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Tim Sherwood: Focus on Daniel Levy after latest Spurs sacking

Japhet

Well-Known Member
Aug 30, 2010
19,232
57,392
By sacking Harry after he finished fourth, Levy basically set the criteria for Spurs managers: you must finish 4th or better by playing good Spurs-style football. I think the pressure on this next appointment working out will be pretty intense. And some of that is Levy's own making. His statements, using the terms "head coach" and 'winning some matches but not in the style we're accustomed to' point to his criteria for the new man. And the fans obsession with interviews and how the manager comes across seems to also be a baffling component of Levy's thinking.

So AVB was given a little lee-way after only finishing fifth, but lost that lee-way with turgid footy the season after. Sherwood had us playing more watchable footy with decent results, but ultimately fell short of the 4th place criterion and sin't liked for being an honest and outspoken interviewee.

The suggestion that the new man will be given lots of time to finish 6th or 7th seems unrealistic. Levy has chosen to back his DoF structure; he and Baldini will appoint a new head-coach. And that head-coach will be sacked if he doesn't attain Harry's level of performance and a 4th place finish. Great if it works. If it doesn't, then it's a question of whether Levy will again dismantle the DoF structure, or just replace Baldini and the coach.

If 5th/6th is our glass ceiling, we'll continue to have a 9 manager in 13 years rate of replacement.

I don't think 4th place is compulsory. I think playing watchable football is, and that was AVB's downfall. Sherwood on the other hand, put his own agenda first and promoted his own protégés, alienating some very good/expensive players in the process. Both failed badly at man management and I personally didn't think Sherwood's football was much better than AVB's, unless you enjoy watching a potential train wreck every week.
 

DreadySpur

Well-Known Member
Dec 15, 2006
1,037
642
I think Levy is looking for someone with a plan, a vision and then failing that he goes for the best available candidate to apply.

Of our recent managers, only Jol talked openly about having a plan.
 

greaves4FR

Member
Dec 22, 2006
20
75
LEVY has an awful lot to answer for, and let's not forget it's not just the serial premature ejection of managers, there's been a long and chronic failure to back them while they're here. The extended failure to replace Modric with a comparable playmaker, and to get the striker we were crying out for when 4th place was within our grasp, doing his self-dramatising deals only at the last second of the window by which time our rivals had a head start, banking the money from big sales and failing to re-invest it in the squad until last summer and even then no net investment.

He continues to talk up our expectations (when he talks at all) sets the highest standards but fails to meet them himself. Were he a player or manager he would have axed himself long ago.

Worst of all, for anybody who regards him as a canny businessman, he's fluffed the biggest opportunity this club will have for many years, and probably until it is sold to someone able and willing to spend more money on it. A 4 year window of opportunity during which the long-term top 4 clubs were all at various times way below their usual standards and there for the taking, and before the big money owners were able to finally pull up the drawbridge as they were bound to do. The scares they've all had on missed or nearly missed CL qualification mean they'll now all spend their way clear of us for the forseeable future.
While we're going to have to learn to love the Europa L and measure ourselves against Everton, a club far less financially well endowed.
 

Japhet

Well-Known Member
Aug 30, 2010
19,232
57,392
LEVY has an awful lot to answer for, and let's not forget it's not just the serial premature ejection of managers, there's been a long and chronic failure to back them while they're here. The extended failure to replace Modric with a comparable playmaker, and to get the striker we were crying out for when 4th place was within our grasp, doing his self-dramatising deals only at the last second of the window by which time our rivals had a head start, banking the money from big sales and failing to re-invest it in the squad until last summer and even then no net investment.

He continues to talk up our expectations (when he talks at all) sets the highest standards but fails to meet them himself. Were he a player or manager he would have axed himself long ago.

Worst of all, for anybody who regards him as a canny businessman, he's fluffed the biggest opportunity this club will have for many years, and probably until it is sold to someone able and willing to spend more money on it. A 4 year window of opportunity during which the long-term top 4 clubs were all at various times way below their usual standards and there for the taking, and before the big money owners were able to finally pull up the drawbridge as they were bound to do. The scares they've all had on missed or nearly missed CL qualification mean they'll now all spend their way clear of us for the forseeable future.
While we're going to have to learn to love the Europa L and measure ourselves against Everton, a club far less financially well endowed.


Can't argue with any of that. However, the massive elephant in the room is that we don't have the stadium or the accompanying revenue stream to compete with the 'big boys yet'. To attempt to do so could have brought on a 'Leeds Utd' scenario. We have punched above our weight for a few seasons in a row, but this year we have dropped off the pace. Not surprising given the turmoil really.
 

18Klinsmann

Well-Known Member
Aug 31, 2005
1,254
494
By sacking Harry after he finished fourth, Levy basically set the criteria for Spurs managers: you must finish 4th or better by playing good Spurs-style football. I think the pressure on this next appointment working out will be pretty intense.

The suggestion that the new man will be given lots of time to finish 6th or 7th seems unrealistic. Levy has chosen to back his DoF structure; he and Baldini will appoint a new head-coach. And that head-coach will be sacked if he doesn't attain Harry's level of performance and a 4th place finish.

If 5th/6th is our glass ceiling, we'll continue to have a 9 manager in 13 years rate of replacement.

Good post. I agree that it seems a very difficult task to please DL, but somehow I cannot help feeling that he has done what was necessary all along. Yes, Arry turned things around and had us on in dreamland for a while, and for that I will always be grateful. Finishing 4th in 2012 was, however, a massive underachievement with what was the best Spurs team I have ever seen, and I will never forgive him for the pathetic collapse that eventually saw us miss out on another year of CL football. That was our chance of settling in the top four gone begging, and after another surprisingly close call last season due to Bale's amazing form we are now again building for the future with the money Gareth left us.
Maybe I am naive here, but I do believe that if we get in a good manager that succeeds in utilizing the squad and the new players, and brings back some good football (and has a bit of class handling the media) he will be given time as long as we seem to be making progress although still in the sub-top of the PL. So I'm still backing Danny, but I must admit that if he gets another manager appointment wrong, excuses will be hard to come by...
 

t-baggins

Active Member
Jun 25, 2006
384
96
As i said before the preferred choice would be Roberto Martinez. He is a young coach, which means a legacy is something he can create; he has the experience of our leagues; he encourages the academy lads to come through; he has worked incredibly well with limited resources; most importantly he plays really good football. If we can't get him, then Pochettino would be my 2nd choice because he possesses the above criteria, however he's just a few shades lighter than Martinez. It is important to add that he has had decent money to spend on his Saints squad, but that shouldn't detract from the great work he's done with the Saints team.

Martinez won a cup at the expense of getting relegated last season! I don't think Wigan would make the same trade again... That cup has cost them a fortune! Not good form!

Fair play Martinez finished fifth this year... But without a doubt without the Chairmans foresight into loaning Barry, Lukaku and Deulofeu great pieces of business!... They wouldn't have finished above United otherwise ... McGeady was a waste of coin... and that was Martinez...

Had Moyes had some minerals, he should have come in for Coleman, and Barkley, and left Fellaini behind... Again the consequences would have been severe on Everton's season, and also Uniteds!


Pochettino is in the same boat. I didn't really see much improvement this year compared to last year. They had a horror run to start their season last year coupled with a horror fixture list to start their re-introduction to the Premier League they came good under Adkins, and continued to improve, he was unfairly sacked. They are lucky to have the BEST academy in the league as it currently stands, and without investment have had to blood youngsters from this famed academy... Hardly a plus for Pochettino as the academy was already in place, and these talented youngsters weren't his doing... Circumstances resulted in their exposure, not necessarily Pochettino's foresight!

Pep G for me... Sherwood didn't deserve the treatment he got!


 

Jenko

Well-Known Member
Mar 18, 2004
5,290
4,157
Unfortunately, Levy will do whatever the hell he wants, he's the boss. Who can stop him? No point writing an article saying he's on his last chance when he's clearly not. He'll look to one thing, a long season ticket holder waiting list.
 

UbeAstard

Well-Known Member
May 31, 2005
3,354
2,413
Good post. I agree that it seems a very difficult task to please DL, but somehow I cannot help feeling that he has done what was necessary all along. Yes, Arry turned things around and had us on in dreamland for a while, and for that I will always be grateful. Finishing 4th in 2012 was, however, a massive underachievement with what was the best Spurs team I have ever seen, and I will never forgive him for the pathetic collapse that eventually saw us miss out on another year of CL football. That was our chance of settling in the top four gone begging, and after another surprisingly close call last season due to Bale's amazing form we are now again building for the future with the money Gareth left us.
Maybe I am naive here, but I do believe that if we get in a good manager that succeeds in utilizing the squad and the new players, and brings back some good football (and has a bit of class handling the media) he will be given time as long as we seem to be making progress although still in the sub-top of the PL. So I'm still backing Danny, but I must admit that if he gets another manager appointment wrong, excuses will be hard to come by...


Agreed and/but I wish people and the media would stop banging on about top 4 and CL as I dont believe it is the be and end all with DL. Can anyone point me to a statement of his where this is a requirement?
 
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mawspurs

Staff
Jun 29, 2003
35,069
17,740
Agreed and/but I wish people and the media would stop banging on about top 4 and CL as I dont believe it is the be and end all with DL. Can anyone point me to a statement of his where this is a requirement?

It was Wenger who said CL qualification is as good as a trophy. I didn't agree with him then and I don't now. At the end of the day players want to win things, they want to look back on their career and see cups and medals, not have a a record as an also ran. That is why the goons also have trouble hanging on to their star players.
 

CosmicHotspur

Better a wag than a WAG
Aug 14, 2006
51,069
22,383
We will never be world class without world class players and a world class manager with a proven track record.

I'm now convinced we will never have these while Levy is with Spurs unless he makes major changes to his involvement. He may be excellent with the purse strings but he doesn't always makes the right decisions regarding spending the money which should always be the choice of the manager.

I know things have changed a lot since I first began watching football but I could never imagine Bill Nicholson being told who he could bring to the team. He even travelled (usually by train) to convince his new players that Tottenham was the right side for them. He usually got the man and rarely got it wrong and there are still managers around who know how to build and motivate a team and select the right players to do so.

That's exactly what we need and Levy should back the manager 100% and not interfere. He's a money man pure and simple and should leave football to those who know the game.
 
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