According to The Athletic, last Friday marked one year since Daniel Levy walked into a meeting in London and was informed that his decades-long tenure as Tottenham chairman had come to an end. It remains the most significant event in modern Tottenham history – the abrupt conclusion of a 24-year era of personal control at the club.

Over the past year, that September day has cast a shadow over everything that has happened at Spurs since then. Or perhaps more accurately, it has felt like an absence rather than a presence – a void that the Lewis family and the club's senior management have been trying to fill. The most common metaphor used internally at the club is that last summer they had to disassemble and rebuild the plane while it was still flying.

However you interpret it, the decision to remove Levy remains the fundamental framework through which everything at Spurs is viewed.

At the time, hardly anyone could judge whether the decision was right or wrong. The reasons given for Levy's departure ultimately pointed to the club's performance both on and off the pitch. If that logic is accepted, then it was impossible to reach any immediate conclusion about whether it would prove effective.

Even in the chaos of last season, determining exactly who was responsible for the mess at Spurs was nearly impossible. At certain points, things seemed completely out of control – particularly on April 25, when they appeared to be four points behind West Ham with only four games remaining.

Readers will of course recall that Palhinha scored the decisive goal with a lob against Wolves away from home, closing the gap to two points, and Spurs overtook West Ham in the final stages of the season.

But while the danger was clear, assigning blame was not. Some argued that the newly formed senior management, still finding their footing after Levy's departure, bore the greatest responsibility, having failed to act quickly enough in the January transfer window, keeping Thomas Frank too long, and then making a disastrous move for Igor Júlio.

Others contended that Levy himself had originally appointed Frank, and that the squad he left for Tottenham was no longer suited to the Premier League. Still others praised the senior management for bringing in a top-tier manager following De Zerbi's arrival and for pulling Tottenham out of decline. And some blamed them for not doing so until late March.

The purpose here is not to revisit these arguments and debate them to a final conclusion. These arguments may never be settled in our lifetime. The purpose is simply to illustrate that, based solely on last season's performance, no clear-cut judgment can be made about Levy's departure.

Perhaps only from this summer onwards will things become clearer. Over the past three months, Tottenham has completely overhauled its traditional transfer model. They have spent more on transfers than ever before, acquiring three players this summer – Fernandes, Tonali, and Savio – all at fees exceeding the club's previous transfer record.

They have also broken the old wage structure, offering new contracts to new signings like Tonali and existing players such as Porro and Van de Ven at significantly higher wages than before. Meanwhile, Spurs' approach to selling players has changed; they no longer wait indefinitely for the ideal offer but are instead more pragmatic about moving on players who want to leave.

Throughout last season, Tottenham fans waited to see whether positive statements from the new leadership would translate into action. Now, no one can reasonably claim they are still waiting for action, change, or the club to invest money in the team. At the start of the season, they invested £100 million (approximately $135 million), and further investments are likely to follow.

All of this represents the most fundamental break with the past. Of course, transfer policy is just one part of the behind-the-scenes changes over the past year. The club has brought in numerous senior personnel, completely overhauled its medical and fitness departments, and renovated the training ground facilities. Even if this transfer window alone has been impressive, it is only the beginning.

But Spurs have now truly become a team of the post-Levy era – something that was not the case a year ago. We are moving away from that era: the club's struggles and failures can no longer simply be attributed to the former chairman. The ghost at the feast is fading, and in the future, Tottenham's senior management and owner will be judged solely by their own decisions and their own results.

Since the reset button was pressed, Spurs have won only 8 of 37 Premier League matches over the past year, averaging just 0.94 points per game. Therefore, if the Lewis family's decision is to be vindicated and regarded as a success, it can only be achieved through improved results this season. This is the fundamental truth of football: first, see who wins on the pitch, then reason backwards from there.

Even with a slow start, there is plenty of reason for optimism about this season. Spurs' current squad is stronger and deeper than in recent years, with mature talent throughout. A top-tier manager is in place with the dressing room united behind him, and all the basic conditions are in place to support a positive season. No one expects miracles, just clear, visible progress. By next season, they should be even better.

One of the most frequently used words over the past year has been "empowerment" – putting the right people in key positions and backing them. De Zerbi has received clear support, perhaps even more than he expected. This season, he must continue to deliver results. He is not only defending his own reputation but that of those who appointed him.

If De Zerbi manages the team well and this season is successful, then everything that has happened since September will be vindicated in the eyes of supporters. People might even stop dwelling on the past and instead look to the future with optimism.

But if Spurs struggle, if the investment does not yield results, if this strategy fails to materialize, then questions about whether any of it was worthwhile will resurface.

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