Matt: Hi Phil,
after another “Dr. Tottenham” performance yesterday, I’ve been pondering where
that culture comes from, and the only consistent factor is Daniel Levy/ENIC.
Can owners really affect a club’s identity on the pitch in that way?

Phil: What a very good
description, Matt. It is almost tempting to give up on trying to work out
Spurs.

You’re right, Daniel
Levy/Enic are consistent factors but I’m not sure you can blame them for
players who are outstanding one week, as against Aston Villa, then awful the
next against Ipswich Town.

I know Levy has his
critics among many Spurs fans of my acquaintance, people who really love the
club, and I do think there was a need to back Mauricio Pochettino in a more
meaningful way after Spurs reached the Champions League final in 2019, but
those players are the ones whose standards seem to shift with the wind. That is
a job for them and the manager, Ange Postecoglou.

Let’s face it, Matt. We
could spend weeks trying to get to the bottom of Spurs and still not come up
with a satisfactory answer. I sympathise with their fans, who must be tearing
their hair out in frustration.