DESPERATE DAN GOES FOR BROKE
Conte would challenge Levy like no one else... and that is what sleepwalking Tottenham need
THIS time the pressure is not on an incoming boss at Tottenham – it is on chairman Daniel Levy.
It is on the man who has presided over just one trophy win in two decades at the club.
It is on the man for whom the audacious bid for Antonio Conte signals an all-or-nothing approach with the club having gone backwards following the failure to support Mauricio Pochettino after the 2019 Champions League final.
It is on the man who famously could have funded the signings of Carlos Tevez and Gary Cahill to turbo-charge a title bid under Harry Redknapp in 2012 – only to opt instead for Louis Saha and Ryan Nelsen.
It is on the man who has presided over a spend of around £450million on new players since the recruitment of Son HeungMin in 2015 with few, maybe only Lucas Moura, showing any signs of not being a flop.
So maybe Levy actually needs someone to challenge his way of doing things.
Maybe he needs someone, in Conte, who has won more on his own than Spurs have in the past 30 years to break the cycle of acquiescence surrounding the north London club’s supremo that has led to them repeating their mistakes. If he is backed, Conte wins things. Wherever he goes.
He led Juventus to three titles as their manager. He came to England and steered Chelsea to the Premier League title. He went back to Italy and inspired Inter Milan to their first title in 11 seasons. He is a winner. Landing him, hot and driven to prove Manchester United wrong for not snapping him up, is the stuff of fantasy for Spurs.
If you don’t back him and he fails, it’s on you.
Forget this ludicrous narrative that he is a troublemaker. Sir Alex Ferguson was arguably the most combustible figure in Premier League history. Didn’t do Manchester United any harm, did it?
In any case, there are players at Tottenham who could do with a rocket up their backsides. Administrators too. The club have been in a comfort zone for too long. Conte will shatter that.
Levy now has the heat from fans on him
Levy now has the heat on him with a stunning new stadium and outstanding training facilities in Enfield unable to detract from the decision-making that has left Spurs treading water.
West Ham, with a far inferior budget, boast a better balanced side under David Moyes and a squad capable of competing on three fronts. Chelsea are on a different planet.
Spurs right now are a mess.
When the fans turned ferociously on Nuno Espirito Santo during Saturday night’s 3-0 surrender against United, he was never going to survive. Not with the lack of quality at his disposal.
Harry Kane wanting out continues a trend of top stars realising their best chance of silverware lies elsewhere.
Had Gareth Bale not fought his way out in 2013, he would not have four Champions Leagues and two Spanish titles under his belt. Likewise Luka Modric who quit the year before to also end up at Real Madrid.
In fact there are 27 players – including Kyle Walker, Christian Eriksen and Kieran Trippier, who lifted the English, Italian and Spanish titles respectively last season – who have quit the Tottenham cycle of underachievement and gone on to win trophies elsewhere.
Back Conte and he will end that drain.
Break promises and allow yet another top boss to slip through Tottenham’s fingers and the spotlight will be fixed very firmly on Levy.