Andre Villas-Boas States Reasons For Tottenham's Inability to Launch Title Challenge

Tottenham Hotspur manager Andre Villas-Boas says the stability of their Premier League rivals and the numerous changes in personal over the summer will prevent the club making a genuine bid for their first league title for over half a century.

The Portuguese boss oversaw the signing of seven new players this summer while Gareth Bale was the highest profile departure for a world record fee to Real Madrid.

Erik Lamela, Christian Eriksen and Roberto Soldado are among the most impressive additions made by Tottenham in the window, leading many to consider the north Londoners as outsiders for a tilt at their first league title since 1961.

But Villas-Boas insists such has been the volume of changes at White Hart Lane this summer which saw over 20 changes in playing staff while Franco Baldini joined as technical director, that a bid for the title is unrealistic.

"I don't think we are (contenders)," Villas-Boas said. "Obviously, the investment we have done raises expectations. But what we have to create is a team that bonds together.

"Our opponents are one step ahead because they have teams that have won in the past and have been stuck together for the past few years and that's an advantage that we don't have.

"I think we've invested a lot in young players that have great potential," the 35 year old added.

"Obviously we have to work with them to make sure they develop into the potential and to the world star that they can become. All of them have great ambition to succeed which is one of the criteria's that we wanted; ambitious people who want to win titles.

"Now is it about creating a team that bonds together and assumes the responsibility of winning titles. This is what we have I our hands to go forward we are very happy and hopefully we can get a good response in the next couple of games."

Tottenham's unbeaten start to the season was ended by Arsenal prior to the international break, but Villas-Boas will be hoping to return to winning ways upon the Premier league's resumption when they take on Norwich City.

This weekend also will likely see Bale make his bow for Real against Villarreal in La Liga and Villas-Boas says Tottenham are keen to move on from the Welshman's spell at the club.

"In the end the Gareth deal was done," he stated. "The three parties were happy to conclude the deal.

"We were probably the ones that were less satisfied to see him depart but we have to move on. We've done our business in the market and we look forward to continuing. It's completely indifferent for us (if Gareth does well)."