We won't bust the bank like Leeds

Adrian Curtis13 April 2012

Despite the run of terrible results and the rain pouring down outside his office at Tottenham's Chigwell training complex, David Pleat was in a surprisingly buoyant mood.

Devastating cup and league defeats by Blackburn, Manchester United and Chelsea twice have hit the club hard. But Pleat has been in football too long to become downcast by defeat when success could return just as quickly.

Pleat doesn't hide the fact these results have been a crushing blow but he insists that Spurs will not provide the quick fix of reckless spending many of their supporters are beginning to demand. He cites Leeds' apparent failure in adopting this policy as a case in point. Manager David O'Leary has spent £97 million since he took over three and a half years ago.

If, as director of football, Pleat has a mission statement for Tottenham it is similar to Liverpool's - combining astute transfer business with home-grown talent.

"The massive disappointment of two consecutive cup defeats, albeit at the sixth round and final stages of both competitions, must not mask the progress that has been made at the club," he said.

"But it would be wrong not to believe that we were hoping to grasp a European place and the ambition suggested at the beginning of the season was to aim for the top six. Not achieving Champions League or UEFA Cup status is a big blow for any aspiring club because the regulars like Manchester United, Liverpool and Arsenal steal a march with the massive incomes they generate from being in there.

"Liverpool carefully speculated very heavily two years ago, particularly in the way they attracted certain players to the club. These players supplemented those who had been bred like Jamie Carragher, Michael Owen and Steven Gerrard.

"This was good management and deserving of European success. Leeds, on the other hand, also speculated heavily and have appeared to have got into a financial straightjacket through not succeeding.

"We have to have a strategy that is clear and which will allow us to make progress as well. But many supporters will not like to hear that progress is more likely to be maintained if it is steady rather than sudden. Recent setbacks won't destroy the confidence that Glenn has in his senior players. They have helped Spurs to regain the club's reputation for competing in a stylish way.

"It hasn't been easy for the new owners of the club, either. We are going through a transitional stage. But they are in the midst of acquiring fabulous new training facilities that will play a major part in the future of the club and the owners have been greatly encouraged by the support this season.

"The last seven days has been something of a mini nightmare for them but football is so up and down and the people who have been in the game all their lives know this. They also know it is something you have to live with." Pleat has his own views on what is required if Spurs are to compete for a place in Europe next term and they are strong ones too.

In a veiled criticism of former managers Gerry Francis and Christian Gross he insists there must be no return to the policy of purchasing mediocre and mercenary foreign players like Paolo Tramezzani and Jose Dominguez.

"We have had players who have been sidelined for most, if not all, the season in most cases. Fortunately, within the club the recent disappointment has been made a little easier to take by the confidence and faith we've had in this year's youth squad.

"Already having won the under-19 division of academy football, we have several players who within two seasons could be knocking on the door to supplement the fine progress made by Simon Davies, Anthony Gardner, Matthew Etherington and Ledley King. "But we need to produce another three players quickly and these will be supplemented by two young signings. We must not fall into the trap again of buying second-rate, mediocre and mercenary foreign players like Dominguez and Tramezzani. I believe this club has had too many of them in the recent seasons.

"We are very confident that our future plans can be achieved. In truth, we were not good enough at this moment in time to defeat Chelsea, who are another club that has spent heavily to get their current success. We wish them well but we have to say that we want our success to be ongoing.

"We have had a rocky period but if we can defeat Charlton tonight and Glenn can get his troops firing again quickly, we can still finish in a respectable position in the Premiership."

Pleat's attention then turns to the controversial subject of Mauricio Taricco. The Argentine has become something of a hate-figure throughout the Premiership after unsavoury incidents against Chelsea and other teams this season. Although Glenn Hoddle might discipline him for his sending off at Stamford Bridge last week, Pleat insists the defender still has a big future at the club.

But Pleat said: "We would never sack or even think about sacking Mauricio. He is not an assassin. Although he has made foolish mistakes we won't over sensationalise his actions.

"There can be no question that I feel great sympathy for him because I know him as a person. I have nothing but admiration for both him and the way he carries himself in everyday training and off the field.

"He is a bright boy who submerges himself in good outside interests like computers. He is a family man with a child and a picture of the perfect club man.

"However, it seems that since the challenge early in the season on Thomas Gravesen, he has had to carry a weight of prejudicial feeling towards him, which he himself has helped perpetuate with a couple of wild actions.

"I find it most strange that he has appeared to lose his head in this way. But I do believe that Glenn and his staff will channel his natural and needed aggression into a more passive fashion.

"It seems strange that since we first saw him on several occasions with Ipswich, way before Glenn was thought about at Tottenham, everyone complimented the player on his football style and his ability to see a pass.

"Indeed, he is a full-back in the Tottenham style and everybody hopes he can put his life back on track but he will have to be very strong-minded. There are many pundits at the moment, it seems, who are jumping on the bandwagon against him but the real Taricco is a thoroughly decent and solid person."

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