Conscious of rising discontent among supporters, Venkatesham has written a lengthy and detailed response to their concerns in the club’s matchday programme, in which he addressed, among other things, the relationship between the club and the fans, wage structure and transfers.
A highly regarded operator after a 14 year spell at Arsenal, Venkatesham has overseen wholesale changes behind the scenes during the first few months of his tenure at Spurs.
“Dear supporters, as we reach the halfway point of our season, I wanted to share an update on our plans for the future,” the letter read.
“The joint ambition of our executive team, board and the Lewis Family is clear: to see our men's team competing regularly in the Champions League and for major trophies, while significantly raising the competitive level of our women's team. Our focus is sporting success, and in that we share the same ambition as our supporters.
“We know that words carry little weight without action, which is why recent months have been spent undertaking a thorough review of our operations. Opportunities for a genuine reset are rare in clubs of our size and we have been determined not to waste this moment as we make the changes needed behind the scenes to compete consistently at the highest level.
“Football has changed significantly in recent years and, while the club has evolved and achieved incredible things, we recognise that in some key areas we have not always kept pace. We all feel the gap between where we are and where we want to be and, while we know progress takes time, we share your impatience to close it.
“Our supporters want wins and performances to be proud of and we know the men’s first team has fallen short of where we want to be so far this season. Significant work is underway and I wanted to set out the key areas of focus.
“We believe in our current squad, but must add more quality, experience and leadership to compete consistently at the highest level. Doing so requires a more proactive approach to recruitment, alongside a wage structure that supports our ambition.
“We are fully focused on strengthening the squad in January where the right opportunities exist, while recognising that the most significant player trading activity typically comes in summer windows. Our priority is to make signings that genuinely move us forward and we will be disciplined against that aim.
“Player trading is also about knowing when to sell and being decisive about moving players on who are not part of our future. Doing so is essential to maximising value and managing our financial fair play obligations. Despite common belief, we are not immune to these rules and must carefully manage our squad development plans against them.
“This focus is reflected in the appointment of Rafi Moersen from City Football Group as Director of Football Operations. When he joins later this year, reporting into our Sporting Director, Johan Lange, he will play a central role in shaping and executing our player transactions and supporting the wider football operation.
“A productive academy is vital to our future. It provides first-team players without transfer fees and enables investment elsewhere in the squad. Crucially, it also develops players who grow up as supporters and truly understand what it means to pull on a Spurs shirt.
“While there has been good progress in recruitment and coaching in recent years, we must deliver greater first team minutes and transfer returns from our academy. We have therefore committed additional investment to strengthen the academy pipeline of players and to support the systems needed for it to flourish.
“Whilst coaching is of course critical. and we have strengthened Thomas Frank's coaching staff with the appointment of John Heitinga, maximising performance is about more than coaching alone.
“We must be world class in performance services, including medical care, sports science, nutrition and psychology, to ensure players are available and primed to compete at the highest level.
“We have made several changes in this area. most notably the appointment of Dan Lewindon as Performance Director, who joins us next month from City Football Group.
“Perhaps most importantly, we know there is distance between the club and our supporters and we are committed to rebuilding that connection.
“With your input, we have introduced initiatives such as the new Sonny mural, ticketing changes and a trial singing section and we will continue to work closely with the Fan Advisory Board.
“Making matches more accessible for younger fans is a priority and we will be reviewing concession policies for junior supporters and young adults ahead of next season.
“To strengthen engagement. we appointed Kate Miller as Chief Communications Officer in November and Adam Gardiner as Chief Marketing Officer this month. Along with Rafi, they form part of a newly-established Executive Team under my leadership, reflecting a more modern and collaborative structure.
“I want to be clear that our ambition extends beyond the men's team. We are committed to raising the competitive level of our women’s team and have invested significantly during the January transfer window, with early signs of progress already evident this season.
l appreciate this has been a lengthy update, but I wanted to be open about where we want to be and how we are working to get there.
“Tottenham Hotspur cannot exist without you, our supporters. We are built on the loyalty, passion and commitment of those who follow us, and we do not underestimate what supporting our club means.