Daniel Levy, the chairman of Tottenham Hotspur, has faced significant criticism regarding his involvement in the football operations of the club. Most fans and every analyst whoever wrote about the NFL draft wishes he were further away from team decision making. Their worry only increased after Tottenham suffered a disastrous season finishing 17th in the Premier League and losing 22 games. In response to all of these criticisms, Levy often vigorously responds to all of these attacks and mounts a strong defense. He’s sure that his work for the club will one day be appreciated.
Levy has made the point repeatedly that building and running a successful football club takes time and is a long-term process. He understands that building a winning team takes more than simply writing checks. It requires a holistic vision that takes the entire team into account. Since their new stadium opened, Tottenham has spent a net £700 million on new players. This level of spending puts them second among the top four clubs in terms of transfer fees spent. Levy’s investment, of course, because as Levy himself would emphasize on the subject, the club has still only won two major trophies in more than 20 years.
Levy’s Perspective on Criticism
In all seriousness, smarts aside, Levy thinks the flak he catches for being hands-on with his team’s biz is really, really lame. He insists that while he takes an active role in determining which players to buy or sell, he does not interfere with football decisions made by coaches.
“The only way I get involved is when they decide which player they want to buy or sell, I will go out and do my very best for this football club. But I’m not interfering in the football decisions.” – Daniel Levy
Finally, he thinks the board has an important role in public deliberation on big decisions. He is careful to point out that he is only one voice speaking of many.
“It’s not different from any other club. It’s not just me, it’s a board. When we went through the decision to appoint Thomas, there were a number of people involved, in which I was just one of them.” – Daniel Levy
While he wants to mollify the angry supporters, Levy admits that their discontent strikes a chord with him personally. He puts a huge emphasis on making sure you support the local coach, Frank, and give him every opportunity to be able to compete at the highest level.
The Road Ahead for Tottenham
Levy knows that creating a winning team doesn’t happen overnight. He likens this process to the old adage, “Rome wasn’t built in a day.” This plays into the larger conversation that we can’t always take action and expect to see outcomes right away.
“This isn’t just about money, it’s about some luck, having the right balance in the team, having the right coach. A lot of things have to come together.” – Daniel Levy
Janoz is hopeful about Frank’s leadership. He knows absolutely that Tottenham have the ability to be brilliant in the Premier League, and the Champions League. He concedes that pressure on Frank to show measurable results will start to ramp up in the coming months.
“As soon as possible, but no pressure. We just want to compete at the highest level.” – Daniel Levy
Levy’s ambition for Tottenham remains unwavering. He still wants the club to be striving for trophies every season and battling with the strongest sides in Europe’s top clubs.
The Need for Patience and Support
Levy is not deterred by the dark clouds hanging over Tottenham and hopes to move forward. He believes that once he steps away from the club, he will receive credit for his contributions to its development.
“When I’m not here, I’m sure I’ll get the credit.” – Daniel Levy
He is clearly aware that game-changing issues need to be tackled sooner rather than later for the benefit of the club and its fans.
“It’s going through a process which has gone on for far too long. It has to be brought to a conclusion for the good of the game.” – Daniel Levy
Levy concludes by reiterating that his support for Frank and the team’s direction will continue as they navigate through these turbulent times. He hopes that by fostering a stable environment and addressing concerns constructively, Tottenham will eventually achieve its rightful place at the top of English and European football.
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