Daniel Levy, Tottenham Hotspur’s chairman, has ripped up the continental-style structure he installed more than four years ago to rescue the club’s perilous Premier League status, sacking both Juande Ramos, head coach, and Damien Comolli, sporting director, and reverting to what he called “a more traditional style of football management”.

The clear-out at White Hart Lane, which also sees the departure of two first-team coaches, was followed by the appointment as manager of Harry Redknapp, one of the most seasoned coaches in the English game, whose departure from Portsmouth will cost the Aim-listed club £5m in compensation.