- Jan 26, 2005
- 3,784
- 9,630
I have been a member on this forum for many years and have seen the rise and fall of managers, players and clubs. What has been consistent from my time on this forum and my adult life as a Spurs fan is Daniel Levy, he has been at the head of the development of our club, since he joined in February 2001.
He has been criticised by many in football, many fans and more importantly by many Spurs fans. To a point where supporting Daniel Levy was seen as almost laughable, and some would even suggest that you were an illegitimate son of his, if you dared to praise him on this forum.
Now without wanting to bring back terrifying memories, the squad was looking pretty bleak back when Daniel took over. Managing dream team Sherwood and Ferdinand were in it as was the one and only Serhiy Rebrov. The hope we had was based around some promising youngsters, club legend Ledley King and another centre back that left on a free to our rivals the same summer that Levy joined. Incidentally looking back at that squad it included a player I have never heard of, strange to say, Yannick Kamanan anyone? Answers on a postcard.
To imagine that 8 players from that squad would make the world cup semi finals would have been ludicrous. That is unless the England B team were facing off against Wales in some sort of abysmal Semi final.
Basically we were West Ham, we had owners in the past who were either financially questionable or simply not skilled enough to take the club forward. We were signing a mix of old journeyman past their best or average plodders. We had a low capacity stadium and not much of a future. We were a midtable team, our best position in the decade before Levy was 7th, well you get the idea.
We have now seen a player sign for us who is one of the hottest talents in world football, who will play in perhaps the best stadium in England, for Champions league finalists, that boast the French world cup winning captain and England captain in their ranks, he will train at one of the best training facilities in the world, well again you get the idea.
The Tottenham Hotspur of today to that when Daniel Levy took over is almost unrecognisable. He has taken us from obscurity to challenging the best in the world on and off the pitch.
People talk about Mauricio Pochettino being the new Ferguson, I would argue that Levy has done as much for Spurs as Ferguson has done for United in his own way. He has guided this club on an upward scale for years and we have arrived at the moment where we could even be considered a more attractive proposition than Manchester United. That idea again would have been ludicrous in 2001.
They said he wouldn't build the stadium, they said he was just priming the club for sale, they said his business in the transfer window was making us regress, they said we wouldn't sign top quality players, they said we wouldn't pay the wages, basically they have been sniping him for years and part of the focus has been based around the way he looks and how tall he is. The lack of respect shown by people towards Levy on this forum has been at times mind boggling. People would be disgusted, if I were to criticise any of our club legends based on appearance.
The criticism of our chairman even continued until very recently, the latest half baked idea was that the market had changed and that Levy couldn't compete or work in the current financial market. It beggars belief and I think he deserves a statue outside the stadium, no man has done more for our club in my lifetime as a spurs fan. He may not be perfect, but I cannot think of too many people who have had as much of an effect on Spurs as him.
Alex Ferguson declared “But you know what Daniel Levy is like. He is different.” Yes, he is and I for one am glad about that, he is a club legend and perhaps the most important thing to happen to Tottenham in half a century.
He has been criticised by many in football, many fans and more importantly by many Spurs fans. To a point where supporting Daniel Levy was seen as almost laughable, and some would even suggest that you were an illegitimate son of his, if you dared to praise him on this forum.
Now without wanting to bring back terrifying memories, the squad was looking pretty bleak back when Daniel took over. Managing dream team Sherwood and Ferdinand were in it as was the one and only Serhiy Rebrov. The hope we had was based around some promising youngsters, club legend Ledley King and another centre back that left on a free to our rivals the same summer that Levy joined. Incidentally looking back at that squad it included a player I have never heard of, strange to say, Yannick Kamanan anyone? Answers on a postcard.
To imagine that 8 players from that squad would make the world cup semi finals would have been ludicrous. That is unless the England B team were facing off against Wales in some sort of abysmal Semi final.
Basically we were West Ham, we had owners in the past who were either financially questionable or simply not skilled enough to take the club forward. We were signing a mix of old journeyman past their best or average plodders. We had a low capacity stadium and not much of a future. We were a midtable team, our best position in the decade before Levy was 7th, well you get the idea.
We have now seen a player sign for us who is one of the hottest talents in world football, who will play in perhaps the best stadium in England, for Champions league finalists, that boast the French world cup winning captain and England captain in their ranks, he will train at one of the best training facilities in the world, well again you get the idea.
The Tottenham Hotspur of today to that when Daniel Levy took over is almost unrecognisable. He has taken us from obscurity to challenging the best in the world on and off the pitch.
People talk about Mauricio Pochettino being the new Ferguson, I would argue that Levy has done as much for Spurs as Ferguson has done for United in his own way. He has guided this club on an upward scale for years and we have arrived at the moment where we could even be considered a more attractive proposition than Manchester United. That idea again would have been ludicrous in 2001.
They said he wouldn't build the stadium, they said he was just priming the club for sale, they said his business in the transfer window was making us regress, they said we wouldn't sign top quality players, they said we wouldn't pay the wages, basically they have been sniping him for years and part of the focus has been based around the way he looks and how tall he is. The lack of respect shown by people towards Levy on this forum has been at times mind boggling. People would be disgusted, if I were to criticise any of our club legends based on appearance.
The criticism of our chairman even continued until very recently, the latest half baked idea was that the market had changed and that Levy couldn't compete or work in the current financial market. It beggars belief and I think he deserves a statue outside the stadium, no man has done more for our club in my lifetime as a spurs fan. He may not be perfect, but I cannot think of too many people who have had as much of an effect on Spurs as him.
Alex Ferguson declared “But you know what Daniel Levy is like. He is different.” Yes, he is and I for one am glad about that, he is a club legend and perhaps the most important thing to happen to Tottenham in half a century.