The shifting sands of Spursland

Article by Joe.H.Harman

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There is a scene in ‘Traffic’, a film that casts a vast blanket over the smorgasbord of the U.S.A’s war on drugs, in which Michael Douglas is given the head honcho post of dealing with the perpetual shitstorm that comes when you’re trying to stop something people really love doing, even when they know it’s bad.

At his appointment his predecessor tells him a story about handing over two envelopes.

It went something like..

In your first moment of complete failure, open the first letter. Sure enough the letter states, “Blame the previous guy.” In your second moment of complete failure, open the second letter. This time it reads, “ Sit down and write two letters.”

Many will argue that Daniel Levy ran out of letters and envelopes sometime ago and is now cobbling together his grand plans for ENIC F.C/ Spurs via expensive, continental beer mats. The heads have rolled heavy down the streets of White Hart Lane to the point that Spurs fans have adopted less of a ‘laissez faire’ approach and more of the ‘orphaned babies that don’t cry anymore’. They know no one is coming.

A horrible thought that consistently bubbles over is that under Levy’s tenure, Spurs have been moulded into a glorified, more profitable, slicker Newcastle United.

Rarely do players of undiluted beauty hang around the Lane for long enough to carve out legendary status that is the hallmark of Tottenham’s rivals. And yet the role call of Bale, Modric, Berbatov, Van der Vaart, Carrick, Prince Boateng, Campbell makes for a damning read of players who have slipped through the net or rather cut through it with furious vehemence to run screaming with unadulterated joy through the forests of Endor….

For one reason or another these players departed for other clubs and a testament to their quality is the success they achieved post WHL. At some point questions have to be asked of why these players were unconvinced of the true ambitions of Spurs.

Levy is a true Jekyll and Hyde character, partially carved from some Dickensian story, a penny-pinching yes-man whose servile demeanour masks the glint of steel behind his horn-rimmed glasses. A man who scatters the chess pieces on a whim, then plays the Fischer card and waits, and waits, then waits some more before stepping back in to take his seat as though nothing had happened. Is Levy guiding Spurs to a level in which collectively they can compete with Europe’s elite? Or is he merely ensuring the club maintains it’s profitable path as it continues to feed the mother-ship ENIC?

With the prospect of an often dangled but ever elusive plan for a new Spurs’ stadium in some sort pipeline somewhere and the recent completion of the new training facilities, a strong argument can be made for Levy driving Spurs into the new era of elite football clubs. There is clear financial evidence that Spurs are handicapped by the limitations of White Hart Lane’s capacity when compared with the teams they are supposedly competing with. And so, in-keeping with the modern desire for the bigger is better approach to stadiums in this era of uber football, it seems natural for Levy to look to secure a new stadium to operate in, thus levelling the playing field with regard to stadium revenue.

Further testament towards his good intentions could be levelled at the outlay and the calibre spent for players during his tenure. Part of the excitement felt about Pochettino’s appointment is the sheer depth of quality players he will have at his disposal, one brimming with internationals. Vertonghen, Eriksen, Lamela, Paulinho, Adebayor, Soldado, Holtby, Sandro, Lloris (pick of the bunch in this writers’ opinion) adding in the youth of Kane, Carroll, Bentaleb makes for an exciting approach to the 2014-2015 season if the Argentinean can mould them into the cohesive, swarming horde of rampant nitrogen fuelled, knives between their teethes, jacked up on Mountain Dew, pack of hounds he had instilled in the Southampton squad.

And yet, we’ve been here before haven’t we?

Remember Bale, Van der Vaart (the man shalt never be abbreviated), Modric, Parker, King, Lennon, Crouch? That was a pretty decent crop who delivered some of the most attacking, heart- pounding displays of football the Lane has had the pleasure of seeing for sometime. Manning the touchline at the time was every fan’s coach they love, or hate, or love to hate or hate to love, Harry Redknapp.

As Redknapp departed we watched as the team was dismantled before our eyes, with promises that AVB (happy to abbreviate) would take us to another level and indeed he did. Sadly that level was somewhat lesser than the previous. He failed to deliver the football ethos that Redknapp had captured with such aplomb. A team who would play with verve and without fear.

One must remember that none of the last three dismissals overseen by Levy were due to poor results, (those of you howling with fury as the West Ham/Liverpool/Man City scars begin to pulse…I feel you, stay with me). Redknapp, Villas Boas and with gritted teeth even Sherwood achieved respectable win percentages during their respective tenures. So why the constant changes?

Think Abramovich’s approach to his coaching appointments but without the glittering success, just a constant drip of financial gain. Players brought in at just the right time to inject a stimulus, only to be moved in an equally timely manner and almost always at a profit.

One hopes that Pochettino is given the time to undertake what on the surface appears a sublime opportunity; a prestigious, historical club with an incredible fan base that has the financial muscle and allure to still attract players of immense talent.

And yet behind the curtain…something is rotten in Denmark.

Levy must realise that the longer Spurs’ are left bereft of tangible success, stuff to puff your chest out about, the greater the once vibrant light of Tottenham’s halcyon days will fade. The days of Hoddle, Gascoigne, Ginola are falling further away and with each season Spurs edge ever closer to the shifting sands of mediocrity.

No real answers just lots of questions.

Always appreciate the comments and tweets chaps and chappettes, so hopefully something will have stirred in the grey matter…

Follow me @ginolasleftffoot or don’t. It’s okay if you don’t. I’m not forcing you.

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