• Premier League

Villas-Boas: Adebayor must be patient

ESPN staff
November 4, 2013
Adebayor missed out on Tottenham's 0-0 draw with Everton on Sunday

Tottenham manager Andre Villas-Boas says striker Emmanuel Adebayor must remain patient if he harbours hopes of returning to the first team.

Adebayor is yet to make an appearance for Spurs this season having slipped down the pecking order behind new signing Roberto Soldado and Jermain Defoe, who has become the club's leading scorer in Europe of all time already this season.

Tottenham's 0-0 draw at Everton leaves the club fourth, level with Chelsea and Liverpool and trailing leaders Arsenal by five points.

Adebayor believes he "cannot get any lower" as Andre Villas-Boas leaves him out at Tottenham, but the manager insists his Spurs career is not yet over.

"Obviously every player counts for us," Villas-Boas said. "We have Defoe on eight goals, Soldado on six.

"Sometimes we start with a 4-4-2, then that can change to a 4-2-3-1 with one striker up front, so there is competition for places and you have to try and break your way into the team.

"No matter how hard you try the others are trying just as hard as you. So you have to be patient and wait for your opportunity whenever it arises. I think that is the nature of any top club in the country.

"You look at [Manchester] City who have four strikers. Two of them play, two of them sit [on the bench]. It's no different for us, you have to wait for the opportunity."

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