A fresh view on the Spurs sack race: sack the board!
Musings of an ex-manager
My article on Spurs’ dire current situation got you all talking yesterday. Today a fresh viewpoint on the situation has been provided by the shy and retiring Terry Venables.
The ex-Spurs boss has made it clear that the majoritiy of the blame lies with the board as far as he is concerned. El Tel told The Sun: “They thought they were going to get Andrei Arshavin. This was a massive managerial blunder by Spurs, especially when they had allowed Keane to leave. But letting Berbatov and Keane go without having Arshavin in the bag was a boardroom blunder.”
I am not convinced that Juande Ramos and Damien Comolli deserve to be let off the hook that easily but, as many of you pointed out yesterday, Daniel Levy and the board have made some decisions that are equally as dubious as some of Ramos’ selection decisions. Venables’ comments emphasise this point.
While criticising the board for leaving Ramos short of attacking options, Venables also reserved criticism for Berbatov himself. He said: “Berbatov kept telling us he had ‘a dream. Well, good for you Dimi. You had a dream with a few extra noughts added to your bank balance. But did Spurs have a dream too? You got your way but your poisonous presence at the start of the season – the brooding and the reluctance to play – has cost the club that believed in you.”
So as well as Ramos and Comolli, we now have Levy and Berbatov as the possible reason for Spurs sitting bottom of the table. While Berbatov was evidently an unnecessary disruption, there is no reason why a squad of professionals should not be able to ignore him and get on with the task in hand. I am being disrupted by a procession of irate Spanish phone calls from the nearby telephone box as I write this, but am I bottom of the Premier League table? No.
In all seriousness, I do not buy into the blame Berbatov argument. He managed to act like a mercenary and a big girl’s blouse at the same time, but he should not be made to be a scapegoat. Levy and the board is a different matter. They are unlikely to sack themselves though, so it looks like Ramos and Comolli remain under most threat unless Spurs fans have any Toon Army-style protests up their sleeves!
I wish people would quit blaming the board! Levy treated Jol badly, but he has done what he felt was best. He bought in a DoF for continuity and the future youth of the club. He bought in one of the best managers in Europe (at the time) and has spent more money than any other club in the PL, and he did all this while still keeping us working like a good business. What exactly do we want? The people to blame are the players and the manager. If Juande can’t motivate a squad of players, that is his problem.
el tel sucks really…….all of us knew Dimi was ready to pack his bags last jan itself…..the baffling question is why did u guyz let keane go?……the answers are simple…The offer for Keane was simply too much overboard…his real value is around 11mill pounds and u guyz made ahefty profit and accept the reality that Dimi is too good for u guyz….the problem is ur greedy board let keane go and waiting till the last minute to milk united…..the board has made a fool of u fans…
Ive always thought that the board and especially Levy have done a good job. He has stabilised the club and brought European football back to the Lane. But I have had enough of this balancing the books stuff. We are a football club and you need to keep your manager and best playing staff no matter what. Everything must be geared towards getting the best out of the players and manager. Unfortunately the system currently in place for Spurs isnt working and that is down to the board as they ultimately decide how the club is run. So with this early takeover talk I would be relieved if we were bought by someone whos aim was to get Tottenham to the lofty heights of the Top 4and capable of making it happen not someone who wants to balance the books as exciting as that is!
i think levy and commoli have a lot to answer for really
and i feel the board dont seem to learn do they??
we are struggling as a result of the board not getting there replacement strikers in in time.. why???
perhaps this is more about balancing the books and hoping ramos a so called top manager would do the rest….
i am not convinced… sure in spain he did good things but this is england and the language barrier i feel has proven to be his major hurdle plus the fact that premier league sides play 100mph not a technical building spanish way.. jol was good enough and proven even now at hamburg plus his parting shot is true saying ramos wouldnt be any better… statistically he’s worse than all of our recent managers in the last 10 years bar the carling cup win ..
i am fed up hearing too good to go down because at the moment thats exactly where they are going unless they start attacking with belief and showing composure because they look like sunday leaguers at present and t.b.h it is embarrassing– i think they should be on performance related pay as i am sure that would motivate them further to turn the screw!!!!
Arshavin the savior? Please. The lad’s OK but he’s hardly a replacement for two excellent strikers. Spurs have made a mess of it. They’ve got decent players but Ramos hasn’t figured out how to make’em fit together. That and the fact that so many players are useless mercs who don’t play for the shirt is hurting more than just spurs at the moment.
Is that the same Daniel Levy who took just under a million pounds in expenses last year, the same Daniel Levy who sacked BMJ without giving him the right playing staff or the same Daniel Levy who poached Juande Ramos and cries wolf when clubs come poaching our stars, is that the same Daniel Levy who has been trying to sell the club at an overinflated price for the last year, is that the same Daniel Levy who caved in to Manure at the last minute and gave us Frazier Campbell on loan for a year as compensation. I could go on and on. Daniel Levy is only interested in making money and Tottenham Hotspur are a dream. Mediocracy but good enough to make loads of money, Levy’s THFC.
Well I support Tottenham Hotspur Football Club not Tottenham Hotspur PLC so please Mr Levy jog on, get on yer bike! See yer! Adios! Baked Potata!
As for Comolli, is he just a bitch giving sexual favours because DOF is surely not his day job???
Forget balancing the books, every other big business does these days! We want success and I thought I’d never say it but I don’t care if we buy it. COYS
Whatever we think of the board (and after the fiasco at the end of the transfer window I think they were stupid) the only people who can sack the board are the shareholders. As one I’d vote against them, but unfortunately ENIC own well in excess of 50% and so ENIC decide on board appointments and dismissals. So I think the only board changes will take place if another owner comes along. Do we want to be taken over by a bunch of foreigners who will only see Spurs as a means of making money? The new owners of City aren’t doing it for their love of Manchester City. At least Levy appears to be a Spurs fan.
Perhaps Tel with get a consortium together?
Get off Spurs back. Ramos and his team maybe having a horrible start but he is too good a manager to bring Spurs down and the team have enough players to carry the team forward. Spurs have been playing like crap for too long and Ramos’s Seville kind of play is slowly catching on. Bebotov didnt help the team one bit by acting like the incredible sulk and many of the Epl teams took advantage of Spurs problems and brainwashed players into leaving the club. Any team would suffer if top players leave the club. Give Spurs a few more games and they will be up and running and i will eat my shorts if they dont finish in the top 10 this season. Next season come they will be fighting for a top 5 finish.