Every Tottenham manager eventually reaches this stage with Daniel Levy.
It has been four years since Mauricio Pochettino’s appointment but on Sunday the Spurs boss called for a sharp change of direction at the club.
Pochettino urged chairman Levy to “create a new idea”. He said the club must “be brave and take risks” to win major honours and refused, again, to commit to Tottenham long-term, insisting his future was out of his hands.
From a position of strength, Pochettino’s comments sounded suspiciously like an ultimatum to the chairman: back me or risk losing me.
He also wants Levy to be more pragmatic in the transfer market by cutting loose unwanted players early in this summer’s window and not leaving signings until the final week. He is asking Levy to change habits of a lifetime.
Reflecting on his time at Tottenham, Juande Ramos, the last manager to lead them to a trophy, in 2008, said: “They think the economic model enables the sporting model to function but that’s not always true — are you trying to win money or titles?”
The Spaniard’s successor, Harry Redknapp, led Spurs into the Champions League for the first time, while maintaining a near-constant whine about the need for greater investment.
“If you want to compete with Chelsea, Arsenal, Liverpool and the two Manchester clubs, you have to buy top players,” Redknapp said in March 2012, three months before he was sacked
Andre Villas-Boas was next to clash with Levy. Reflecting on his 18-month tenure at Spurs, the Portuguese said: “The size of the club, fan base and its infrastructure make you dream you can go higher but the philosophy at the top prevents you.”
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Pochettino works under similar financial restraints to his predecessors. Spurs have the sixth highest wage-bill in the Premier League, closer in size to Burnley’s than rivals Arsenal’s, and the manager has been permitted to spend £40million in net terms on permanent transfers in four seasons. In the same period, the Manchester clubs both have a net-spend of over £400m.
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The question, after Sunday’s outburst following the 5-4 win over Leicester, is whether Levy can change for Pochettino. Undoubtedly, Levy is closer to him than any of his previous coaches and Pochettino’s influence on the club’s direction has gradually increased.
The Argentinian has achieved a third consecutive top-three finish and significant steps in the Champions League — even Levy must have wondered how far he could take the club with serious investment.
The financial reality, however, is Spurs’ new stadium project is approaching £1bn in cost and they must repay £400m in bank loans over the next five years. If Levy broke the wage structure for one player, he would have to do the same for half the first-team squad. To truly compete for next season’s Premier League title, Spurs would probably need to spend £150m this summer.
Pochettino’s comments leave the ball in Levy’s court and the club face a tense summer if Levy simply says no. Pochettino has shown his hand; it is time for the chairman to do the same.
