Are we on the road to greater things now?

Daniel Levy’s critics

Look around some Tottenham Hotspur Facebook pages, not all, and you will find Daniel Levy haters. They are neither businessmen or football managers, nor have they ever worked at a football club, but they know better. They could do a better job, and if they had Levy’s position they would do this or that, and they would sack so and so, and why not buy that player, as they would do if they were in charge. It makes you wonder if they are that smart and know better than businessmen, managers and such people, that they haven’t been snapped up and given a top footballing job? It is not an easy life being an owner, director, football manager or just somebody employed at the top at a footballing company. It makes me mad that supporters can just mouth off without no thought or intelligence behind what they are saying.

It is easy to sit at a keyboard or shout to your mates that so-and-so is an idiot and hasn’t got a clue, as if they were better placed and had a deep understanding of the politics of football business, than the person they are chastising.

Yes, we pay our money, and as supporters, we should voice our opinion, but that opinion should have some intelligence behind it. A deeper understanding of what they are talking about (would help their cause), not just talking out off one's arse for the sake of talking out off ones arse to those who are just as ignorant or blinkered as the one who is doing the pontificating.

Somebody said on social media that if Daniel Levy had bought more players or better players in 2015/ 16 season, then it would have been us and not Leicester City who would have won the title. Obviously, they didn’t think this through. And they were tickety-boo that they were right (“without a doubt”), “it is a fact” (?) they said. He must have been in touch with the spirits (and I am not talking about ghosts here). Never mind that we finished in third, underneath Arsenal. I am sure the same logic must, if you can call it logic, also must apply to Arsenal or even Chelsea, United, City and Liverpool, but no, just us. With such surety, you would think that these wise words had come from either God or a genius businessman, but no, just an Alf Garnett caricature.

Another had written that Daniel Levy deliberately stopped his managers from winning Trophies by not giving them any money; if that were the case, we would have been relegated by now.  Such stupidity.

Or we should have won the title by now, never mind that we were brought back from the brink by Sugar and then Levy after near bankruptcy. There are other pieces of drivel directed at Daniel Levy by people who don’t know anything, but pretend they do.

Of course, I am a life long Spurs supporter, and I remember/ saw us winning trophies and want us to win more. We have a great and proud history but is it Daniel Levy’s fault that we had only won one trophy (League Cup 2008) since he arrived? Oh, and don’t let us forget that we had reached another League Cup and UEFA Champions League final. Of course, as a supporter, I would love to have won more trophies, who wouldn’t.

When Daniel Levy came to the club he had a vision, he wanted to restore Spurs rightful place at the top spot. But such visions can’t be achieved overnight (and it cost money). Such visions needed substantial financial investment, and White Hart Lane wasn’t fit for the 21^st Century and Premier League football. We required a state of the art stadium, followed, eventually, by a state of the art team, to compete in the top echelons of world football.

Tottenham were a top-six club, below that we were underperforming, beyond that we were punching above our weight. A new vision and stadium would put us amongst the elite of English and European football. So a lot of jingling and creative book work was needed. He had to find a way to straddle between buying new players (and selling) and putting money away to build that vision. So, yes, we suffered. But we also suffered because of below-standard managers arriving at the club, and to get the right manager isn’t always that easy (just ask United or Arsenal). You can only make a judgement on what you see and hope for. So in succession, managers quickly came and went.  That is until Redknapp was picked to lead us. Redknapp’s failure was taking his eye off the ball in the hope of getting the England job. He was replaced by a couple of misfits until Levy managed to prise Pochettino away from Southampton. Good management and purchases allowed us to punch above our weight and perch ourselves in the top four. There is still a way to go, but the future looks rosy (rosier than if we had stayed at White Hart Lane).

Another criticism that is has been directed at Levy & Lewis is that they should have put their hands in their pockets (like Leeds and Blackburn directors’ did, and you know where these clubs are now!). But how long for? Knowing football supporters, indefinitely. As if it is their money. Clubs must be self-sufficient; otherwise, it can end badly (and many clubs have those scars). And besides, just because somebody is a billionaire doesn’t mean they have free change splashing around, it is probably all tied up somewhere.

Of course, our patience will eventually wear off. The team is going to need substantial investment if we want to keep our top four spot and keep our manager. And of course, Levy needs to fill the stadium and make it viable. Otherwise, he could end up having a turkey on his hands. A lot of pressure and juggling is therefore needed.

There is another thing; replacing Levy, you could get somebody who has never stood on the shelf (like Levy) and that their only interest in Spurs is as a financial asset or as some would call it, an extra testicle.

Hatred for hatred sake, and with no substances is just hatred and shallowness.

So far, Daniel Levy has delivered part of his vision (the stadium and financial security), the next step will be the team (and with the purchase of the latest two acquisitions he seems to be going in the right direction, with more to follow). Intelligent fans can accept the stadium-future vision, they get what he is doing, the marginal-few Levy head-shakers will just continue playing to the gallery of ignoramuses.

Daniel Levy has his faults, but trying to do the right thing for Spurs isn’t one of them.

Don Scully