Former striker calls out Spurs board

Now retired Egyptian striker Mido played 48 league games for Tottenham Hotspur between 2006 and 2007, scoring 14 times. In a recent interview with talkSPORT, the 41-year old has discussed the current issues at the club.

Former Spurs striker very critical of the club's owners

When asked by Jeff Stelling about the recent form, and whether or not the injuries are a legitimate excuse for Ange, he said: "To be honest it's embarrassing, and I don't think the real problem is Ange, or any other [previous] coach. Honestly, the people on top [the board] they've been running the club from a financial point of view, not from a football point of view.

I feel sorry for every Spurs fan, I'm one of them. The club has been ran with this ideas [financial over footballing]. And I always believe that you always have to find the balance between the technical operation and the right investment - and with Daniel Levy, and people on the top - to be honest, and I have all the respect for them, but I really think that their first concern is to make money of this football club - and I'm being honest here.

Tottenham are a huge club with a great history, a club that is in London, with the best stadium in England, the best facilities, any player in the world would be proud to play for such a big club like Tottenham. But now it is very difficult to attract top players, it's even more difficult to attract top coaches. Because it's obvious that the management and the board - their first concern is to make money. Not to win trophies. This is the problem.

If you bring the best coach in the world, with this environment, and this mentality, and I always say that the mentality comes from the top, if the chairman and the board are willing, and really planning to take this football club to the top, it will go down to everyone at the club, even the younger supporters in the stand. The mentality comes from the top. It comes from good transfers, keeping your best players, a clear target to always be in the top four.

I'm not saying to win the league, but to always be in the top four, to play in the Champions League football. To try to win one of the [domestic] cups. This is where Tottenham belong, this is where Tottenham should be. This is what I really believe, I think the club has got all the qualities to be in a much better place than where they are now.

Maybe if the management hear what I am saying now they will be not happy with me, but I really am saying this because I love this football club. I am honoured to have played for Tottenham. Football is simple. You spend money the right way, you have the right mentality - which again goes to everyone at the football club. But we are all football players, and we know, if we see that the board is not getting the best players, is getting rid of their best players, as a top player what am I going to fight for.

I'm not going to fight. This is the mentality of the club. I will end up being [just] an employee. I will come in every day for training, train, we play the game, if we win the game ok, no problem. If we don't win, okay it's alright we go to the next game. This is not the mentality of a club [that wants to win things].

After speaking about the club, Mido was asked about his compatriot Omar Marmoush, who has just joined Manchester City from Frankfurt. In April of last year, when his pedigree was a lot lower than it is now, the former striker advised Spurs to sign him. He had coached the 25-year old at his first professional club.

Perhaps that will be one that got away. Though, even worse, many of you will remember back in 2013 when Mido advised Spurs signed Mohamed Salah. People can say he was saying that because they are his countrymen, but he never suggested that Spurs sign Mohammed Elneny or Ramadan Sobhi. He knows how good Salah and Marmoush were and are.

Nice to see such passionate words from a top man. Safe to say he speaks for Spurs fans with those comments. The more high profile people that call out the board the better. Hopefully more to come.