On September 4, TA published an article examining Tottenham Hotspur one year after the departure of former chairman Daniel Levy. The article noted that while it remains difficult to draw firm conclusions about this management change, with the club breaking its traditional summer transfer approach by spending heavily to strengthen the squad, Tottenham Hotspur has genuinely entered the "post-Levy era." The team's future performance will be crucial in determining whether this decision was the right one.

Below is the article

Last Friday marked exactly one year since Daniel Levy walked into a boardroom in London and was told that his 24-year tenure as chairman of Tottenham Hotspur had ended.

It remains the most significant event in modern Tottenham Hotspur history. The club's 24-year "Levy Era" suddenly came to an end, and almost everything that has happened at Tottenham Hotspur over the past year has been overshadowed by that September event.

Or perhaps "absence" is a more accurate description than "shadow." The void left by Levy's departure has been filled by the Lewis family and club management. There was a telling analogy used inside the club: last season was like an airplane that had to be rebuilt mid-flight without crashing.

Regardless of how one interprets it, the decision to remove Levy marked the starting point for external scrutiny of Tottenham Hotspur.

At the time, few could judge whether the decision was correct. When Levy was removed, the club's stated reasons were largely related to the team's performance on and off the pitch. And if this logic is accepted, then clearly the success of this decision could not be determined overnight.

Perhaps the safest approach when facing Levy's departure is to avoid rushing to conclusions and instead take a long-term perspective.

Even amid last season's chaos, it was difficult to pinpoint exactly who was responsible for Tottenham Hotspur's problems.

At times, it felt as though the entire club might spiral completely out of control.

One of the most telling moments came on April 25. At that point, Tottenham Hotspur faced a major crisis: if they lost, they could fall four points behind West Ham United with four league matches remaining.

Of course, everyone knows how it ended.

João Palhinha scored a late winner against Wolves, narrowing the gap between Tottenham Hotspur and West Ham United to two points, and ultimately completed the late-season surge.

But the problem was that while the danger itself was clear, responsibility for it was hard to assign.

Some argued that the new management following Levy's departure should be held accountable for moving too slowly in the winter transfer window, delaying necessary changes; for keeping Thomas Frank as manager too long, and then, amid the chaos, switching to Igor Tudor.

But another view held that Levy was the one who originally appointed Frank, and Tottenham Hotspur's squad at that time was no longer fit to compete in the Premier League.

Some praised the club's management for eventually finding a top-tier manager in Roberto De Zerbi and helping the team escape their difficulties; others criticized them, arguing that making this change only at the end of March was too late.

The point here is not to revisit these issues in detail or try to reach a final conclusion by examining every detail again.

This debate may never truly end in our lifetime.

What truly matters is that based solely on what happened last season, it is highly unlikely to make a simple "right" or "wrong" judgment about Levy's departure.

Perhaps a clearer answer will start to emerge this summer.

Over the past three months, Tottenham Hotspur has almost completely transformed the transfer approach it had developed over many years.

They have invested an unprecedented amount in transfer fees in the club's history and recruited three summer signings whose transfer fees exceeded the club's previous record—Fernandes, Sandro Tonali, and Maddison.

They have also broken their long-standing wage structure.

The club is not only willing to offer new players like Tonali salaries far exceeding previous standards, but also provided significantly improved contracts to existing players like Pedro Porro and Micky van de Ven.

Meanwhile, Tottenham Hotspur's approach to selling players has also changed significantly.

They no longer rigidly wait for what they call the "perfect offer," but instead handle players wanting to leave more pragmatically.

Throughout last season, Tottenham Hotspur fans waited to see if the positive changes promised by the new management would actually materialize.

Now, no one can reasonably say they are still waiting for action, waiting for change, or waiting for the club to actually invest money in the team.

At the start of this summer's transfer window, the Lewis family has injected £100 million into the club, and it would not be surprising if further investment follows.

These changes represent Tottenham Hotspur's most complete break with its past.

Of course, transfer policy is only one part of the behind-the-scenes changes at the club over the past year.

Tottenham Hotspur has also made numerous high-level personnel appointments, completely overhauled the team's performance and medical departments, and modified training ground facilities.

Nevertheless, this dramatic summer transfer window is merely the first step.

Today, this is truly Tottenham Hotspur's "post-Levy era" in a way that was not the case last year.

We are gradually moving away from an era where every struggle and failure could be easily attributed to the former chairman.

The "ghost of Levy" that once haunted the club is gradually fading.

This also means that the outside world will soon begin genuinely evaluating Tottenham Hotspur's current management and ownership based on their own decisions and achievements.

Over the past year, Vivian Lewis and Charles Lewis of the Lewis family have appeared in Tottenham Hotspur's stands at matches multiple times.

However, judging solely by results, the outlook has not been optimistic.

Since Tottenham Hotspur began their "reset" last year, they have won only 8 of 37 league matches, averaging just 0.94 points per game during that period.

Therefore, if the Lewis family's decision ultimately proves correct—that their reforms succeed—then the only way to truly prove this is for Tottenham Hotspur to achieve better results this season.

The core logic of football is precisely this: you first see who wins on the pitch, and then draw conclusions about the reasons from the results.

Even if Tottenham Hotspur's start to the season is not ideal, there remains plenty of reason to stay optimistic about the future.

They have one of the strongest and deepest squads in years, with proven talent at nearly every position.

The team has a world-class head coach, and the dressing room is united behind him.

All the fundamental conditions are positive.

No one is asking Tottenham Hotspur to perform miracles.

What everyone truly expects to see is clear, visible progress.

If progress can be made this season, then next season, they should theoretically be even stronger.

Over the past year, one of the most frequently discussed words at Tottenham Hotspur has been "empowerment"—putting the right people in key positions and giving them sufficient support.

De Zerbi has undoubtedly received strong backing from the club, perhaps even more than he expected.

Now, he must continue to prove all of this through results.

Because he is now defending not only his coaching reputation but also the reputation of the management that backs him.

If De Zerbi can build an outstanding team and lead Tottenham Hotspur to success this season, then everything that has happened over the past year—beginning with Levy's departure last September—will ultimately be vindicated in the fans' eyes.

At that point, people may also stop repeatedly discussing this "history" and instead truly look forward to the future with optimism.

But if Tottenham Hotspur continue to struggle, if the major investment ultimately fails to deliver the expected results, if the new strategy does not work, then the question of "was all this worth it" will surface once more.

For now, the answer remains unknown.

One year has been enough for Tottenham Hotspur to undergo significant change, but not enough to prove whether the end of the Levy era represents a successful fresh start or the beginning of another long adventure.

Diterjemahkan oleh AI.

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