Daniel Levy is no longer the Executive Chairman of Tottenham Hotspur, which provides Spurs with both potential issues and new opportunities.
Tottenham Hotspur left their supporters in disbelief as it was announced that Daniel Levy was stepping down as Spurs chairman after 24 years.
Levy oversaw the reign of 14 permanent Tottenham managers and during his time in the role, Spurs won the League Cup and the Europa League.
Many supporters have been calling on Levy to resign for years, while others believe he is to thank for transforming the club. With all the pros and cons of his departure weighed up, it is time to take a look at the three things Spurs will lose and gain from Levy’s exit.
Tottenham will lose stability with Daniel Levy gone
Say what you want about Daniel Levy, but Spurs have never faced FFP or PSR problems, which teams such as Manchester City and Aston Villa are experiencing. There was the one incident involving Jermaine Defoe’s move to Portsmouth in 2008 which could have landed Spurs in hot water, but Levy has largely kept a steady ship at Tottenham.
Without Levy, there is the risk of losing the stability he brought and the timing of his departure is unusual. Tottenham have only recently begun a new season and a switch of chairman could cause some disruption.
However, losing Levy is not all bad, specifically due to three more reasons.
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Daniel Levy had a wealth of experience
Some Tottenham supporters may not always have liked what Levy was doing, but at least he knew what he was doing. Levy has always worked towards specific goals and objectives and has carried out a plan he formulated over many years.
Being the chairman of one of the biggest football clubs is not an easy task, but you learn things along the way. Levy had 24 years to build up his knowledge and grow into the role.
Peter Charrington is an experienced businessman, but his career in football only began in March when he was named as the club’s non-executive director. He will now take on the role as non-executive chairman, which has the potential to throw some curveballs, even with his business acumen.
Levy has been a tough negotiator at Spurs
The fact that Levy is a tough negotiator can actually be a bad thing. After all, his adamance of refusing to pay Crystal Palace a little extra money for Eberechi Eze is seemingly one of the main reasons Spurs lost out to Arsenal.
However, Levy had a reputation for playing hardball when it came to selling players. He often helped Tottenham generate more revenue by demanding a high price, but sometimes he took things up a notch.
Spurs do not tend to part ways with players easily, and much of that is to do with Levy. He always held onto Tottenham’s best players for as long as possible. The likes of Harry Kane and Heung-min Son both left with just one year remaining on their contracts, despite how much interest they attracted in the years leading up to their departures.
Tottenham can mend broken relationships with other clubs
Levy made himself one or two enemies this summer, specifically Steve Parish and Evangelos Marinakis. Spurs raided Nottingham Forest for Brennan Johnson not so long ago, but it is hard to see how any business transactions would have taken place between the clubs after the Gibbs-White incident.
However, with Levy out of the way, Tottenham can improve their relationships with these teams. There is also the club’s legal battle against INEOS which will likely have caused issues with Manchester United. A new chairman might be able to mitigate any damage this has caused.
Spurs can be more ambitious and get supporters onside
Tottenham have often been the masters of their own downfall under Levy. For him, consistency was important, perhaps even more so than absolute success. Spurs finished in the top four for four consecutive seasons under Pochettino and Levy seemed happy working towards maintaining that position, rather than going a step further.
The lack of spending from Spurs in certain transfer windows has been a key cause of frustration for the supporters, but this is not the only thing. Levy has been out of touch with large sections of the fanbase over recent years, from failing to properly support a singing section to scrapping concession tickets and raising prices all around.
Tottenham supporters need to feel like they are getting what they pay for. Spurs without Levy can either show more ambition and give them good value for their money, or accept they are happy not winning titles and adjust ticket prices accordingly.