DANIEL LEVY was never going to win a popularity contest among the Tottenham fanbase.
But after his drastic action over the last week, he is now well and truly under the pump, as Ange Postecoglou might have put it.
Shutterstock EditorialThomas Frank is Tottenham’s new manager[/caption]
Shutterstock EditorialAnge Postecoglou was sacked after guiding Spurs to the Europa League trophy[/caption]
GettySpurs protested Spurs chairman Daniel Levy in February[/caption]
Chairman Levy already had thousands of Spurs supporters taking to the streets to protest against his running of the club last season.
Yet since then he has ruthlessly sacked the man who delivered the club’s first trophy in 17 years and who gave many fans their greatest night following the team.
And he has replaced that man with a head coach in Thomas Frank who, for all the wonders he worked at Brentford, has no track record of delivering major honours.
It is the 13th hiring-and-firing of Levy’s 25-year Tottenham tenure — and his biggest gamble yet.
Fans already accused the 63-year-old of failing to place winning silverware at the top of his priority list.
Axing Aussie Big Ange just 16 days after he masterminded their Europa League triumph over Manchester United in Bilbao to finally lift Spurs’ trophy curse will only amplify that perspective.
Whether the views of many on Levy and the club’s ownership are too entrenched to be altered by now is hugely debatable.
But if this latest shove on the managerial revolving door in N17 goes badly, then the bad feeling towards the board could reach new decibel levels.
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Frank, 51, will receive plenty of goodwill from many fans, who will respect how he had the Bees regularly overachieving during his near seven-year reign.
But they will also be extending a word of warning to the friendly Dane over his new employer and half expecting him to be out on his ear in less than two years — because that is what usually happens.
As a statement following Postecoglou’s sacking from protest group Change for Tottenham read: “The real issue is not who wears the tracksuit but who holds the power.
“Daniel Levy and ENIC have now overseen more than two decades of false dawns, short-term thinking and cultural decay.
“The manager may change but the problem stays the same.”
And 59-year-old Postecoglou — should Frank decide to seek out his opinion — will hardly paint a positive picture of his old boss either, having been strung along with radio silence for a fortnight before being cold-bloodedly handed his P45.
In fairness to Levy, making a change was not the easy, crowd-pleasing call.
That would have been sticking with the Australian, given how many of the fanbase — including the thousands that previously wanted Ange out — were now behind him. Nor was it the cheap option either, flying in the face of a consistent criticism in this instance.
Levy and majority owners ENIC have regularly been accused of not splashing the cash to a proportionate degree for their revenue streams.
Critics do not just include disgruntled supporters but current star defender Cristian Romero, who took aim at the board’s lack of investment during a TV interview in December.
Yet they have forked out around £5million to pay off Postecoglou and his staff, along with the £2m bonus the former Celtic boss picked up for his Europa League win.
And they have spent more than £10m on landing Frank, plus his highly rated No 2 Justin Cochrane, fitness coach Chris Haslam and analyst Joe Newton.
Levy believes the pitiful Premier League form under Postecoglou was more important than winning a European trophy.
Spurs finished 17th last season and Levy made his point with reference to “78 points taken from 66 games” in the announcement confirming Postecoglou’s sacking.
Defender Micky van de Ven has already described binning Postecoglou as “a strange decision”, summing up the mood of a squad who were firmly behind the Athens-born boss.
Whether it proves to be the right call or not, only time will tell.
But one thing is for certain, if it does not, the fans will be venting their anger in only one direction.
GettyPostecoglou was sacked by Spurs boss Daniel Levy[/caption] Creator – [#item_custom_dc:creator]
