Pleat's reign a success?

Levy might argue things will be different, that one of the problems of Pleat's role was its lack of definition. But most assumed his job description matched the new man's.

During Pleat's reign the best Spurs finished was ninth while their worst was 14th - in both his first and last campaigns.

Above all else Pleat will be remembered for overseeing the arrivals of Sergei Rebrov, Helder Postiga and a host of other dreadful signings. It was in 1998 that Sir Alan Sugar handed Pleat his new role while manager Christian Gross, at least on the surface, was still in charge of signings.

Pleat's outlook, stressing the need for continuity, youth investment, good scouting, signing players that would hold their value and a parsimonious attitude towards wage demands was a mantra to Sugar, and also later Levy. But little of this actually happened, save a few good signings such as Simon Davies, Anthony Gardner, Jermain Defoe and the internal development of Ledley King.

Much more marked was the money wasted. An £11million loss, not including his wages, on Rebrov. Then there were the £5m losses on Chris Perry and Ben Thatcher and the mystery of Paolo Tramezzani, the so-called virtual free transfer at £1.2m, whose lack of suitability to the Premiership still stuns Spurs fans.

Pleat denied this had anything to do with him, just as he did when Rebrov was left to devalue on the bench under Glenn Hoddle, or when Goran Bunjevcevic, Milenko Acimovic and Postiga signed.

Herein lay one of the major problems of Pleat's reign. Although not as clever as he thinks he is with his own brand of "Pleatyisms", he is politically astute enough in football terms to exploit openings. And one underlying factor that runs through all of this is what Pleat really wanted to do was to return to management himself.

Although he would deny it, it is believed Pleat made enquiries about several managerial jobs during his tenure at Spurs. And although he would similarly deny it, he undermined George Graham and Hoddle. While the former Arsenal manager was enjoying his Worthington Cup success, he found Pleat a convenient buffer between him and Sugar, with whom he did not see eye to eye. But when things went wrong and Sugar wanted Graham out, Pleat was a willing accomplice with his presence at the training ground and his own views on what should be done.

A similar thing happened with Hoddle. Never the easiest man to get on with, it was always believed the former Spurs playing great still had issues with Pleat from when the latter managed Hoddle during his final season in action at White Hart Lane in 1987.

The two clashed publicly and privately several times, most notably over the signing of Robbie Keane and Hoddle's deteriorating relationship with Tim Sherwood.

As the wheels began to come off Hoddle's reign the briefings of Pleat about his transfers and managerial style became more obvious, even though the club officially denied there was a rift.

But in what was on the surface a bizarre aboutturn, Pleat saved Hoddle's job in a board meeting last May. The director of football's vote helped keep Hoddle, much to the amazement of those directors who wanted a change.

There was method in the apparent madness. Pleat would have calculated Hoddle was finished, anyway, but that a new manager coming during the close season would be in a powerful position and his own role under threat. However, if Hoddle was sacked early the next season, as happened, Pleat would be able to step into the breach and make a bid for the job himself.

Even though he did not admit he wanted the job, he did not deny it either. Pleat watchers could see the tell-tale signs. His confidence grew, chest puffed out, the 'Pleatyisms' tripped off his tongue.

After he took over, things steadied for a while but results, and then the fans, began to turn against him. Although the drop was avoided with two games to go, the message was getting through to the previously supportive Levy, who without naming him, heavily criticised his director of football in his last programme notes. Increasingly isolated to what was happening about the new manager, Pleat must have realised he was to be the " sacrificial lamb" for the season's woes. Whether the new system being put in place will be any better, only time will tell.