Why even Arsenal fans must be wishing they had Daniel Levy at their club after this transfer window
Our man in Madrid Darren Lewis reckons the Tottenham chairman has played a blinder this summer
Getty
If Daniel Levy is stuck for a lift to the game today he could always venture out onto the Seven Sisters Road.
There he'd find a fair few fans ready to carry him shoulder-high to White Hart Lane.
Especially when they look at pictures from inside the Bernebeu this morning.
No stage. The area behind the dug out conspicuous by the absence of THAT structure prematurely erected to parade Gareth Bale before the deal was complete.
Levy wanted it down - and he held off long enough for it to come down ahead of the game against Athletic Bilbao in progress right now.
A small victory maybe. But the Spurs chairman has gained the respect of supporters inside and outside the club with his masterclass on how to cope with the loss of a big player.
Arsenal fans won't admit it but even they must secretly wish they had a custodian with his ruthless streak and his skill at protecting the interests of his club.
Even they must secretly wish they had someone at the Emirates to impress upon Arsene Wenger that, with the game having changed during his time at the club, you really do get what you pay for.
While morale has steadily been eroded down at Arsenal following the loss of Cesc Fabregas, Samir Nasri and Robin van Persie, the slide has been arrested at Spurs.
After losing the likes of Luka Modric to Real Madrid last summer and with Dimitar Berbatov following Michael Carrick to Manchester United, Levy has learned his lessons.
It is not so much the calibre of the players on whom the money has been so sensationally spent by the Spurs supremo this time around.
It is the fact that he has taken the fans' feelings into account. He and owner Joe Lewis have listened - and shown that they share the supporters' ambition.
One wag on Friday night remarked that he had popped down to Asda to do some shopping and found on his return that the club had signed Christian Eriksen.
Another woke up on Saturday morning and jokingly berated Levy for not bringing in a player in the 14 hours since Eriksen had been confirmed.
Another proudly declared yesterday as the first day that he did not have a single gripe about the issue of transfers regarding his beloved Tottenham.
Tottenham fans have found their smile again.
Levy is aware of the sense of lost hope that there would have been going into the north London derby today had Tottenham not responded in the way they have done to Bale's departure.
Compare all that with the intransigence of Wenger's view at Arsenal. With the Gunners boss's refusal to accept the widely-held frustration of the club's faithful with major investment needed.
With a couple of stellar signings Arsenal could still pull away from Tottenham this season. As things stand now the two clubs are on a par with each other.
There is strength in depth all over the Tottenham team with the club still set to bring in another left-back and another striker.
Levy is tired of living in Arsenal's shadow and is doing something about it. Wenger talks a good game but has spurned the likes of Lars Bender, Gonzalo Higuain and many, many others in favour of bringing back Mathieu Flamini and Nicolas Bendtner.
Levy has spent around £110million in response to losing his best player and totally torn up the Tottenham squad. Wenger has spent zero this summer and is stuck with the same old faces.
Let's not kid ourselves, Arsenal have a fantastic first eleven and, in some areas, are spoilt for choice.
Their fans are well aware, however, that their squad has big deficiencies - and that Wenger either can't or won't see them.
The result is a north London derby finely balanced this afternoon. The score almost doesn't matter.
Because even if Arsenal win it will only paper over the cracks. Just as beating Fenerbahce to reach the Champions League did the other day.
The Gunners fans will claim bragging rights but the Spurs faithful will see the bigger picture.
So far Arsenal have basically done this summer what Spurs used to: tantalised the fans with the promise of big stars only to start the season with the same old faces.
It is Levy now recognising that the supporters are the lifeblood of the club. It is Levy now recognising that unless the fans' desire and ambition is met then the club is treading water.
It is Levy - in tandem with Andre Villas-Boas - who has been ruthless and decided that some players have had their chance in a Spurs shirt. That it is now time for an upgrade.
It is Levy - in tandem with owner Joe Lewis - who has decided that recouping big fees for players means nothing if that cash is sitting in the bank catching dust.
Tottenham could so easily have given it the big 'un back in June just as Arsenal chief executive did with his "escalation of financial firepower" comments.
Instead they kept their powder dry, went quietly about their business and ended up sending shockwaves throughout the Premier League and beyond.
While Tottenham are normally the butt of everyone's jokes on Deadline Day with their customary trolley dash after everyone is already fixed up, now it is the other way around with Spurs fans settled while Manchester United and Arsenal panic.
The football world may raise a chuckle at Levy's refusal to meet the deadline of Real Madrid and sign off on the Bale deal this weekend.
But so what? Why should he spark the chain reaction that would allow Arsenal to solve their transfer problems when the Gunners have had all summer to do so?
Why should he meet Madrid's carefully laid-out presentation plans for Bale when the Spaniards did not have the respect to hold off on building THAT stage until the deal was done?
Why should Tottenham, or any other outfit, do that for a club as arrogant as Madrid?
That stage coming down on Saturday night was a victory for ALL the clubs that have had their transfer plans wrecked by Real Madrid - Arsenal included.
Tha Spaniards, with their raging arrogance, just could not show Spurs the respect of holding off until the deal was done.
Now, if anyone has a spanner or a wrench, could they send it over to a Mr F Perez, courtesy of the Bernebeu Stadium, here in Spain.
No comments:
Post a Comment