The Spurs chairman must feel everything is against him right now – at the worst possible time of the season.
Two months ago was an incredibly exciting time for Tottenham fans, sitting comfortably in third and aiming to topple to Manchester duopoly at the top of the league.
The ‘Harry for England’ bandwagon was only just starting, seen as a minor distraction, and talk was turning to summer targets- with Eden Hazard in the crosshairs.
Results on the pitch have since slipped disastrously, with Spurs now not even certain of fourth spot. Indeed if form is anything to go by, they are up against it, while the feelgood factor of an FA Cup run came to an emphatic end over the weekend.
All of this makes chairman Daniel Levy’s job impossibly difficult right now. If he had any hair, he would for sure be pulling it out.
Had Tottenham been carrying on their quickfire start and maintaining a firm grip on third position, his position at the negotiating table would be far stronger than it currently is.
Regardless of Redknapp’s situation, Levy would have been able to sell the club to any prospective managers and players far more easily.
Even Jose Mourinho’s name was mentioned as a potential manager, but supporter buoyancy about such a deal has gone deathly quiet since the side’s run of poor fortune.
In the race to sign Eden Hazard, with Manchester United, Manchester City, and Arsenal all strongly interested, the consolidation of third position and promise of Champions League football could have helped Levy broach an early deal, batting off opposition.
The same goes for fellow Belgian Jan Vertonghen, who will be waiting on making such a decision to see if Tottenham can secure a place in Europe’s elite competition before considering any potential transfer.
Indeed Levy will want to assess the club’s finishing position, and financial status before sanctioning a series of big deals, which may be part-dependent on television money brought in through Champions League qualification. Right now he is in no position to pull the trigger on any targets.
The uncertainty makes life highly difficult, with any deal for a new manager in a similar state of limbo.
The Harry Redknapp-England manager situation has also dragged on with a lack of clarity, although for all we know, an as yet unannounced agreement may have been struck behind the scenes. But if not, the problems for Levy increase.
England may decide not to plump for Redknapp, highly possible considering Spurs’ current form, appointing an interim manager for Euro 2012, which could still end up with Redknapp later being linked to take over ahead of the World Cup qualifiers.
This would be an added distraction the club do not need, for if Redknapp is to go, it needs to be sooner rather than later to allow the club time to rebuild.
An additional, and most unwelcome complication caused by the side’s sudden slump, is the battle to hang onto the club’s star players.
Luka Modric was the definition of a want-away star last summer, and if Tottenham miss out on fourth, it is almost certain he will request a transfer again.
This will in turn make the club less attractive to incoming stars, who could and would have thrived along side him, and could have the most unwelcome effect of causing a domino sequence of stars reconsidering their future.
By the same token, if Spurs miss out on Champions League football, and are determined to land their top targets, Luka Modric’s sale would be an invaluable source of income.
If Levy can reluctantly smooth a sale as quickly as possible without it dragging on, and recruit quality replacements, then he will avoid maximum damage and reassure the rest of the club’s star players, who will want to see a positive statement of the club’s ambition.
The issue of replacements and targets is made more complex by the lack of clarity over the club’s manager for 2012/13, who will no doubt want to have his say. If it is Redknapp he needs to commit, but seems to have no intention of doing so right now, and indeed whether supporters want him is another matter.
Selling Modric is a move he will not want to make, and a complication he and the club could do without, but action plans need to be put in place for each and every scenario depending on what happens over the final five Premier League games.
All of this is why we firmly believe Daniel Levy has a tougher job than any other chairman at present, at least of those in the top half of the table.
He will have to keep a close on eye on the club’s finances, and supporter expectations. Even through achieving a top four finish, fans will want more decisive signings than the limp additions served up in January, where which stronger signings could have avoided this whole mess.
What do you feel is Levy’s biggest challenge, what should he do?
image: © Doha Stadium Plus
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