Levy has turned the art of the deal into an obsession. He is driven
by machismo of the market, and expects his managers to play by the
numbers. Hindsight confirms the inevitability of Harry Redknapp's
dismissal. The human chemistry between the bank teller and the car boot
salesman was inherently unstable. Levy's hold on the club is firm,
unyielding.
Tottenham's churn rate over the summer reflects the chairman's search
for value, and AVB's subtle rationalisation of resource. English
football no longer respects a manager's right to make his own decisions,
in isolation. The early signs are that AVB has learned the lessons of
his impetuosity at Chelsea. He understands his place, in the bigger
picture, and has taken pains to improve his public persona. His problem,
an enduring awkwardness, will not be solved overnight.
Villas-Boas looks like a refined version of Robin Hood, but addresses
his audience in the clipped tones of R2-D2. In the unlikely event of
him accepting an invitation for a night out, you wouldn't know whether
to buy him a pint of foaming ale, or a can of WD-40.
His decisiveness, in allowing Michael Dawson to leave at the right
price, was undermined when he described him as "a player of an immensely
human dimension". Whatever that means, it was not enough to give the
defender a place in the squad. Dawson was condemned to a seat on the
back row of the dugout, when he would have been a more reassuring
presence at the heart of the Spurs defence than the error-prone Gallas,
who was frequently outpaced and outmuscled.
It was significant, also, that Clarke refused to obey the conventions
of the managerial code in the build-up to the game, when he pointedly
dismissed suggestions AVB was unlucky to lose his job at Stamford
Bridge.
The worst case scenario, Lukaku coming off the bench to remind Villas
Boas of the talent he barely utilised at Chelsea, almost came to pass.
The young Belgian bullied Gallas, and left Tottenham's head coach
praising his "power, and drive".
Tottenham need Levy to act with characteristic ruthlessness this
week, when a new goalkeeper, a wide man and a striker will be priority
purchases. AVB has sufficient wisdom not to put pressure on his
chairman, in public at least. "I am used to this situation," he said,
when asked to comment on Levy's fondness for a late, late show on
transfer deadline day. "There are good opportunities like this. Will it
be a busy week? Yeah, hopefully…."
Tottenham 1 (Assou-Ekotto, 74) West Bromwich 1 (Morrison, 90)
Tottenham (4-2-3-1): Friedel; Walker, Vertonghen, Gallas,
Assou-Ekotto; Livermore, Sandro (Sigurdsson, 72); Lennon, Van der Vaart
(Adebayor, 62) Bale; Defoe (Jenas, 76)
West Bromwich (4-2-3-1): Foster; Reid, McAuley, Olsson, Ridgewell;
Yacob, Mulumbu; Dorrans (Brunt, 74), Morrison, Fortuné (Rosenburg, 77),
Long (Lukaku, 62).
