Exclusive – Perry: Tottenham are yet to gel under Villas-Boas

Former Tottenham defender Chris Perry has told talkSPORT that their players have yet to gel under Andre Villas-Boas.

Spurs have been inconsistent with their form so far this season and sit seventh in the Premier League, one point and one place ahead of rivals Arsenal.

And, ahead of the north London derby, Perry reckons the Portuguese manager needs to find his preferred starting eleven and tactics before things will improve, although he dismisses suggestions the team have lost last season’s spirit.

He told The Sports Bar: “They probably wouldn’t have lost it. There have been a few new faces brought in.

“AVB, with all due respect to him, isn’t going to be the same man manager as Harry Redknapp but they’ve shown character in some of the games.

“They’ve come from behind in some of the games and I don’t think there is a lack of team spirit. I just think there has been a lack of consistency in his selection and the team has not been able to gel.

“I think the jury is still out on Andre Villas-boas. He’s doing a decent job at the moment. I think he’s certainly earned a bit more time in the job, without a doubt.

“At the start of the season he struggled a little bit and then they went through a really good patch and now they’re going through a slightly bad patch. It’s been a bit up and down.

“I think it will be like that until he finds a system and the way he wants his players to play and they get a settled side.

“Everyone is a bit disappointed with some of the defensive substitutions he’s made in games where Tottenham have been ahead and then have sat on a lead and ended up drawing a game.

“That’s the cautious side of him. Sometimes it pays dividends but he’s just been a bit unfortunate in some of the games.”