Receipe For Success

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It's often said that dogs look like their owners. I think it's also accurate to say that a football teams fans reflect their club. This is certainly true in my case.

Looking back just 4/5 year. Admittedly a lifetime in football terms. I laugh to myself with a wistful melancholy about how I viewed our club, and the game as a whole. More specifically my over simplistic view of the game.

On the pitch we were enjoying (certainly in my 29 years) the best period of 'success' for decades. Successive cup finals and a go at the pinacle of the Champions League. I put it down to the collation of great individual players, and perhaps more ignorantly because of a no frills manager who believed in keeping things simple, rather than in spite of.

Unfortunately, Redknapp's, and therefore my opinion on this was regularly validated by a series of terrible off field decisions. Or at least seemed like terrible decisions at the time. "These are not football men", " They haven't got a clue how this sport works" I would often be seen spouting. Most often in relation to our conveyor belt of DOF's. However hindsight is a wonderful thing, and at the time British football as a whole was still unconvinced. Even Levy himself showed his uncertainty by the employment of Harry in the first place and a brief move away from the multilayered management structure.

I'm not arguing that a DOF is a vital component of a successful team, and I'm well aware that we don't actually have a defined person in that role currently. My point is more regarding a more sophisticated, dynamic, departmental structure designed for long term success rather than short term firefighting.

As the face of the club, Pochettino is getting the plaudits right now, and deservedly so for the work that he has done. But without wanting to belittle his role and impact, his success much like the team we are seeing week in week out is a reflection of the sum of its parts rather than any individual. The sports science, the coaching at all levels, the Academy, recruitment, the 'business' arm, can and should all be taking credit for a rise that from the outside looks sudden, but to Mr Levy is the result of a long term, very specific, very exacting plan beginning to bare fruit.

It is for this reason that I am starting to draw confidence. As I look around us in the league it is no surprise to see clubs with a similar ethos and dynamism reaping their rewards. Leicester and Southampton as 2 examples. The complaceny off the field of the 'big' clubs blinded by history and consistent success is becoming clear this season. Only Man City who were very much a part of that group have been seen to have the vision, as evidenced by their incredible training centre and sports science department. However it is yet to be seen whether balancing being a big commercial brand demanding instant success and a multilayered forward thinking structured club is achievable. Their resources lead me to conclude that it will.

Time will tell whether this season is a one off and our only chance at glory, but one thing is for sure that we are certainly doing all we can across all departments to make sure we reap success in the long term. I for one have begun to shake off my 'Spursy' pessimism and am, for once, extremely excited about the future.

Come on you Spurs!
 
This a great post highlighting our good structure right through the club. I don't have anything to add, but thanks for posting
 
Love the post, but it's going to be a while yet before I shake off my 'Spursey' pessimism, ie when we've won the Treble. I still think Chelsea are going to catch us up!
 
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