Spurs must set their satnav for the right manager rather than guess at every turn | Jonathan Wilson

Tottenham need a leader who suits their style – but it’s not clear Daniel Levy has the requisite vision to pierce the gloom

Tottenham stand at a crossroads. But then they always do. They have been standing at a crossroads for at least 50 years. And while some roads lead through cup finals and hopeful vistas and others through gloom and Tim Sherwood this, perhaps, is the true history of the Tottenham: life as a series of crossroads that lead always, eventually, back to another crossroads somewhere in the Valley of Not-Quite-There.

Often Tottenham seem to take the right road. In the final week of 2009-10, for instance, they went to Manchester City needing to win to take fourth from Sheikh Mansour’s rising side and claim their place in the Champions League. This felt critical, a chance for the victors to take a decisive step, to claim the financial rewards of Champions League football and use that to consolidate their advantage. Peter Crouch headed the winner for Spurs eight minutes from time.