Groundhog Day

Will it always be groundhog day?

Last time I wrote an optimistic view of what could be. However, given the absolute mauling at the weekend I felt like I at least needed to put something into context in why this can’t all be Ange’s fault. I know, I know. This will trigger a fair few supporters. But this is football right? Opinions and theorising and wanting, demanding your team, your club find a way through the rough times to deliver something good. Something truly tangible.

I’m struggling to be angry at only the gaffer.  

Ange has definitely got to be accountable with the horrible performance of the team (in the league) across the season and at times I think it’s fair to say he’s got things wrong. 

Substitutions late or not at all, belief in the squads ability when they clearly are not all at the same level that his football demands, and the defence of the board – when they are the primary reason he’s having to deal with the majority of the problems anyway. 

This brings me on to where I’m actually going to direct my hate for the season. This is probably the worst we’ve had since before the Premier league. The worst because of the expectancy and where we are at as a football club, in terms of capacity to contend.

Let’s take a look at the reason we’re here. Drum roll please.

The board. Hopefully those triggered earlier are now back with me.

For 20 plus years we’ve been guided by ENIC. They have pushed sustainability and profitability, over building up the players, staff and fans to succeed. And while there have been moments of something close to success, it’s always been in a lot of ways, accidental. 

And this is why I can’t be mad at a manager that’s been hamstrung at the outset and the same will be the case for the next and the next for as long as they prioritise the business model. Spurs are paying off the massive transfer bill, debt etc but they are not looking at injecting cash from within ENIC (but perhaps something might happen soon from the outside). Because without that extra £, this club will not be able to bridge the gap between us and those above us (historically). Wage bill increase will equate to actually sustaining a challenge on the pitch.

I’m sure Mr Levy and the rest of the board would definitely want trophies to round off their tenure at Tottenham, but that’s something they will always struggle to achieve based on the current business model. 

We as a fanbase love the swashbuckling, attacking and exciting way the club has played since its inception. To dare is to do, has always pushed the players and the fans to achieve that little extra. It’s the reason we as a club have so many firsts, and a massive reason why we were the biggest club in London known for winning cups regularly. 

So, what’s the outcome for us as a club? Well our current cycle is to wait 18 months sack the manager and start again. Chelini (the git) said it best “This is the history of the Tottenham, we believe in history”.

It’s a relentless cycle that has seen us jump from one issue to the next. Although I don’t have the actual numbers, I know we’ve had a ridiculous amount of mangers since ENIC took charge. And actually before writing this it’s actually gotten worse since the financial information has been made public, a 5.5 million spend every year over ENICs stewardship, and when you read that actually the majority of what they put into the club was in 2022, it starts to paint a disappointing narrative. 

Profitability and sustainability, that’s the new club motto. From a business point of view – that has been fantastic for Spurs, but as is often the case, the aim, belief and actions filter down from the top to your staff below. We’ve had too many players that have grown comfortable at Tottenham, happy to collect their pay and not rock the boat, while the manager is often the head on the chopping block. 

So, am I defending Ange and his abysmal season? Well actually no, I think if he got his marching orders, I don’t think there is much anyone could say. But I am going to try and rationalise why it makes sense to me to keep him. 

I’ve already laid the groundwork for why he’s in the situation he’s in, but let me try to put a bit more behind why I think it’s worth at least giving him another season. 

As I’m writing this, it’s the evening of the first leg against Bodo/Glimt (let’s hope we smash them and book our place in the final) 

edit: (cracking performance, result, fans were majestic, players responded to expectancy)

I stated earlier, I believe any manager would be hamstrung in the hot seat at Tottenham. Little to no money to spend, lowest wages in the top six (if you still think we are part of that) a rebuild that has been overdue since Pochettino left. And now an active decision to prioritise young players with massive potential (are we becoming the new Southampton, producing young talent players for other teams?). 

If we were a newly promoted team, or lower table team, I’d be excited by that, maybe making for a long sustainable period in the top flight. 

But…we’re Tottenham Hotspur. Before the Premier League became a thing, we were one of the biggest clubs in the world, winning cups (mostly).  

Since the start of the Premier league we statistically finish 5th, and not a lot else. 

If we put Klopp, Pep or any other manager in our club, I doubt we would do any better. We often joke as a fan base that we’ve broken another manager, but actually we shouldn’t be joking about that. All the reasons I mentioned before are the constant issue, a board that is focused on business, not winning. 

Hypothetically I’m sure we could all make an argument for why X manager would do a better job than Ange, but I don’t think so, at least if we’re to believe we’re a big club. Pep, Kklopp and any other manager that you might consider a top manager, very rarely if ever change their playing style. 

So actually do we need a lower level manager, that will change their style of play to match the team they face, admit we aren’t a big club and continue to be sustainable and profitable?

This is the reason I think we need to stick with Ange. He would have known the limitations that the board would have placed on him, but still has the courage and identity to have a clear plan and start to do the thankless task of trying to rebuild and make Tottenham do something no one expects; he’s daring to do. 

That’s a very difficult thing to instil into an apathetic club that from the top down just wants to be sustainable and profitable. 

And I’d agree that Ange probably isn’t the long term manager, but he is the manager for the rebuild and realignment that we as fans desperately need to see happening. When you need to change a very entrenched mindset, it helps if the person in charge can have a clear idea of how to do it and the conviction to stand by his plan and see it through to completion. Ange definitely has that. 

And that brings me to the Europa League Cup. If we do get to the final, that is due in no small part to Ange and the players sticking to and standing by the belief that the manager has instilled in this team. Not that of ENIC or the board. 

That first cup win will be down to the manager sticking to his beliefs and daring to be different from the club’s owners. 

So, if not Ange, let’s hope we luck out with the next manager, and find someone else who plays fast attacking football that we want to watch, that sticks to their beliefs and can be happy to deal with a board that just wants to manage revenue streams, not spending on wages and demand constant European qualification, whilst only buying kids. 

I personally don’t think that many coaches would want that job, and unfortunately until we get a new investor, I see no change. 

Let’s break the cycle of 18 months and change the manager again, of accepting mediocrity, and jumping from one project to the next. From starting another rebuild. 

We have a manager who wants to leave this club fighting for everything and regularly being at the top. Don’t forget, every top manager takes time to build the team he wants. Woolwich took 6 seasons to get to where they are, spending over 600 million. Klopp took 4 seasons and only really made leaps forward when they bought Alison and van dyke. 

But in every other club they have far more freedom and financial clout with ownership that regularly invests in the team year on year, instilling a top down want to achieve success. 

So with all that said, is it now time to stand by the manager, and demand more from the board. 

Do we accept that this season was awful, and write it off?

Do we give a manager with a clear plan another season to try and alter the environment inside the club, and change the perception outside the club? 

Try and build Tottenham into a team that becomes a regular top of the table club, regularly involved in finals with glory always part of our future and maybe becoming well known world wide again? 

Before you make your mind up, look at the board, and look at what we need as a club and fan base. Two or three rubbish seasons to get closer to achieving something similar to Woolwich, Liverpool or Newcastle.

I’m willing to take that, are you?