ESPN paints a realistic, sobering picture of manager situation at Tottenham

ESPN discussed briefly Tottenham’s appointment of Paulo Fonseca, reinforcing and reiterating what most supporters have known for years. 

It’s important, especially right after a hiring of this magnitude, to take all factors into consideration and try source the positives that facilitate a more upbeat tone. Fonseca is going to take the helm at Spurs. That much is inevitable.

The surprising news broke at teatime on Thursday. News of Fonseca’s imminent arrival at Hotspur Way was met by a raw, visceral emotional outcry from a large percentage of supporters. Bemusement, frustration, anger and incredulity were but a few of the emotions felt in the immediate aftermath of the news that reverberated across the footballing world.

Two days have past and the dust is starting to settle.

Many are still outraged, disbelieving of Spurs’ new managerial appointee. While others are transitioning to a more upbeat tone, finding reasons, like the expansive, offensive style Fonseca’s teams employ, to allow a semblance of anticipation, even excitement at the prospect of a pivot back to a free-flowing brand of football.

But then ESPN reminds us soberingly of what we’ve known for years and spoken about ad nauseam.

The Daniel Levy factor

No matter how hard you try, you can never totally rid yourself of Daniel Levy. Tottenham’s chairman expects miracles of managers on a comparatively shoestring wage structure and a stringent, thrifty transfer budget. He expects the world from managers without providing the tools needed to thrive in the job.

And then he wonders what went wrong. We all know what went wrong, Mr. Levy. It starts and ends with the way you conduct your business.

Now that Fonseca is Tottenham bound, it’s incumbent upon supporters to give him the benefit of the doubt, to support him as he embarks on what has been repeatedly dubbed as the impossible job.

Some managers, like Mauricio Pochettino, are somehow, against all odds, able to overcome the numerous constraints and limitations Levy so infuriatingly slaps on them. We can only hope that Fonseca has the strength of character, resilience, creativity and resourcefulness to follow in Pochettino’s footsteps.

Otherwise a regression back to square one where Spurs are yet again searching for another puppet to be pulled by Levy’s tight, repressive strings is unavoidable.