Ange Was Right: The Problem at Spurs Is ...

Why I Won’t Apologise for Backing Levy - Winning Mentalities Don't

Why I Won’t Apologise for Backing Levy — and Why the “Change for Change’s Sake” Crowd Always Miss the Point

I received a comment suggesting I should change a winning mentality to a losing one, here it is:

"Stop blaming fans. You’ve been wrong for years about ENIC and this is all you have left. Look at Newcastle, the fans wanted Ashley out because they knew he was a bad owner. New owners came in and gave transformed the club without breaching rules. Tottenham can be great again but not under ENIC, the entire purpose of them owning the club is to build assets with the money the club makes and not their own. Levy becomes a billionaire when they sell whilst delivering the least successful period in the clubs history. You’re so stubborn you can’t see it."

I get that he (I assume it is a he) is frustrated. 

But let’s be clear...

Having a winning mentality means believing that the right process...

The right culture...

And the right leadership can deliver success...

Not demanding change for change’s sake because of emotion.

It's important to draw the line

Not to win an argument...

But to defend a principle.

Because I haven’t just written about Tottenham Hotspur for years...

I’ve written about mentality.

And I won’t let someone with a losing one tell me to give my winning mentality up.

The Newcastle United Comparison That Falls Apart Under Scrutiny

Let’s start with the main comparison being thrown around: Newcastle United.

Yes, their fans wanted Mike Ashley out. 

Yes, they eventually got new owners.

But what’s conveniently forgotten...

In this “look what Newcastle United did” narrative...

Is one small detail:

It took 7 years between Ashley leaving and their first trophy under new ownership.

Seven years...

With the backing of an entire country behind them.

Now compare that with Daniel Levy's trophy drought from 2015 to 2022.

Seven years. 

No oil money. 

No nation-state. 

No shortcuts.

Yet I’m being called stubborn for believing in our process?

By the way...

Spurs won a trophy 7 years after Daniel Levy took over!

Newcastle United’s rise hasn’t been instant...

And it certainly hasn’t been miraculous.

They’ve spent big. 

They’ve hired smart people. 

But it took time...

Just like it does for any club trying to build properly.

🏟️ The New Stadium Is Our New Owner — And the Clock Starts From 2019

• Opened: 3 April 2019 (first match: Spurs 2–0 Crystal Palace in the Premier League)

• Construction Completed: March 2019

• Started Earning Money:

  • Matchday revenue began from April 2019

  • NFL partnership and concerts added significant income streams from late 2019 onwards (first NFL games held in October 2019)

Despite the pandemic hitting within the first year of stadium operations (March 2020)...

It has still been a major revenue booster... 

Eventually pushing Tottenham Hotspur to the top of matchday income charts across Europe by 2022–2023.

When fans shout “Levy’s had 20+ years”...

They’re deliberately ignoring the fact that Tottenham Hotspur completely rebooted itself in 2019.

A new owner injects capital to transform a club.

Daniel Levy and ENIC did that through infrastructure...

A world-class stadium and training ground that are the envy of Europe.

That was Tottenham Hotspur’s ownership reset.

And just like any takeover, it came with:

• Years of planning

• A transitional phase

• A pandemic that hit right after launch

• A need to shift from building foundations to chasing trophies

And still... 

Within two months of the stadium opening...

We were in a Champions League Final.

So if the benchmark for new ownership or transformation is 7 years... 

like it was with Newcastle United...

Then fair’s fair:

We’re only 5 years into the "new-era" Tottenham Hotspur.

That’s without a country’s wealth.

Without financial doping.

Without shortcuts.

If anything...

We’re ahead of schedule!

🏆 Finals Reached Since the Stadium Opened

Tottenham Hotspur have reached 2 major finals since the stadium opened:

1. UEFA Champions League Final – 1 June 2019

   • Just two months after the stadium opened

   • Lost 2–0 to Liverpool

2. EFL Cup Final (Carabao Cup) – 25 April 2021

   • Lost 1–0 to Manchester City

So while some fans talk like we've achieved “nothing” post-stadium... 

The club has been in two major finals... 

Including Europe’s biggest... 

With the stadium only just opened...

And COVID disrupting income...

And momentum almost immediately.

Belief Is Not Blind — It’s a Choice

Let me be very clear: 

I don’t support Daniel Levy because I think he’s perfect.

I support him because I see something fans like this refuse to see...

Structure, long-term planning and the beginnings of sustainable success.

Some fans see every season without a trophy as failure.

I see every season as part of the journey... 

And I refuse to scream “tear it down” every time it doesn’t end in silver.

That’s not stubbornness.

That’s conviction.

That’s a winning mentality.

Because real winners don’t flinch when others panic.

They don’t copy every other club’s playbook hoping it works for them.

They believe in their own process...

And they build something.

Even Ange Told You: Success Comes Quicker When We’re United

Let’s not forget Ange Postecoglou’s own words.

He has made it crystal clear on more than one occasion...

Negativity slows progress.

Unity speeds it up.

“Success will come quicker if we're all united — fans, players, staff.”

Yet fans like the one in that comment prove the exact opposite of unity.

They claim to want success…

But they won’t support the process.

They demand belief…

But offer none themselves.

They shout about standards…

While setting none for their own behaviour.

It’s not about caring more...

It’s about letting their ego lead.

They need to be right more than they need Tottenham Hotspur to succeed.

So every bump in the road becomes “I told you so” instead of “we go again.”

Ange’s message was simple:

Believe in what we’re building. 

Don’t tear it down because it isn’t instant.

The truth is, Ange didn’t just inherit a squad that needed rebuilding.

He inherited a fanbase fractured by entitlement and short-term thinking.

And if you're part of the problem...

Don’t pretend you're part of the solution.

Change for Change’s Sake Isn’t a Mentality — It’s an Excuse

The commenter says I can’t see the truth.

But the truth is, I see it too clearly...

And I know what doesn’t work:

• Sacking managers every time the wind changes.

• Turning on the club when the silverware doesn’t arrive fast enough.

• Refusing to acknowledge any progress because it doesn’t feel like enough.

That’s not passion. 

That’s petulance.

That’s not support. 

That’s sabotage dressed up as fan opinion.

And no...

I won’t trade my winning mentality for that just to blend in.

You Can Shout for Change — I’ll Build Toward It

The easiest thing in football is to be the loudest critic in the room.

The hardest thing is to stand for something when everyone else wants to burn it down.

I’ve never chased popularity.

I’ve chased progress.

And I’ll continue to back leaders who are trying to build, not appease.

So no... 

I’m not going to stop “blaming fans” when fans choose to abandon belief.

Because fans have power...

And some wield it irresponsibly.

You want Tottenham Hotspur to be great? 

So do I.

But it won’t happen by screaming for exits.

It’ll happen by believing in the process...

Challenging constructively...

And staying the course when it gets hard.

That’s how winners think.

And I don’t intend to change my mentality... 

Just because someone with a losing one shouts louder.

🔚 THBN Wrap-Up: You Can Follow the Crowd... or You Can Lead With Belief

I know this piece won’t convert everyone.

Some fans are too committed to their own bitterness...

Too focused on being proven right to realise how much they’re holding the club back.

But ask yourself this:

Do you really want Tottenham Hotspur to succeed?

Or do you just want to feel justified in tearing it all down?

Because you can’t have it both ways.

You can either:

• Be part of the noise that drags everything backwards...

• Or be part of the belief that pushes us forward.

I’ve made my choice.

I’ll back Daniel Levy.

I’ll back Ange Postecoglou.

And most importantly...

I’ll back the process...

Because that’s what a winning mentality demands.

Tottenham Hotspur can be great again.

But not if we eat ourselves from the inside every time progress isn’t instant.

So go ahead...

Call me stubborn.

But I’ll take stubborn belief over loud defeatism every day of the week.

Because in the end…

Winning starts with those who believe when others don’t.

Proper Supporters Support Bill Nicholson Style

COYS