I don’t recognise Daniel Levy as the ogre or tyrant he’s portrayed as from the chairman I knew when I was at Spurs.

Our first conversation came when I turned down Spurs to join Charlton. I explained my worries over not being able to communicate with his manager, Jacques Santini. Levy was disappointed but he was a good listener.

I joined Spurs 18 months later, which showed he didn’t bear a grudge. And when I left (my form suffered after my dad fell ill and passed away), he granted me a free transfer with a year left on my contract. By the club not asking for a fee, it increased my options, which was important to me given the strain I’d been under. It was a kind gesture.

The truth is, they have also reached four finals, including the Champions League, and finished Premier League runners-up. Having said that, I understand the frustration of Spurs fans — the club should not be near the drop zone of the table going to Brentford on Sunday.

Pinning the blame on Levy is ridiculous. If the manager Ange Postecoglou had been more pragmatic during Spurs’ injury crisis, the chairman would not be getting so much flak.

Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy has been the businessman in charge of the club since 2001

Many fans have called for Levy to move on due to Spurs winning just one trophy in 24 years

Multiple ‘Levy Out’ banners have been seen at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in recent years

But there is one change Levy should make and that is to his transfer strategy. His policy has been to buy potential, paying fees for the likes of Archie Gray (£40million) and Lucas Bergvall (£8.5m), hoping they will increase in value.

Spurs need to sprinkle their team with stardust to compete at the elite level and that means breaking their wage structure to recruit world-class players who are at their peak today.

Victor Osimhen is an example. He is 26 and would have made an immediate impact, even on loan from Napoli. Levy would have winced at the wage demands and so the Nigerian striker is now on loan at Galatasaray.

Spurs pay significant transfer fees but that’s misleading. Liverpool don’t spend as much on players as Manchester United or Chelsea, but their top earners will be on a par with any other Premier League club. Manchester City swooped for Eintracht Frankfurt’s Egyptian striker Omar Marmoush to get them out of a hole. I’d wager his salary is bigger than anyone’s salary at Spurs.

Levy isn’t ambitious is a claim I’ve heard made about him, but hiring Jose Mourinho and Antonio Conte showed how much he wants to grace Tottenham’s fantastic stadium with trophies.

I’d argue instead that his ambition has been misplaced. Instead of pushing the boat out for a couple of established stars, he’s paid too much on middle-tier players. Brennan Johnson and Richarlison are two examples — neither were cheap, but neither will turn your team into title contenders.

Paying big wages is the secret to landing world-class players. Even out of the Champions League, Spurs are based in London and should be able to attract better players than those they have.

The last time Spurs came close to winning a trophy, reaching the Carabao Cup final in 2021, Levy sacked Mourinho shortly before they faced Manchester City at Wembley. It was bizarre decision, and I can only think that Mourinho’s outbursts had become too much for him.

Archie Gray, 18, Lucas Bergvall, 18, Dane Scarlett, 20, and Mikey Moore, 17, pictured (left to right) during Tottenham’s 3-0 win over Elfsborg

Current Tottenham manager Ange Postecoglou was hired by Levy during the summer 2023

I don’t see a repeat with Postecoglou. Regardless of the result at Brentford, I think Postecoglou will lead Spurs into Thursday’s Carabao semi-final second leg at Liverpool and stay for the final if Tottenham make it.

Whatever grumps Postecoglou has had this season, he has always come across as respectful to the club owners and grateful for the opportunity to be manager. The Levy I know is a reasonable man and I believe he recognises that.

Whereas Mourinho was a king in his own eyes, Postecoglou appreciates he is part of the club with responsibilities.

However, Spurs fans must be careful what they wish for. Despite this season’s results, if Levy finds a couple of world-class players at their peak and pays them the going rate to help the club’s youngsters, they should be challenging at the right end of the table next season. In that sense, reports that Bayern teenager Mathys Tel has rejected a £50million move may be a blessing in disguise.