Tottenham Hotspur chairman Daniel Levy is more likely to stay in his role the further any criticism boils on over his tenure, according to David Ornstein - with fan protests unlikely to oust the long-serving owner from his position in north London.
If Spurs fail to win the Europa League this season, it will mark the 17th consecutive year without a major trophy for the club, given their previous piece of silverware came in the 2008 League Cup final over Chelsea. It's seen fans protest in their hordes, especially given the poor campaign on the field under Ange Postecoglou, where Spurs could record their worst Premier League season in over two decades.
Ornstein: Levy Criticism Only Makes Him More Determined to Succeed
The Tottenham chief has come in for a lot of stick in recent years
Sitting on just 37 points, and only slightly ahead of Wolverhampton Wanderers and West Ham United on 35 each, there is a possibility that Tottenham could head into next week in 17th place - which would be catastrophic for a club of their stature.
But speaking on NBC Sports, Ornstein believes that the longer fan protests go on, it seems that Levy is even more determined to stay in the hotseat and fix the mess that has unfolded around him - with the Spurs chief hoping that new chief executive Vinai Venkatesham, who used to be on the books at rivals Arsenal, can begin to fix their fortunes in the coming summer. Ornstein said:
"Daniel Levy remains in charge of things. There are more fan protests planned, but he's not going anywhere.
"No signs of leaving, and in fact, when he gets this sort of criticism, those around him say he becomes even more determined to eventually bring success to the club.
"They're strengthening their executive operation with the addition of Vinai Venkatesham, appointed to the newly-created role of chief executive. He'll be starting in the summer. He previously held that role at Arsenal, and he'll be in charge of all operational matters on and off the field."
Tottenham head to Eintracht Frankfurt on Thursday after a 1-1 draw in their Europa League quarter-final first leg in London, knowing that any exit on the night will shun their dreams of a trophy for another campaign.
GIVEMESPORT Key Statistic: Daniel Levy has been in charge of Tottenham since 2001.
And the Bundesliga club may not only end their dreams of a trophy once more, but also Postecoglou's spell as manager - with the former Celtic gaffer being under immense pressure to deliver a long-awaited piece of silverware to keep his job.
Statistics courtesy of WhoScored. Correct as of 16-04-25.