5 Questions Tottenham Fans Would Love to Ask Daniel Levy
It is a rarity when Tottenham Hotspur chairman Daniel Levy directly comments on club matters these days. An end of season message in the matchday programme—also published on TottenhamHotspur.com—is just about all that is guaranteed.
This is a marked change from earlier in his time in charge, when Levy was more open about goings-on at Tottenham. For example, in August 2007 he gave an interview to the club's official website declaring then-manager Martin Jol's job safe, despite media speculation. Given the Dutchman was sacked two months later, it is unsurprising the chairman has since decided to keep quiet about things.
If Spurs fans were given the chance to ask Mr. Levy some questions about their club, what would they ask? The following article raises five queries relating to the club's present and future that would be among the most prominent in any real Q&A session.
First up, one relating to the performance of head coach Mauricio Pochettino.
What Does Mauricio Pochettino Have to Do to Keep His Job Long-Term?
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Job security and Tottenham have not been linked in recent years, not so far as the manager/head coach position is concerned. As fans of the north London club wait to see what Pochettino does with the team beyond his first few months, they might be keen to know what is expected of him from his superiors.
A good performance by the coach will earn him some time, as was the case with Harry Redknapp who spent almost four years in north London.
But even the basic fact of finishing fourth in his last season was not enough to guarantee him another year. The lack of Champions League football, caused by sixth-placed Chelsea winning the whole thing and Spurs blowing a previous advantage from third place, ultimately proved costly.
Whether a failure to qualify for Europe's premier competition will prove similarly detrimental to Pochettino's future—as it did, at least to some extent, with Jol, Andre Villas-Boas and Tim Sherwood—is uncertain.
The Argentine will certainly hope he has scope to manoeuvre beyond 2014-15 given he signed a five year-contract upon his appointment. In keeping with the general expectation at Spurs in recent years, he too is keen to make the top-four.
"My ambition is always to reach the top," he told a press conference last month, via the Mirror's Darren Lewis. "We need to believe. This is the process and we need to provide our players, supporters and environment with belief. This is our objective."
As much as Pochettino will want to believe, the competitive upper-echelon of the Premier League means there are no guarantees for Tottenham. It might take time, but will his chairman allow it?
How Much Will Spurs Have to Spend on New Players in 2015?
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According to the reported tally on Transfermarkt, Tottenham spent £34.53 million on new signings in the summer transfer window (not including DeAndre Yedlin, who will arrive from Seattle Sounders next year). The same website also reports the club made back £37.53 million on players who left the club.
Spurs' squad was not in dire need of overhaul, but there were areas Pochettino understandably wanted to address (depth at left-back and a back-up goalkeeper), and others he wanted to stamp his own imprint on (changes in central defence and midfield).
A big part of his mandate was working with the players Spurs had spent heavily on the previous summer. Thus far the former Southampton boss has, with Nacer Chadli and Erik Lamela particularly prominent after tough first seasons in England.
The January transfer window is still the best part of three months and a whole lot of football matches away. Whether Pochettino and technical director Franco Baldini are even interested in purchasing new players then will become apparent with time. What intrigues right now is pondering/predicting/guessing how much money the club have earmarked for furthering their latest head coach's vision.
Whatever Pochettino's own situation, Levy and the hierarchy's inclination could be to rein in spending regardless. Or at least focus it more specifically after five or more players were brought in during each of the last two summers.
Increased television revenue has added to the kitty of Premier League clubs, so the sums Spurs have reached are not as ridiculous (in football terms, at least) as they would have seemed only a few years ago. After a relatively big couple of years, the north Londoners' spending in 2015 will make for a fascinating watch.
What Progress Is Being Made on the Stadium...
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Very much an ongoing concern for Tottenham supporters is the subject of where they will be watching their team by the end of this decade.
Plans for the new "world class venue with a capacity of 56,250" adjacent to the current White Hart Lane stadium are still described on the club's website as enticingly as they were back in 2009. All talk of designs "to maximise stadium atmosphere" that will appeal to those who turn up at games, and " a world class regeneration" to appease locals.
The Daily Mail's Adam Shergold reported earlier this month that a building firm had been contracted as work on the already prepared surrounding area begins to gear up. As the club revealed in September, though, there is an outstanding appeal from a local company against the Compulsory Purchase Order confirmed to them by the Secretary of State.
In the same statement, Tottenham also noted "that it is highly unlikely we shall be able to open the new Stadium at the start of the 2017/2018 season. The Club has revised its construction programme in order to take the shortest possible time to construct."
Information on the whole process remains frustratingly inconsistent for the fans.
There has been little out of the club since then. While daily, perhaps even weekly updates cannot be expected, it is understandable Spurs ticket-buyers and members would like to be better kept in the loop.
Especially given the other development that emerged in last month's statement...
...and Where Might Tottenham Play for a Year?
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"This now therefore involves the Club moving away from the Lane during construction for a period of one season, to start at the beginning of a season in order to comply with Premier League rules."
So read the headline news from September's statement. Since then there has been talk of a number of grounds in and around London housing Tottenham for their potential season away from N17.
The possibility of a temporary displacement had been mentioned previously, the Daily Telegraph's Jeremy Wilson among those reporting on it back in April. Stadiummk (better known as the home of League One Milton Keynes Dons) continues to be mentioned, as too has West Ham United's future home—the Olympic Stadium (which Spurs already tried to move into themselves, unsuccessfully)—and Wembley.
The Times' Gary Jacob (subscription required) reported earlier this week that Spurs would not be able to use the national stadium for a full season because of its "increasing fixture congestion." West Ham vice-chairman Karren Brady told The Guardian's Jacob Steinberg that they would not be interested in sharing their new ground with their London rivals.
The discussion of all these possible homes has all got a bit tedious given the lack of information from Tottenham already discussed on the previous page.
A statement by the Tottenham Hotspur Supporters Trust probably summed it all up best:
"We would like greater transparency as to why the option of playing at White Hart Lane, the option which would benefit N17 the most, is apparently now no longer available.
Our greatest concern is that, once the Club moves for one season, it is but a short step towards moving for two seasons, or more. When the Club’s current board tried to move us to Stratford, Tottenham Hotspur supporters showed their fierce opposition and we would urge the Club to learn the lessons from that episode.
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A temporary move away would be tolerated if needs be, and in the right circumstances. But Spurs fans firstly, and rightly, want to know what it might entail.
Do Lewis and Levy Want to Stick Around?
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Following the stadium news, speculation emerged that American company Cain Hoy Enterprises were interested in taking over Tottenham.
The club quickly denied, the Daily Mail, it was "in takeover discussions with Cain Hoy or any other party," noting any talks with them were related to funding for the stadium. Later in September, BBC Sport were among those to report the group was "no longer considering making an offer to buy Tottenham."
Spurs owner Joe Lewis has an even lower profile than Levy, so ascertaining his intentions is nigh-on impossible. The events of this autumn would suggest they plan to stick around for now.
Still, it is a subject Spurs fans might still want to hear more of from Levy.
The ENIC group have been in charge of the Premier League outfit since 2001, overseeing an upturn in the football team's fortunes in terms of league positioning, though not quite actual success.
Confirmation of their intention to keep control of Tottenham moving forward would be nice for supporters as it would also give them a chance to inquire what their long-term vision for the club is.
Levy's end-of-season message last May did not look much beyond 2014-15 at all. Not a surprise, but with the landscape of English football continuously changing, getting a better idea of Spurs' place in it (at least from their perspective) would be helpful.
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