Roberto Rambaudi: "Andre Villas-Boas is average"

Former Lazio midfielder Roberto Rambaudi has described Tottenham Hotspur manager Andre Villas-Boas as "average" ahead of tonight's Europa League encounter.

Aquile host Spurs at the Stadio Olimpico knowing that a win would see them safely into the knockout stages of the competition.

Rambaudi, who played for Lazio from 1994 to 1998, believes that Villas-Boas's men carry a potent threat down the wide areas with Gareth Bale and Aaron Lennon.

However, he has not been impressed with the Portuguese coach since he took over as manager of Chelsea before the start of last season.

"Villas-Boas is an average coach," Rambaudi told Radio Mana Sport. "He proved that with Chelsea and at the moment with Tottenham.

"He should be doing much better – you just have to look at their [eighth-place] ranking in the Premier League table to see that. He is unable to give clear instructions to the team, and only with Porto has he done a good job – and even then he had the best players available to him.

"Despite all that though, Tottenham are one of the strongest teams in England. Gareth Bale, Jermaine Defoe and Aaron Lennon are three of the best attacking players in the world."

Panathinaikos host Maribor in the other game in Group J.