Home » Why Did Levy Get Shot Of Mitchell & Webb?|opinion

Why Did Levy Get Shot Of Mitchell & Webb?|opinion

By The Boy -

A decent piece from The Guardian this morning, which will make for a challenging read for those still under the impression that Daniel Levy knows what he’s doing.

Tottenham’s former scout David Webb makes a compelling star witness and, it is of note that Paul Mitchell’s name is inextricably woven into the tale that explains how certain players ended up at Spurs. Richard Jolly refers to this period as a golden age of recruitment which serves only to beg the rather sad question, what went so wrong?

“Mitch was very instrumental in bringing Toby to the club because he had worked with him previously at Southampton,”

Guardian

Webb, who scouted Alli for his previous club, credits Mitchell with the signing 

Guardian

The answer is undoubtedly that Levy prevented both Webb and Mitchell from doing their jobs, the failure to buy at all or buy effectively in numerous transfer windows deprived Pochettino of the oxygen he needed to survive.

How Pochettino was starved defies analysis, unless of course, one factors in what Levy is focused upon, which is delivering profitability to exclusion of all else. No matter how close one is to greatness.

Kieran Trippier and Son Heung-min were also identified by the men Levy sacked. Papering over the cracks is a phrase used repeatedly at Tottenham. It will be fascinating to see how Levy and Mourinho get on as time goes by…

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MrChickenHead
MrChickenHead
3 years ago

Were they ‘his’ signings and did ‘he’ spend the money. Or were they just the players that were signed by Levy.

Leslie Crawford
Leslie Crawford
3 years ago

I liked Poch but not many of his signings.In Five & a half seasons he spent £350m albeit with a nett spend of under £100m,but apart from Sonny,Toby and Dele? the rest (22) were average or bad.

East Stand
East Stand
3 years ago
Reply to  James McKevitt

Totally agree. Whenever the team has been shaping up into something there always seems to be this deliberate effort by Levy to throw a spanner in the works.

I believe he does this in fear of what he sees as ‘spiralling’ football expenditure. The more the fans expect, the more they need to be given to keep them turning up.

In order to use club funds to ‘advance’ infrastructure such as the stadium, training ground and other property development, Levy doesn’t want his budget for that affected by football aspirations. Which is why he keeps a tight lid on fan expectations and management of that has always been his chief role at Spurs.

After we won the league cup in 08 he sold half the team off, after a Champions League final the manager is sacked and a ‘rebuild’ is suddenly required. Steady clever player recruitment over three seasons would have avoided the need for that.

Hoddle, Santini, Jol, Ramos, AVB and the Directors Of Football have all been trumpeted as ‘the future’ and every time the reset button is hit, players sold and younger cheaper prospects signed.

There is no reason in modern football why a manager can’t be in charge for 10 years or more like the old days. The reason why these shorter cycles exist is mainly down to the process of selling the players as assets and maxing profits. That could be done with long term planning but it’s cheaper and easier for the owners to get rid of that manager who feels undermined. Levy is the originator of this idea in the Premiership. Levy has gotten through more managers than any other chairman. No surprise that someone like Mike Ashley isn’t far behind!

It’s an endless and ultimately fruitless con that’s been going on for over 20 years now. Levy and ENIC are property developers with the convenient excuse of owning a heritage company (Spurs) in the borough they’ve earmarked for regeneration.

Anyone still buying this con is an idiot…

ENIC OUT.

CowSpurs
CowSpurs
3 years ago

I wouldn’t say RB Leipzig success is all down to Mitchell, although I would agree that Levy hasn’t a clue about how to run football operations. The collective network of Red Bull clubs, such as Salzburg and New York help them identify and develop young talent. Upamecano came from a feeder club of Salzburg to Salzburg to Leipzig. Players move between the Red Bull clubs quite regularly. Werner was bought from a relegated Stuttgart, but had pedigree. We were the club in England who once bought and developed young talent, but we seemed to have lost our way. Does Jack Clarke count, when we should have bought Maddison and Grealish? Man City are on to the Red Bull model too. Ironically, ENIC were involved in numerous clubs back in the day and it was frowned upon to have fingers in so many pies. Levy needs to develop long term plans for footballing operations by employing people who know what they are on about and then keep his nose out of it. Trust the people you put in charge. RB did this with Ragnick. Could Jose be the one to lead us to having better structure? For me, not if Levy has anything to do with it.

James McKevitt
James McKevitt
3 years ago

Maybe he just didn’t find them funny.

Marbella Spur
Marbella Spur
3 years ago

I have just read the piece in the Guardian. I don’t think there were any great surprises in it. Levy did not back Poch in the market as he was asked to do, and there was clearly friction between the recruitment team and Levy. Levy, as ever, thought he knew better when his football knowledge appears to be cursory at best. Look at the job Mitchell is doing at RB Leipzig. Just for the record, I understood that Dele Alli was personally recommended to Levy by David Pleat.

James McKevitt
James McKevitt
3 years ago

Nothing Levy has ever done shows that he prioritises the football team above everything else. His priorities are land acquisition, property development, increasing income streams, so far the team has always come second. I think he is too conservative and risk averse as a business man to go all in on investing in players, he just does enough to be competitive but never enough to be a winner. To give him his due he has made Tottenham an attractive purchase for some one, the assets are a brilliant stadium with growing revenue streams, excellent training facilities, a growing UK and International fan base, a brand that is attractive to corporate interests. The team has decent assets and is not yet a basket case, it is still within striking distance of competing for trophies if invested in. The fact that the team is based in London is also a strength and a draw for investors and player recruitment. So a very attractive proposition for someone, now we need ENIC to leave the stage, you have done as much as you can, time to let someone else take the next steps.

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