager and the chairman were fully supportive of the decision.
"With AVB, if I had a problem with him, I would tell you immediately. If I don't like the guy, I would tell you: "I don't like the guy." But that is not the case. I have no issues with him. So as far as I'm concerned, nothing is afoot. I understand why I have played the number of games that I have played. Everybody is entitled to an opinion but I don't think that anybody has had a conversation with me or with AVB.""
"Maybe you had a little head movement that you used to do with a guy," Assou-Ekotto says. "You have to find these things again. It's new partnerships, maybe new languages and it takes some time."
The bottom line is that there is no spell to accelerate the re-assimilation of a player in the second-half of a season. If there were, Assou-Ekotto might have been spared the insistent speculation about his future. Since his return to first-team contention in January, he has started 12 of the club's 21 matches and the related theory goes that Villas-Boas does not rate him sufficiently and is open to selling him.
There have also been rumours that Assou-Ekotto's preference to avoid knee surgery in favour of a longer, more thorough rehabilitation programme was badly received and, even, that he has clashed with Villas-Boas. Assou-Ekotto confronts each notion and dismantles it.
"The manager recommended the specialist that I went to see in Barcelona," he says. "And when the specialist recommended the programme to strengthen the muscle around the knee, rather than go for the quick-fix operation, the manager and the chairman were fully supportive of the decision.
"With AVB, if I had a problem with him, I would tell you immediately. If I don't like the guy, I would tell you: "I don't like the guy." But that is not the case. I have no issues with him. So as far as I'm concerned, nothing is afoot. I understand why I have played the number of games that I have played. Everybody is entitled to an opinion but I don't think that anybody has had a conversation with me or with AVB.""
Here to stay: Dempsey, Ade, Thor, Walker, Townsend, Caulker, Naughton, Rose
Available for the right price: Defoe, Friedel, BAE, Parker, Hudd, Livermore
For Sale/Out of Contract: Gallas, Gomes
Available for the right price: Defoe, Friedel, BAE, Parker, Hudd, Livermore
For Sale/Out of Contract: Gallas, Gomes
I really want Benny to stay.
Can't believe that anyone would think that AVB should be in the reckoning, will we ever learn that what we need is some stability!
Can't believe that anyone would think that AVB should be in the reckoning, will we ever learn that what we need is some stability!
Who the fuck is going to buy a 41 year old keeper for fuck sake. Use your brains guys!
He was born to play for Spurs
:harryfacepalm:
According to a *gasp* southern Man U fan who was just on my train we will sell them Bale for £60mil as he states it he won't cut it abroad, his example was Modric!!
2 very different players and anyhow why would we sell a huge player like that to a team we could challenge the title for next year with a bit of tweaking?
2 very different players and anyhow why would we sell a huge player like that to a team we could challenge the title for next year with a bit of tweaking?
What's more is Modric is just settling in at Real and showing what an excellent player he is.