Villas-Boas buoyed for Spurs project

Tottenham manager Andre Villas-Boas is confident his new project can succeed at White Hart Lane with the full backing of chairman Daniel Levy. The 34-year-old Portuguese coach came to Stamford Bridge last summer full of ambitions to take the Blues forwards. However, he was sacked by Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich just eight months into the job, with his team outside the top four of the Premier League. Under the guidance of then interim coach Roberto di Matteo, Chelsea went on to win both the FA Cup and Champions League. Villas-Boas, however, has no doubts his fresh relationship with Levy will allow their plans to take Tottenham forwards flourish. "I met the chairman, and saw the way he goes about his business at the club. He knows what he is doing, approaching the market in a different way, is a person of great football understanding and he had the effect of giving me the assurances I wanted in terms of building something," said Villas-Boas, who has agreed a three-year deal at White Hart Lane to replace Harry Redknapp. "Tottenham are linked with great football in the past. It is something they have always valued highly. There is a wonderful history of attractive football, and Bill Nicholson left these messages of football well played and doing things in style, which is what I want to achieve as well." Villas-Boas added: "With an owner that is involved on a daily basis at the football club, with his knowledge, that is the main difference. The structures that surround Tottenham are extremely good. There are competent people in and around the football club. The club is driven towards success, and everybody knows they must play a part in achieving that success. "They are not looking for certain scapegoats, and when so many people are striving forward, it makes your job easier." The manner of Villas-Boas' dismissal at Stamford Bridge in March continues to sit uneasy with the former Porto boss. "The thing is that what we were doing (at Chelsea) in terms of the project, words did not meet the actions, so I think I was cut short," he said. "All of us are emotional, and we all respond in a different way to sentiments of ambition and revenge, but it would be a wrong step if I were to take it that way. This club is much more important than me and what I have to do is try to take them to success and not make it a personal issue." Villas-Boas is determined to make a success in the English game the second time around. "I arrive here much more prepared and a much better manager than I was before and it is these experiences that I will use to take it forward," he said. "Here, there is more of a sense of belonging to a club. This is a club full of tradition, which I am still learning about and have to admire. "Chelsea has its own tradition that has changed dramatically since it was bought in 2003, and there is a sense of belonging here at Spurs which I want to use in a different way. I am the one who has arrived, the new one, and I have to get into the flow of the club's expectations for the future and take it in the right direction. "What we want for Tottenham is a message of what is around the club. We have a new training ground and will have a new stadium, and what I want for the team is to close the gap on winning something." While Croatia playmaker Luka Modric is likely to leave when Spurs receive the right offer, Villas-Boas maintains Holland midfielder Rafael van der Vaart is an integral part of his plans. "With Van der Vaart, at the moment I am absolutely counting on him," he said. "It is a totally different situation from Luka, who has been chased by different clubs in the past two seasons and is continuing to drag interest. We have to make sure the club's interests are met, and it is up to the chairman to decide that."