Roy Keane has shared what he cannot quite understand about Daniel Levy as he discussed Tottenham Hotspur’s current trophy drought with Les Ferdinand and Ian Wright.
Daniel Levy certainly divides opinion. For many non-Tottenham fans, it does appear that he has done a largely fantastic job as chairman since arriving in 2001.
Spurs have had some incredible highs over the last two decades. And of course, it is impossible to argue with anyone who believes that Tottenham have the best stadium in the entire world.
However, he has come in for a huge amount of criticism from fans. Despite those highs, there is a feeling that Tottenham have not capitalised on the progress they have made on the pitch.
Spurs have not won a major trophy since 2008. In that time, they have nearly climbed the domestic and European mountains, challenging for the Premier League title and reaching the Champions League final in 2019.
Roy Keane hits back at criticism of Daniel Levy
They have had legendary managers such as Jose Mourinho and Antonio Conte. And with that, some have pointed the finger of blame at Levy.
From a business perspective, Tottenham have been run brilliantly. But obviously, it is not the state of the club’s bank balance which brings supporters joy.
Speaking on Stick to Football, Les Ferdinand was asked about why Levy does not appear to spend at the crucial moments. And while Ian Wright appeared to express his frustration with the Spurs chairman, Roy Keane suggested that it was odd to pin the blame on Levy.
“I have got no idea,” Ferdinand said. “I think he has this reputation of being a wheeler, dealer that he is and he has done some fantastic deals in terms of players going out at Spurs, when they are ready to leave and I think he just enjoys that part of it, he enjoys being involved in it and making that decision. He’s not alone in directors and chairman being involved in parts of the football club that they should leave well alone.
“I think he has done some great deals and he has brought in a fella called Scott Munn now, who is set to take over the day to day running of the football club. That’s yet to be seen. He is so heavily involved in it that people still go to him and I don’t see him putting that mantle down any time soon.”
“”That’s a shame. I’m sure the fans want an unbelievable stadium but they want to win things Tottenham fans,” Wright replied.
“Yeah, but they have not won for the last 30 or 40 years. Why are they just putting it on Levy in the last 10 or 15 years regarding the new stadium, as if that is all he’s obsessed with? Spurs have been like that for a long time,” Keane added.
“But they get to a place and it just plateaus. That’s up to Levy to make the decision. What more does Pochettino has to do, to say listen we’ve finished second, got to the Champions League, we just need a little bit more. Someone has to take the leap,” Wright said.
Frustration stems from how close Tottenham have been
Ultimately, there is a fine line. No Tottenham fan can criticise Levy for how well he has run the club as a business.
But fans want to see ambition on the pitch. And, from the outside, it has appeared that there have been times where Tottenham have prioritised the smarter business decision over what will boost the club’s hopes of achieving glory.
What happened around the latter stages of Mauricio Pochettino’s tenure has to go down as a missed opportunity. And it has taken Spurs some time to get close to being at that level again.
The frustration of fans stems from the fact that everything appears to be in place for Tottenham to make that charge.
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