Jermain Defoe, a former Tottenham striker, has recently come forward to defend Daniel Levy, the Spurs chairman. This defence comes amidst a wave of fan protests against Levy and his management of the club.
Throughout this season, there have been numerous instances where thousands of Spurs fans have protested against both Daniel Levy and ENIC. The primary grievance among many supporters is that they believe the owners are responsible for the club's 17-year drought without a trophy. They argue that throughout their tenure, these owners have prioritised financial gain over on-pitch success.
A Tottenham fan group has announced plans for another major protest at the beginning of April - marking it as the third significant protest from supporters this season.
Jermain Defoe's defence
In recent weeks we saw Hugo Lloris, a Tottenham legend and former captain, defend Levy by crediting him with transforming Spurs into one of the world's biggest clubs. Now it is Defoe’s turn to sing praises for his former employer. He insists that no Tottenham fan could accuse 63-year-old Levy of not striving to bring success to N17.
Tottenham legend, Jermain Defoe, said:
“I do get what fans are saying, but the chairman can only do so much. His vision was for the club to be the best in class.
“Best training ground, we’ve got that, best coaches in terms of academy coaches, some amazing coaches there, the infrastructure, the stadium, it’s unbelievable.
“Poch went, he got Jose Mourinho, the next best one Antonio Conte, they have spent money. Nobody can say he hasn’t tried, but I’d just love to see everyone come together.”
Backfiring decisions since 2019
Despite having an impressive stadium, excellent training ground facilities and top-notch academy coaches; almost all major footballing decisions made by Tottenham since Mauricio Pochettino left in late 2019 have backfired spectacularly.
This includes all managerial appointments made since Pochettino’s departure - responsibility for which ultimately falls on Chairman Daniel Levy. If Ange Postecoglou's project also fails to deliver results soon enough; patience among Spurs fans might run thin with yet another new project under way and another rebuild under the same hierarchy. Understandably, many fans will expect a change at the top.
The ongoing protests and dissatisfaction among fans highlight the pressure on Levy and his team to deliver success on the pitch. While former players like Defoe and Lloris have come out in support of Levy, it remains to be seen how this situation unfolds in the coming months. The upcoming protest planned for April will likely serve as an important barometer for fan sentiment towards Levy's leadership.
