LONDON (AFP) - Tottenham were going nowhere under the defence-minded Jacques Santini, the Frenchman's successor Martin Jol claimed.
Spurs' new boss has introduced an altogether more attacking style at White Hart Lane since being appointed coach after Santini's shock resignation two games ago.
Jol, fresh from watching his side edged out by Arsenal in a nine goal thriller, declared: "I had to change a couple of things as we were playing in a rigid 4-4-2 system.
"That gave us some results in the first five or six weeks and we were fully behind it then.
"We had to be as he was the head coach and we were his assistants! As we had an unsettled group, with a lot of new players, this was a good choice.
"But that was a dead-end street if you want to play football and to improve your football and want to attack. It leads to nowhere.
"I now play with attacking midfield players. I want to play with two strikers high up and with wide players."
Jol is determined to restore Tottenham's image for entertaining football, even if that has not been matched by success for too many years.
"Can you imagine what people would say if we played a rigid 4-4-2 system again, even if we won 1-0?" he asked.
"We know that our club is a cultured club. That's not because we are gentlemen, it's because our crowd saw legends in the past.
"We want to rewrite a bit of that history and that's all about attacking football. We talk about total football in Holland but the aim is still to score one more goal than your opponent."
Explaining his resignation at the time Santini told Spurs chairman David Levy his leaving was due to private personal reasons.
But in an interview with a French television station aired Saturday the former France coach linked his resignation to the continental style two tiered system of management.
He claimed he was effectively forced out by a power struggle with director of football Frank Arneson.
But Levy defended the management structure at the north London club, and attacked the man he had picked to bring back the glory days to his perennial under achievers.
Levy insisted Tottenham's problem had been not their management system, even if they are alone in having a director of football in the English top-flight - but Santini.
"This is a gentleman who operated in this system in France and this system has worked virtually everywhere else in Europe. This doesn't bring into question the system, just the individual," he declared.
"Whatever structure you have in any club or business, it's all about people. Clearly, there was a problem with this individual.
"There was absolutely no conflict with Frank. We had lots of meetings together. Frank is easy to talk to. The idea that there were personal issues between them is ridiculous."
Levy added: "We believe this system is better for the club in that it's more stable. It's been proved by what has happened in the past few days. Jacques goes and another coach comes in.
"But there is no change in the squad, the club moves forward and there is no talk about us selling these players. Nothing is going to change.
"Ask Fabio Capello, ask Giovanni Trapattoni. They're high-profile individuals who are more than happy to work under that system as that's how they operate on the continent.
"I'm not saying that this structure guarantees success but it minimises the risk to the club if the coach doesn't succeed, as unfortunately in football the odds are always stacked against you."
But former Spurs and England coach Terry Venables voiced his opposition to the concept of a director of football.
Writing in his weekly Sunday newspaper column Venables argued: "As if it is not tough enough to win consistently in the Premier League, Jol will now be expected to do it with another man's players.
"His opinion will not carry the weight of Arnesen or the directors. Yet if the team is not winning, who will be held responsible? The manager, of course.
"I know Levy is utterly convinced that this set-up is the way forward for Tottenham. But I don't see it lasting.
"If Jol flops, he'll get the sack and another fall-guy will take his place. This isn't management, it's baby-minding."

11/14/2004 - 22:56 GMT - AFP