Daniel Levy’s tenure as chairman of Tottenham Hotspur looks uncertain following the European Super League chaos and protests from fans prior to the Premier League tie against Southampton at the Tottenham Hotspur stadium. On the pitch, Ryan Mason took charge of his boyhood club and took Spurs to within two points of the top four.
Ryan Mason Starts With Victory as Daniel Levy’s Tenure Comes Under Attack
Fans Turn on Levy
Tottenham Hotspur moved to within two points of the top four of the Premier League after a 2-1 victory over Southampton amid the fallout of the European Super League.
Tottenham joined with the other five English clubs to withdraw from the breakaway league but the lack of any apology from Levy has not gone down well with fans. Prior to the match, fans gathered outside the ground with banners asking for Levy and ENIC to leave the club. Some of the language being used meant that Channel Five News had to cut away from the ground and apologise if anyone had heard any ‘inappropriate language.’
Failure to Apologise
Fan power has meant that the European Super League is now dead, but Tottenham fans are angered that ENIC and Levy have failed to offer any apology to the fans. As other clubs pulled out of the ESL, Levy left it late to follow suit and his statement further angered fans as he appeared to try and justify his actions telling the official club website;
“We felt it was important that our club participated in the development of a possible new structure that sought to better ensure financial fair play and financial sustainability whilst delivering significantly increased support for the wider football pyramid.”
Instead of offering a direct apology Levy merely went on to say:
“thank all those supporters who presented their considered opinions.”
Following the sacking of Jose Mourinho which has flown under the radar due to the Super League fiasco, it has been a tough week for Levy and his tenure is now under more scrutiny than ever before in his 20 years at the helm.
Three Points Gives Fans Some Cheer
It would have been easy to forget that there was a football match to be played and that Spurs are still very much in the mix for a top-four finish and Champions League qualification through the league. It was also the first game in charge for Ryan Mason, who became the youngest manager in Premier League history at the age of just 28. Mason was a teammate of the likes of Harry Kane and Gareth Bale in the past and now has the chance to win the club’s first trophy in thirteen years.
After a slow start, Mason got his first win as Bale and Son Heung-min gave him a 2-1 lead to leave Spurs just two points off the top four. It was something to give fans some cheer after a tumultuous week for the North London club.
The End Could Be Nigh for Daniel Levy’s Tenure
There is no doubt at all that Levy and ENIC have put Tottenham on a sound financial footing after the 1990’s when the club was constantly on the verge of financial disaster. The new stadium will increase revenue and is already considered to be one of the top stadia in world football.
That stability has come at what some would see as too high a cost on the pitch with success pretty much non-existent and a new manager brought in every two years on average. A lack of investment in the squad, a failure to back Mauricio Pochettino when he was crying for help to improve the squad and an aloofness where he rarely communicates with fans has often divided supporters.
Now it appears he may have gone a step too far and acted in a way that makes him look as if he feels he is bigger than the club itself and that is something that fans of any club will not tolerate.
Whether Levy can ride this wave of angst remains to be seen but it is clear that the supporters have finally run out of patience with their chairman and a fresh start might be best for all concerned.
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