Its been two weeks since waking up to the fact that Tottenham Hotspur had sacked their manager Mauricio Pochettino… I could not believe it and then it seemed that it went from bad to worse as news that Jose Mourinho was to replace Poch came through. Shock, disbelief, exasperation and a sense of “This must be a joke” set in. That’s right Daniel Levy has gone off the deep end!
To my shame the gut reaction and the way I feel right now are poles apart… It’s all about seeing the bigger picture. I was beholden to a guy who delivered a Champions League Final consistent top 4 finishes and that gloss hid some glaring problems over 2019.
Not a single away win in 2019, only one clean sheet in the current season in the league, dressing room issues, speculation, rumor and conjecture were now a regular occurrence and not an occasional nuisance. How does a club, whose defence was a cornerstone of the team become a leaking sieve? Errors, that were few and far between became a regular discussion point and the brimming confidence and swagger was gone. Fans were disgruntled but seemed to believe that the project Poch started needed to be backed through the tough times.
The bigger picture though was that other clubs were in a similar position, Arsenal, Manchester United, Everton, Watford, Southampton, West Ham all have or had managers with an axe hanging somewhere around the dressing rooms. But Spurs it didn’t seem would be first to allow the blade to fall. The one distinct issue for all the clubs was the shortage of top, quality replacements for their teams.
I think Daniel Levy, with his inside knowledge decided to move quickly to ensure the best possible replacement. By pulling the trigger and installing Mourinho asap did not just catch Spurs players and Supporters off guard but also the competition. Deal done and dusted before the other half of North London could even say “Unai, you are the weakest link …goodbye.”
Right now, two weeks later and admittedly things are not perfect still conceding way too many but up front the goals are pouring in.. 10 in three matches. Players finding form and disgruntled players learning they need to fit in or…
Some key points out of this period:
- Daniel saw the problem formulated a plan and implemented immediately.
- He saw the bigger picture, drowned out the detractors (many, many of them) and made a decision.
- He left little or no room for sentimentality, club before comrades.
- He moved in, made change and has already moved out of the spotlight leaving Jose and the team to just get on with it.
Most importantly the team’s closest rivals have been left foundering, in limbo and with an interim boss with zero experience at the helm, in the dugout.
By moving decisively in the boardroom Daniel Levy has created the opportunity for the team to perform on the pitch and continue to assert their recent dominance over their closest rivals and near neighbors. There still in contention for Champions League qualification for next season a key point and requirement set out to Mourinho.
Right now, it seems that Levy has performed a masterstroke! Cruel, cut-throat maybe, but without a question of a doubt……. Decisive!
Come on you Spurs!
(Ian Turner is an out of the box thinker, being different is not a problem for him and is a creative solution seeker. He is almost certain that as a Spurs fan neither of the above clubs would engage his services).
