NICK FEINBERG: SPURS SHAKE-UP HAS ME WORRIED

HELLO my good football people, I hope you had an okay weekend without Premier League football?

I know that would sound like a weird question to many, like “does football actually help define your weekends?” But my answer to that would be a solid “yes”.

Yeah, yeah, yeah, we all have great weekends made by other stuff like family visits, road trips, concerts, hikes etc, but yeah, when a damn international break is on, I’d say (for me anyway) no weekend is as good as it could be without a couple of Premier League fixtures.

Mind you, I’m lucky to also have rugby in my life now, so Saturday morning was a bonus, but come 11am, I was like “what the f**k now?”.

Anyway, the Premier League is back on this weekend…Unfortunately there are no real standout fixtures, except for that mid-table Manchester derby, which we hope Manchester United will get a point from so that Ruben Amorim’s stay at the club is prolonged!

When there isn’t any football, it does give me a chance to write about other related stuff and I thought I’d use the opportunity to chat quickly about Tottenham Hotspur.

I know the news kind came and went without much attention, but executive chairperson Daniel Levy leaving the club after almost 25 years is potentially huge news! I hate to say it… as our biggest rivals (Chelsea), I’m a little worried.

I understand Spurs fans’ frustration. Levy has done just enough to maintain the club in a top six (or close) position over the years, so fans are kept at bay, while they haven’t had to risk hundreds of millions of pounds every season to make a serious league title challenge, business-wise everything has ticked over very nicely.

Saying that, they’ve spent around £2 billion (R48bn) on players over the period which ranks more or less where they do as position in the league (sixth). But times have changed and success is only measured on silverware now, from a fan/sponsor perspective it needs to be better. They have a trophy cabinet the size of a one-man shower and the fans have had enough.

More importantly, the board decided to part ways. However, while he no longer holds his position as executive chairperson, Levy still owns a 29 percent stake in Tottenham’s biggest shareholder (ENIC).

As it stands, he will have no operational influence, or any direct decision-making ability. Besides the significant spend on players, under Levy’s tenure the club now also resides in one of Europe’s most magnificent stadiums, generating extra seat revenue from concerts, boxing and NFL events.

 So, the board’s decision to make such a big change (at the most successfully run club in England from a business perspective) is big. The club is primed... this is what worries me. Great stadium, great coach and a very decent squad.

A new, more aggressive approach could be in the making. A change in philosophy that says, “we’re a profitable, well-run club with a great structure in place, ready to take it to the next level”.

This surely can be the only reason Levy has gone? I mean they aren’t going to pull back even further and sit mid-table with a disillusioned fan-base?

There is a massive opportunity to continue with Levy’s shrewd work, incorporating a bit more risk, investing in the type of signings that really make a difference and bring that buzz of excitement, think Garath Bale, Harry Kane, Ossie Ardiles, Ricky Villa or Paul Gasgoine!

In the background, speculation is growing that ENIC is also in negotiation with a Saudi-based business which could have an impact on the club. Yeah, I’m worried…

I’m predicting better times are on their way to that side of north London. Two League Cups and a Europa League trophy just wasn’t good enough. Change was needed.

In case you didn’t know, the Chelsea anthem sung before every home game ‘Liquidator” includes the line “we hate Tottenham”. I’m predicting better times are on their way to that side of north London. Two League Cup’s and a Europa League trophy just wasn’t good enough. Change was needed.

Unfortunately for Spurs fans, any kind of change is probably still a while away. After a fantastic performance at Manchester City, they went and lost 1-0 at home to Bournemouth. For f**k’s sake, it doesn’t get much more "Spursy" than that.

Chat next week.

Bye bye.