Soccer: Stars shocked at Graham's departure

Tottenham goalscoring great Clive Allen said White Hart Lane was in 'turmoil' today after George Graham parted company with the club.

Graham left after being summoned to an emergency meeting with Spurs executive vice-chairman David Buchler and was told that the club could not work with him.

Allen said the timing of the decision could hardly have been worse with an FA Cup semi-final against Arsenal just three weeks away.

"Unfortunately it leaves turmoil at the club - they certainly need to gel together with a massive semi-final coming up against Arsenal of all people", said Allen.

"George was obviously not happy with reassurances he was looking for in taking the club forward.

"George is a very strong-willed person and he’s obviously decided along with the new owners ENIC that it’s best that they part company", Allen said.

Allen said he believed Graham was doing a good job in difficult circumstances at White Hart Lane and believes his experience will not stop him being a successful manager in the future.

Allen added: "I think George feels he’s done a good job. The club is in a healthy position at the moment and he would have probably wanted to push the club on another step next season.

"I’m sure George hasn’t enjoyed the experience and I would think he will probably just relax for a while, take stock of what health he’s in and where he goes from there.

"But George is a great football manager and I’d be very surprised if there were not a lot of people who were very interested in having him working for them."

Another former Tottenham great, Chris Waddle, insisted Graham was largely blameless for the club’s current mid-table plight.

"George was trying to build the club into one of the giants like it used to be, there’s a game against Arsenal coming up soon, so it’s a very very surprising decision", Waddle said.

"He’s a first-class manager but it is very difficult to work under those circumstances. I think they (ENIC) want to get their own people in and they might not be George’s cup of tea, and unfortunately for George it has cost him his job.

"George is trying to get a team to finish in the top six every season and it’s not easy because there’s a lot of money in the game and he hasn’t really had that much to play with."

And Waddle like Allen said he was certain Graham would bounce back from his latest setback.

"We haven’t seen the last of him", Waddle added. "He’s a very good coach and I wouldn’t be surprised if he goes abroad and becomes a big success over there."

Former Tottenham defender Gary Mabbutt believes Graham never recovered from the 'stigma' had as an ex-Arsenal manager.

"No matter what he had done, win the Worthington Cup or achieving good results, there was the feeling George would never be accepted", he said.

"Looking through the media before the takeover and at Christmas time, Tottenham have always been one defeat away from crisis.

"I am sure George will probably be thinking it was untenable for him.

"New owners come in and they will have a three or five-year plan looking ahead

"There will be plenty of chairman looking around trying to find George’s number. He is a very respected manager."