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You know what Daniel Levy is like. He is different

Frozen_Waffles

Well-Known Member
Jan 26, 2005
3,760
9,505
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.
 

davidgee

Member
Sep 19, 2006
127
11
Love this.

I remember the years before Levy, the points deductions and banned from the FA cup for the irregular payments, all before Sugar took over. It masked over a period in the 80s that we done quite well. The false Dawn of Venables & Sugar partnership which got our last FA cup.. all seemed to nose dive soon after that and the 90s turned into a very dark time.

I think all those scars has left a lot of people in disbelief , that we are now, not only going in the right direction, but also (dare I say it) turning into a football elite club!

"The futures Bright..."...
 

Buggsy61

Washed Up Member
Aug 31, 2012
5,551
8,921
I am a massive Levy fan myself, fully remembering the dark old days when we were quite frankly a joke, but you just knew that there was a sleeping giant in there. He has rebuilt the club from top to bottom, and that is no mean task.
Never seen hostility to Levy on here myself, just a few jokes at his expense regarding frugality, and impatience to get transfers done. Most of know how much the club means to him, and how hard he has worked over the last 18 years or so.
if we can add a few trophies in the next ten years or so, and there is no reason why not, he will be as an important a figure in our history as Bill Nicholson, and will have earnt a place in our history.
 

cliff jones

Well-Known Member
Aug 31, 2012
4,059
6,516
Love this.

I remember the years before Levy, the points deductions and banned from the FA cup for the irregular payments, all before Sugar took over. It masked over a period in the 80s that we done quite well. The false Dawn of Venables & Sugar partnership which got our last FA cup.. all seemed to nose dive soon after that and the 90s turned into a very dark time.

I think all those scars has left a lot of people in disbelief , that we are now, not only going in the right direction, but also (dare I say it) turning into a football elite club!

"The futures Bright..."...

not quite, we'd done well in the 50s and 60s (to say the least), were good on and off in the 70s, and mainly good in the 80s. Different generations have grown up with different baselines of knowledge and expectation.

As the BSoDL say every window, let's wait till it shuts to judge whether he's done his job or not. His under-funding of the squad in the past couple of windows was the width of a post, a few seconds, a penalty save etc away from self-inflicting a demotion to the Europa, replaced by one of the worst Scum teams I can remember.

Infrastructure- brilliant. Managerial/DoF appointments- hit and miss, although I personally agreed with all of them bar AVB. Player trading- hit and miss.

If he gets in done this summer, I'll join in the hero worship
 

buckley

Well-Known Member
Sep 15, 2012
2,595
6,073
When Ferguson said "you know Levy he different" what he really meant was that Bugger Levy won't bend over and let us screw his club by forcing him to sell us players on the cheap.
I say "viva la difference" and may he carry on being different to those that lay down and let the mega clubs walk all over them.
 

Pauleta01

SC Supporter
Aug 14, 2008
279
686
Excellent post. It is nothing short of remarkable what has happened at the club. He has been helped in an era when the money going into the EPL has enabled him to fund everything in a shrewd way. But everyone else has just spunked the money he has got the best coach in the world and built the foundations that keep THFC at the forefront of world football in a period when other clubs of stature such as Leeds and Villa have melted away. Get that statue!
 

Shadydan

Well-Known Member
Jul 7, 2012
38,247
104,143
not quite, we'd done well in the 50s and 60s (to say the least), were good on and off in the 70s, and mainly good in the 80s. Different generations have grown up with different baselines of knowledge and expectation.

As the BSoDL say every window, let's wait till it shuts to judge whether he's done his job or not. His under-funding of the squad in the past couple of windows was the width of a post, a few seconds, a penalty save etc away from self-inflicting a demotion to the Europa, replaced by one of the worst Scum teams I can remember.

Infrastructure- brilliant. Managerial/DoF appointments- hit and miss, although I personally agreed with all of them bar AVB. Player trading- hit and miss.

If he gets in done this summer, I'll join in the hero worship

Didn't take long for the first post to uncessarily nit pick his flaws which pale in comparison to his achievements, even the most ardent anti Levy supporter should ought to recognise and appreciate the job he has done since he's come in despite the mistakes he's made h has much more credit in the bank than debit and we should be proud how far we've come.
 

cliff jones

Well-Known Member
Aug 31, 2012
4,059
6,516
Didn't take long for the first post to uncessarily nit pick his flaws which pale in comparison to his achievements, even the most ardent anti Levy supporter should ought to recognise and appreciate the job he has done since he's come in despite the mistakes he's made h has much more credit in the bank than debit and we should be proud how far we've come.

I don't see why you consider a bit of debate unnecessary. I'm thrilled with nD, check the threads where I said throw 40 at him last summer. He's gonna be loads of fun. But I'm quoting you in suggesting we wait till the window's done, surely the point is good either way? I didn't even mention trophies.
 

DJS

A hoonter must hoont
Dec 9, 2006
31,261
21,760
Levy is different as in he didn’t take Sir Alex’s blatant tapping up and make it easy for him.
 

leee

New Member
Mar 9, 2006
2
1
What a great post. Most of us have been through so many highs and lows as Spurs fans. We questioned Levy every step of the way but little did we realise he always knew what he was doing. He has had to suffer a lot because he hates speaking to the press and who can blame him. It's taken years of patient building, keeping his eye on the prize, while missiles are continually launched at him. To break into the elite group of the global football, coming from the position he inherited at the club, is nothing short of astonishing. If you cut Daniel Levy, he bleeds Spurs. It was fitting that Pochettino should include him in the celebrations on that historic night in Amsterdam. Recognition for a job, very well done,
 

Shadydan

Well-Known Member
Jul 7, 2012
38,247
104,143
Didn't take long for the first post to uncessarily nit pick his flaws which pale in comparison to his achievements, even the most ardent anti Levy supporter should ought to recognise and appreciate the job he has done since he's come in despite the mistakes he's made h has much more credit in the bank than debit and we should be proud how far we've come.

Why should we wait until the window closes to acknowledge his achievements, I don't understand what our summer business has to do where he's taken us from to where we are at now which I believe was the point of the entire OP?

This is the thing for me - seems like people who don't like him cannot wait until anything slightly negative goes against him just because it vindicates their opinion. We smash our transfer record on a much needed, sought after player to the surprise of those with the agenda, those people either shut up or then move the goalposts. I'm just waiting for Eriksen to be sold so that people will be happy to point the fingers at him, it's predictable and a bit pathetic really.
 
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Bulletspur

The Reasonable Advocate
Match Thread Admin
Oct 17, 2006
10,690
25,246
not quite, we'd done well in the 50s and 60s (to say the least), were good on and off in the 70s, and mainly good in the 80s. Different generations have grown up with different baselines of knowledge and expectation.

As the BSoDL say every window, let's wait till it shuts to judge whether he's done his job or not. His under-funding of the squad in the past couple of windows was the width of a post, a few seconds, a penalty save etc away from self-inflicting a demotion to the Europa, replaced by one of the worst Scum teams I can remember.

Infrastructure- brilliant. Managerial/DoF appointments- hit and miss, although I personally agreed with all of them bar AVB. Player trading- hit and miss.

If he gets in done this summer, I'll join in the hero worship
Disappointed that you still begrudge and belittle his good work and amplify where he got it wrong. It comes across that you would rather not have him as our Chairman, so the question is, which other EPL Chairman in the past 20 years would you rather have had?
 
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Gassin's finest

C'est diabolique
May 12, 2010
37,355
87,828
not quite, we'd done well in the 50s and 60s (to say the least), were good on and off in the 70s, and mainly good in the 80s. Different generations have grown up with different baselines of knowledge and expectation.

As the BSoDL say every window, let's wait till it shuts to judge whether he's done his job or not. His under-funding of the squad in the past couple of windows was the width of a post, a few seconds, a penalty save etc away from self-inflicting a demotion to the Europa, replaced by one of the worst Scum teams I can remember.

Infrastructure- brilliant. Managerial/DoF appointments- hit and miss, although I personally agreed with all of them bar AVB. Player trading- hit and miss.

If he gets in done this summer, I'll join in the hero worship
We've gone from regularly waiting for the 40 point safety cushion, to competing in a Champions League final with an incredible 60k+ stadium, but you're going to wait until the end of the summer to see if he's done alright?

'k.
 

cliff jones

Well-Known Member
Aug 31, 2012
4,059
6,516
Disappointed that you still begrudge and belittle his good work and amplify where he got it wrong. It comes across that you would rather not have him as of Chairman, so the question is, which other EPL Chairman in the past 20 years would you rather have had?

I don't think it comes across in the way you surmise. I'm very happy with him, there aren't many better, but why don't you deal with my points?

His under-funding of the squad very, very nearly fcked us last season? In midfield, we had nowhere near enough to come top 4 had it not been for poor Goon and Manure sides.

Why not wait till the end of the window, like you told me and others to, instead of prematurely ejaculating over a great start?
 

cliff jones

Well-Known Member
Aug 31, 2012
4,059
6,516
We've gone from regularly waiting for the 40 point safety cushion, to competing in a Champions League final with an incredible 60k+ stadium, but you're going to wait until the end of the summer to see if he's done alright?

'k.

you're normally a good read IMHO but that's an embarassing distortion. We've flirted only a couple of times and trust me my heart still skips a beat recalling those.
 

cliff jones

Well-Known Member
Aug 31, 2012
4,059
6,516
Why should we wait until the window closes to acknowledge his achievements, I don't understand what our summer business has to do where he's taken us from to where we are at now which I believe was the point of the entire OP?

This is the thing for me - seems like people who don't like him cannot wait until anything slightly negative goes against him just because it vindicates their opinion. We smash our transfer record on a much needed, sought after player to the surprise of those with the agenda, those people either shut up or then move the goalposts. I'm just waiting for Eriksen to be sold so that people will be happy to point the fingers at him, it's predictable and a bit pathetic really.

of course it's predictable because he's not replaced players before and I think he got away with it last season. He didn't manage the risks in the squad. A late Winks header at Fulham, a poor Auba pen at Wembley, that was the margin. There would have been no nD this summer but for those finest of margins. And we'd be listening to their rendition of Wednesday night instead. Don't get me wrong I'm fkin relieved, but in the cold light of day it couldn't have been closer.
 

whitesocks

The past means nothing. This is a message for life
Jan 16, 2014
4,652
5,738
not quite, we'd done well in the 50s and 60s (to say the least), were good on and off in the 70s, and mainly good in the 80s. Different generations have grown up with different baselines of knowledge and expectation.

As the BSoDL say every window, let's wait till it shuts to judge whether he's done his job or not. His under-funding of the squad in the past couple of windows was the width of a post, a few seconds, a penalty save etc away from self-inflicting a demotion to the Europa, replaced by one of the worst Scum teams I can remember.

Infrastructure- brilliant. Managerial/DoF appointments- hit and miss, although I personally agreed with all of them bar AVB. Player trading- hit and miss.

If he gets in done this summer, I'll join in the hero worship
Spot on.
Those who can only remember back to the zero ambition chaotic Sugar years obviously see a vast improvement and Levy is their god. It is a perfectly valid viewpoint.

Those with older, more glorious memories think fighting for the title and european cups is just a return to our natural place in the world and if anything, we should be winning some silverware again by now. Perfectly valid also. Their expectations are realistic and aligned with their experiences.
 
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