Thu 22 July 2004, 12:00
Tottenham HotspurTottenham Hotspur (Spurs) Football Club is located in North London. The club is also known as Spurs. Tottenham's home ground is White Hart Lane. The club motto is Audere est Facere (To dare is to do).
Positivity prevailed as Daniel Levy and Frank Arnesen faced Tottenham Trust members and spurs (((on!))) subscribers in last night’s Fans’ Forum at White Hart Lane.
Our Chairman and Sporting Director answered every question at the evening compared by Five Live presenter and lifelong Spurs fan Brian Alexander.
Questions ranged from the role of a Sporting Director to the latest on the future of White Hart Lane, Frank’s views on our new young players, targets for next season and the state of the facilities at the Lane. Frank also gave fans the latest on Brazilian signing Rodrigo Defendi and explained that his paperwork was progressing well.
On his role and our signings so far, Frank said: “There are two roads — one where we get results today so we sign the likes of Sean Davis and Pedro Mendes and the other where we look to tomorrow and I love that part of my job, finding talent, getting them to the club and see them progress to the first team if they are good enough.”
Frank also explained the roles of our new coaching team and Daniel talked about the process of bringing Jacques Santini to the club and why he opted for a new continental-style management structure.
One recurring theme was a perceived ‘lack of leaders’ in the team and one fan insisted that ‘the past does matter’ as Frank insisted he was only looking ahead. Frank responded: “I understand what you are saying, I hear your emotion and I like it.”
When one fan questioned the commitment of the players last season, Frank insisted: “It’s about people, how you approach them and what you are looking for. The team spirit, training, competition in the squad, all those sorts of things are important on a daily basis. You have to be positive and have discipline. I will never believe a player will not give 100 per cent. I was a professional footballer myself and I can’t see it. Good coaches feel that and that player won’t play. A player should always want to play and give 100 per cent. If not, he is not good enough and he will not play in a team like Tottenham.”
Daniel said afterwards: “It was a very enjoyable evening, we answered all the questions that were put to us in the most honest way we could.”
We are currently looking at the possibility of Fans’ Forums for our wider fan base.
Keep up to date with the news as it happens with exclusive text and voice-based messages from the people that matter inside the Lane.
