Daniel Levy defends himself in the new documentary on Spurs.

 

Daniel Levy defends himself in the new documentary on Spurs.

In the Evening Standard Dan Kilpatrick, their sports reporter, has stated that the much-criticised (by the fans) Daniel Levy defends his record at the club.

To the Tottenham fans, he is a marmite figure. Some think he can do no wrong, others believe he is part of Tottenham's failure to win trophies.

In the documentary, Levy said: "I think the perception of me is that I'm hard-nosed, stubborn, don't care and [am] not ambitious. I think a lot of that isn't fair. I certainly think I'm incredibly ambitious to improve the team. They just don't understand how hard it is to get to that place. I've run a lot of businesses. Running a football club is the hardest business I've ever run."

The top side of his record is that he has turned our old stadium from a pumpkin to a glittering coach (where it rains money)—full credit to him for that. However, on the playing field, he has been very tight-arsed with the club's cash. Since taking over at the club we've only won one trophy, and that is the inconsequential-second rate-League Cup. While the other top clubs have raced ahead, we've taken two steps forward and four backwards.  Managers have come and gone faster than diarrhoea leaving the system.

Where clubs have managed to get the best players, we look for bargains,out-of-contract or surplus to requirement players, and we usually wait to the very last minute of the transfer window to purchase.

Levy made a statement a few years ago where he said that the current financial situation was not" sustainable" (buying over-priced players); that is fine if all the other clubs agree and act together. Sadly, only Levy has taken his words to heart. At one time we were well ahead of Chelsea, United and Liverpool, now we are behind those teams in sixth place.

Yes, he does work hard, but where the team is concerned, nothing (no trophies). Engaging ones brain for the greater good and penny-pinching and working hard is no good if you've got nothing to show for it other than the low-ranking League Cup (a competition that the top clubs usually send their youngster out to perform in).

Hard work is when you can say to the fans, "look at the trophies I've got for your club". The Directors of United, Arsenal, Liverpool, City, Chelsea and Leicester City can all boast that they worked hard because in the time Levy has been the Director at White Hart Lane they have won a glutton of trophies between them. Even lowly Leicester City has won the league title, where we have to go back 60 years and look at faded pictures to see us with the League title.

There is no doubt that when Levy joined Tottenham, he had a vision, but it wasn't for the team on the field, but for the stadium (a new logo, different entertainment; such as boxing, concerts, rugby, American football and whatever else he can flog to the public). Now that magnificent cash cow is towering over the poorer part of London and is showing fruition (enriching Levy and the board), any leftover droplets from the cash-cow are too meagre to improve the team. Because of starving the team of funds we've dropped from fourth place to a humbling 6^th position. And even Thursday night Europa-league-football needs us to jump through hoops (qualifying-rounds) if we want to grace that competition. This is basically what Daniel Levy's hard work has done for the Football side of his magnificent-cash-cow engine.

The managers' that Levy had employed before Mourinho arrived had second class credentials. Mourinho, who has achieved greatness in his career with likes of Inter Milan, Chelsea, Real Madrid to name but three, has joined our club on the back of criticism (that he is past his sell-by date). If Levy wants to dispel the angry words that are directed at him, he needs to work with Mourinho and build a trophy challenging team. He also needs to finish in the top-four to get the big bucks. Trying to save money could cost him more than splashing out and fighting for glory: his choice, his legacy. Just building a cash cow monument  (Tottenham Stadium)to show what his hard work has achieved, but at the same time allowing a 138-year-old football club to end up as also-rans (the West Ham's of the Premier League) won't augment his name, but turn it to dust. His choice, his reputation.

Footnote: Since writing this article Daniel Levy seems to have broken with tradition and purchased a few players earlier. Is this him turning over a new leaf, Mourinho's influence, realising that his old ways weren't working; hasn't achieved anything for the club? Only time will tell.