• Premier League

Villas-Boas dismisses reports of unrest at Tottenham

Andre Villas-Boas is under pressure following Tottenham's recent displays © PA Photos

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Andre Villas-Boas has dismissed claims that he has fallen out with his players at Tottenham, as rumours continue to circle that the Portuguese is on the verge of being sacked as manager.

Villas-Boas has come under criticism for Tottenham's struggles this season, where they have only scored nine goals and were thumped 6-0 by Manchester City on Sunday.

The Guardian reports that Villas-Boas is "clinging" onto his position at White Hart Lane, and they also say that Tottenham must pick up a result against champions Manchester United on Sunday if Villas-Boas is to remain in charge of the North London outfit.

The Daily Mail reported that several Spurs players were "furious" with Villas-Boas after he said the team should be "ashamed" of their display against City.

However, when asked about whether there were any problems with his players, Villas-Boas refuted those claims, saying: "That can only come from creative minds."

The Daily Mail also quotes Villas-Boas as saying: "I used to read into situations like this. I'm very indifferent. I'm only under pressure from the press. The board and players are fully behind me."

Villas-Boas is concerned by the lack of goals his side have scored this season, but believes the strength of the team will come through.

"The only thing that we can hold on at the moment is the reality that we don't score enough and we are worried about it," he said. "The only thing that we can hold on at the moment is the reality that we don't score enough and we are worried about it."

And the manager has no intentions of letting Jermain Defoe leave during the January transfer window, with several reports suggesting the striker is closing in on a move to the MLS.

"I can't stop stories coming out [about Defoe]. At the moment the feeling is that the player is happy, he wants to get into the Premier League team for sure. His opportunities have come more from Europa League games," he added.

"At this time we've started more games with [Roberto] Soldado but Jermain is working hard to get into the team."

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