Exclusive: e-Spurs opinion of the recent unrest

Article by e-Spurs Deputy Editor Marc Ashed

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"We must always consider our supporters, for without them there would be no professional football. It would be better to have more fans watching football the way they like it played, rather than have a few fans watching football the way we would like it played."

Bill Nicholson embodied the soul of the club and the supporters more than anybody in our history. He understood the importance of the trust and faith that supporters must have in the club. That seems to be missing a little bit today and its not unique to Tottenham, its the downside of modern football. Let's look at why we are so upset. Daniel Levy is silent and seems to think he can do whatever he wants and we will always be around, which is true but we are definitely upset about management ignoring our wishes and concerns. Rising ticket prices, lack of movement on the new stadium and the appointment of his inside man Tim Sherwood are all reasons that we are upset. They are all things that can be fixed and fairly easily. Inform us when the new stadium is set to break ground, hire a legendary manager like Louis Van Gaal and get out of his way so that he can turn Tottenham into his latest winning club. We have become a club that is more focused on egos than our history and our heart. AVB left because of his ego and Tim is letting his ego get in the way of his decision making now also. If Levy is here to stay, and by all accounts he is, then he needs to find a happy balance where he can co-exist alongside other powerful people at the club and move us forward.

“Any player coming to Spurs whether he’s a big signing or just a ground staff boy must be dedicated to the game and to the club. He must be prepared to work at his game. He must never be satisfied with his last performance, and he must hate losing.”

When looking at today's players, it's hard to find a full XI that Bill Nic's quote can apply to. One of those was Lewis Holtby. If a fan was given the opportunity to play for a day, he would run around the pitch and wear his heart of his sleeve like Lewis did. He's more than a cheerleader, he's a former u21 German captain and our seasons leader in assists but he now plays for Fulham until the summer. Taking players like that out of the team hurts the soul of the club and of the fans. Sure, Nabil Bentaleb has passion and Paulinho seems to be saying all the right things but nobody loves and appreciates every single day that he puts on a kit more than Lewis. There is more to putting a successful team on the field than talent. Look no further than Argentina's National team. A team requires passion, the right tactical fit and the right chemistry. It breaks my heart to see Lewis Holtby in a Fulham shirt but I know that he will be treated the right way and hopefully under a new manager, he will be given the same chance and allowed to play a major role, even if it's off the bench for our dear Spurs. We need to stop overlooking players like Lewis and Rafael Van der Vaart that our fans truly love and appreciate watching. Players who love the badge are just as important as players who are supremely talented.

It’s no use just winning, we’ve got to win well.

We are built to play Tottenham football but we just aren't doing it. Elegant players like Jan Vertonghen, Christian Eriksen and Erik Lamela are the present and future of the club. We have got the steel in Sandro and Mousa Dembele. We need a manager with a supreme pedigree like Louis Van Gaal to truly unlock the potential of this club and restore us to glory.
“The public can’t be kidded. They know what they want to see, what is good and what is bad and what is just average. At least I believe they do.”

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