Premier League: Villas-Boas rails at critics as Rooney frustrates Spurs
TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR 2 vs MANCHESTER UNITED 2
TOTTENHAM manager Andre Villas-Boas last night blasted his critics, including former Spurs chairman Lord Sugar, for a perceived lack of respect after his side were denied a first Premier League win since October.
Spurs twice led, through full-back Kyle Walker’s free-kick and midfielder Sandro’s thunderbolt, but on both occasions were pegged back by Wayne Rooney, the United striker’s second a penalty.
Villas-Boas, under fire for taking just two points from four top-flight games, later hit back at Lord Sugar, who last week called for the Portuguese coach to be replaced and said he did not understand his tactics.
“I think it’s a very driven agenda by somebody who doesn’t honour the club, neither myself nor my players,” he said of Sugar, who sold Tottenham in 2001. “It’s their team, their passion and they don’t trade it for anything else – not like Alan Sugar who trades it for money.”
Villas-Boas, whose job security has become the subject of speculation, also criticised his treatment by the media, saying some reports “insult my integrity, my human values, my professionalism”.
He added: “It insults the success that I have achieved in other clubs and I don’t think it’s fair.”
The former Porto and Chelsea boss, 36, said he did not want to “undermine” rival managers but questioned his treatment in comparison with that of opposite number David Moyes.
“You can easily compare situations,” he said. “We have sat above Man United before and we haven’t seen any kind of these personal attacks.”
A gripping draw leaves Tottenham ninth, 10 points off the summit, and United, who extended their unbeaten run to 12 games in all competitions, in eighth.
Walker’s first goal since the 2011-12 season, a free-kick driven under a leaping wall, put Spurs in front on 18 minutes. But he also helped United equalise, touching midfielder Phil Jones’s cross into Rooney’s path for the England star to score from close range.
Sandro restored the home side’s advantage shortly after half-time with a blistering 25-yard drive but Rooney leveled from the spot moments later after Lloris had felled Danny Welbeck.