Perryman: Stop the back-biting

Steve Perryman stressed today the need for stability at the club he served for 18 years.

He welcomes the appointment of Martin Jol as Tottenham's new head coach and believes Frank Arnesen is the right man as director of football.

But Perryman, who played 655 league games for Spurs between 1969 and 1986, said: "The two of them have to be given time - time that wasn't given to many managers before them. And we cannot afford to lose more ground on the top clubs.

"That is what Spurs have been doing year by year. It has been one catastrophe after another.

"Too many people running the club over the years regarded the tradition and history as a burden. There has been too much politics, too much whispering behind the backs of the managers.

"It will help Martin that he has an ally on the board in Frank Arnesen. Many of the managers before him haven't had that. Jacques Santini didn't.

"And you know the biggest victim? The club. And it is because of people not used to being involved in a club. The manager gets changed because the board are getting some stick.

"There has been one debacle after another. You put all the stories together and it is better than Footballers' Wives. Things must change now."