Following on from England’s bungling performance against Andorra in the World Cup Qualifiers, any England fan would have been dreading a trip to Belgrade. Yet, somehow, the Lions ended up running riot. Chalking up a five to nil scoreline and reducing Thomas Tuchel’s already prevalent critics, to a whisper.
It was a memorable night for the London clubs. Arsenal’s Noni Madueke and Crystal Palace’s Marc Guehi scored their first England goals, with the still sprightly former Spurs’ front man Harry Kane opening proceedings in the 33rd minute.
Times are changing at Tottenham. With the sudden exit of former Chairman Daniel Levy, after 25 years in power, there is much debate about his legacy. Under his leadership the club built a state of the art training ground, Hotspur Way. And a world class multi-use stadium, hosting live music and also the home of the NFL in Europe. Such developments have helped revitalise a still very deprived part of London, building community confidence and pride, while also providing an estimated 3,700 jobs.
Levy’s tenorship also saw Spurs finally grasp some silverware, after a mere 17 years’ wait. Tottenham has significant debt, but it is structured in reasonable repayment plans, and crafty merchandising plus ticket sales means the club remains financially self-sufficient.
Not too shabby on paper. Yet, Daniel Levy became one of the most divisive figures in world sport. At times deeply unpopular with fans over his ruthless, Napoleonic dispatch of managers. Mauricio Pochettino was let go after five months of taking Spurs to a Champions League final, and Ange Postecoglou after actually finally winning a trophy. Also, the perceived lack of player spending, so necessary in the pursuit of glory, only stoked the fires of discontent.
But, was Daniel Levy truly to blame? Yes, he was the figurehead, but did he really pull all the strings? After all, the Lewis family, a business family, under the mask of ENIC, has the vast controlling share in the club. But herein lies the rub – as fans we believe it’s a sport, but for the owners it’s a business. At odds are two different ideologies: on one hand that of the game, the creativity, the fun, the seizing of the prize; versus that of cold pragmatism and turning a profit. A gulf of thought, with two opposing teams that stand at opposite ends of the pitch, who might have a kick about occasionally, but never really meet.
Our next PLD is West Ham United vs Tottenham Hotspur on Saturday 13th September.
Until next time enjoy your football, Matt at PLDs.