Sunday’s one-sided north London derby defeat provided further evidence that Tottenham Hotspur are in the midst of an identity crisis.
Whereas Arsenal are reaping the rewards for implementing a clear strategy based on a progressive style of play and built around the youngest squad in the Premier League, Tottenham are regressing and appear to be drifting aimlessly.
It’s that lack of vision that has contributed towards the increasing disconnect between fans and the board, with the Tottenham Hotspur Supporter’s Trust (THST) asking the club to share its “medium and long-term strategy for success, both on and off the pitch,” earlier this month.
Antonio Conte has contributed to the malaise by allowing his future to become an unwelcome sideshow, but he raised a valid point about the invisibility of chairmen and sporting directors in English football during his press conference on Tuesday.
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“I have never seen the medical department come here to explain why this player is having difficulty to recover. I have never seen the club or sporting director come here to explain the strategy and vision of the club.
“In Italy for example, before every game, there is a person from the club who has to go before the media and answer every question. For us, it could be really better. Because otherwise, every time there is only one face to explain a situation which I think is better for the club to explain.”
Conte can be criticised for a number of things this season; his insistence on using a 3-4-3 formation and employing a counter-attacking philosophy that looks increasingly dated, and for failing to integrate a number of summer signings, for instance. But on this topic, he’s absolutely right.
Daniel Levy is notoriously media-shy, except when Amazon’s cameras are around, and tends to get his message out via club channels rather than through interviews with external media. Like in 2021, when in a statement on the club’s website, he admitted that Spurs had “lost sight of its DNA” and vowed to appoint a head coach renowned for “free-flowing, attacking and entertaining” football. Before hiring Nuno Espirito Santo.
Spurs’ sporting director Fabio Paratici has rarely spoken publicly since joining the club in the summer of 2021 either.
But he is certainly not alone in staying out of the spotlight. There are one or two exceptions – such as Steve Parish at Crystal Palace and Peterborough’s Darragh MacAnthony – but as a general rule, owners, chairmen and directors are content to stay in the shadows, while their employees do the talking for them. One of Arsenal owner Stan Kroenke’s more printable nicknames is “Silent Stan”.
Conte’s comments brought to mind the farcical situation in April 2021, when Ryan Mason, then a 29-year-old interim manager appointed after Jose Mourinho was sacked, was the only Spurs employee quizzed on the club’s involvement in the foiled European Super League plot. It was unfair to expect Mason to know the ins and outs of such a secretive club policy, but with nobody else available to comment, he became an unlikely spokesperson.
There was also a spell last season when Thomas Tuchel was the only person at Chelsea answering questions about the UK government’s sanctions on Roman Abramovich, following Russia’s military attack on Ukraine. Eddie Howe has faced criticism over his refusal to discuss Saudi Arabia’s human rights record since becoming Newcastle manager, but it is possible to understand his position even if you vehemently disagree with it when nobody else is put forward.
Football managers and players have a responsibility to fulfil their media obligations. Why does the same not apply to those in charge of running clubs?
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