Tottenham Hotspur manager Andre Villas-Boas blames transfer movement for poor start in the Premier League "This is the first time we've had everyone together, the first time we've trained properly, the first time most of the players have seen Clint Dempsey's face, Hugo's face so, at this time, it's important for us to have more time together, to establish ourselves," Villas-Boas said on Friday. There have, in truth, been more changes in personnel than he probably expected with more than £50 million of players sold - and almost the same amount spent in bringing in replacements with Jan Vertonghen and Gylfi Sigurdsson arriving earlier in the summer. The biggest concern, however, has been the failure to adequately replace Modric, who was such a pivotal figure in the way Spurs played and the way that Villas-Boas wanted them to play, even if he conceded it was in everyone's best interests for the Croat to go. It remains a moot point as to who provided the impetus for the departure of Rafael Van der Vaart and who was keen for Michael Dawson to be sold. There have been other factors. It is often overlooked that Spurs lost Ledley King, who retired, that Scott Parker has been injured and that Younes Kaboul is also out and not expected to return for four months. In a sense, Spurs have not just changed manager - and moved into a new training ground this week - but have lost the spine of their team. And they are trying to alter not just their style of play but also encourage the introduction of young players such as Steven Caulker. Into this has stepped Villas-Boas, whose own motivation for such a swift return to the Premier League is not just to win trophies but also, after his bruising experience at Chelsea, to rebuild his reputation in this country. It is one reason why he turned down the chance to take over at Valencia and join Spurs.