Motivation Quote by Alan Hansen

Alan Hansen’s line lands like a blunt tackle on one of English football’s most comforting myths: that style can substitute for status. Coming from a decorated Liverpool defender turned TV pundit, it’s not romantic advice from afar; it’s the worldview of someone raised in a culture where trophies are the proof, and everything else is garnish.

The intent is corrective and slightly accusatory. Hansen isn’t only talking about tactics, he’s calling out an identity. Tottenham, especially in the post-90s Premier League imagination, have often worn “good football” as a badge of nobility - a way to stay proud even when the table says otherwise. By saying “the fans and the club” must change, he targets the feedback loop: supporters demand entertainment, boards hire managers to deliver it, and the team gets judged aesthetically even when the results wobble. The subtext is that Spurs have treated “pretty” as an alibi.

The phrase “that’s got to go” is the kicker: not “balance it,” not “temper it,” but remove it as a guiding philosophy. It’s a provocation meant to reset expectations toward pragmatism - game management, ugly wins, defensive discipline, the boring competence that top-four consistency usually requires.

Contextually, this reads as classic Premier League punditry from an era when “top four” became the sport’s real currency. Hansen is essentially saying: stop auditioning for admiration and start building a habit of results, because prestige in modern football is banked, not applauded.