Opinion: ENIC can finally see a Tottenham finishing line

As Guns N Roses played this weekend in front of a packed Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, Daniel Levy must have taken a moment to afford himself a brief smile.

The satisfaction of seeing his greatest achievement finally starting to reap the rewards that he imagined when ENIC bought the club in 2001.

Us supporters of a certain vintage remember the lean post-Gazza and Linekar years before Levy and co took over. Season after season of mediocrity, with more chance of seeing Spurs in the bottom 6 than fighting at the top of the table.

The rollercoaster since has still seen many steep drops down, but ENIC have always had a long-term plan and maybe, just maybe, it is starting to all come together.

It is well documented that off the pitch the work done by ENIC has been transformative. Spurs have one of the best training centres in world football and arguably the greatest stadium.

A stadium that has showcased the absolute best of Levy; every single detail considered and the innovative brilliance creating an arena suitable for NFL, boxing, rugby and concerts.

Some go as far as to say it allows for an even better football atmosphere than the London Stadium, but that might be pushing it slightly.

Unfortunately, the investment in these projects has compromised the first-team at important times.

It was almost perversely unlucky for ENIC that Mauricio Pochettino over-achieved so spectacularly.

The construction of what turned out to be the most expensive stadium project this country has seen meant that providing necessary investment to take the team that final step to become a consistent trophy-winning one proved a juggling act too far.

Only Spurs could end a season undefeated at home for the first time in over 50 years and then move to a stadium that they couldn’t win a game at.

It is also fair to say that, at times, ENIC have not helped themselves.

There are countless examples where they have failed us as supporters; the transfer windows without even making a single signing, the endless haggling which has led to them missing out on players, the ridiculous European Super League venture and subsequent lack of proper apology, the poor treatment of players and managers, hiring the wrong managers at the wrong time.

But you just have to look at other clubs like Everton to see what bad ownership really looks like and what happens when proper foundations are not put in place.

What will now define ENIC’s tenure is their ability to push forward this current opportunity. There are no excuses now that the stadium is full with supporters that pay the highest prices for tickets in the league.

Since 2001, Spurs have won 1 trophy; the same as Blackburn, Middlesbrough, Birmingham, Swansea and Wigan. Less than Leicester. It is time to put that right.

The appointments of Fabio Paratici and Antonio Conte are significant steps in the right direction. There is absolutely no way that in previous years Spurs would have made 4 signings before the start of pre-season.

That they would have spent £50m on a player that most supporters would not put in their first XI. It shows the influence that Paratici and Conte already have.

Conte will frustrate us as supporters at times, but his single-minded agenda has already seen a shift in mentality at board level which can only be a good sign going forward.

The challenge now is to continue the momentum and build on it. Realistically, it is unlikely Spurs will finish ahead of Liverpool or Man City in the league this season, but they need to consolidate their position in the top 4 and get closer to their points tally.

With the increase in quality of the squad as a whole, we can expect more runs deep into cup competitions than previous years and Spurs now have a manager to take them over that final hurdle.

The fact that Ryan Mason was in charge last time Spurs were in a cup final shows how far they have come in the last 18 months.

For Levy, the challenge is to look after the areas of the business where he has the greatest expertise. He is clearly a control freak by nature and this is a great attribute when harnessed correctly. However, football decisions need to be made by football people.

With Harry Kane, Heung-Min Son and Hugo Lloris still at the peak of their powers it would be a travesty if they left Spurs without winning a trophy.

It is up to ENIC to ensure that that does not happen. They have put the foundations in place now and it is time to finish the job.

Over to you, Mr Levy.

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