Former Tottenham chairman Sir Alan Sugar has backed the appointment of Jacques Santini as the club's new coach. Spurs ended a nine-month search by giving the job to the France coach.
"In the past 12 years or so, 10 of which were under my guidance, we have virtually tried everything. There has been no lack of funds.
"But clearly we haven't succeeded and I think that this new move is a very, very positive thing," Sugar told BBC Radio Five Live's Sportsweek.
He added: "There's a complete clean sweep and top-level people have been brought in."
Tottenham flirted with relegation under caretaker-manager David Pleat last season, while current chairman Daniel Levy looked for a successor to Glenn Hoddle.
 |  It is becoming like a three-horse race at the moment but I hope this new regime can get us up there |
But Sugar, who is still a major shareholder in the club, defended the amount of time it took to find a new manager. "Too many things, including under my era, were done as a knee-jerk reaction because of intimidation and pressure from fans and the media," said Sugar.
"You have to take your hat off to Daniel Levy and his board for not being intimidated and taking their time.
"Obviously anybody who is any good is in a job and nothing could be done until the end of the season."
Sugar added: "There were deliberations and probably some people were on the list and some people were not on the list.
"I don't for one moment believe it was a last-minute panic - in fact, I'm pretty convinced it wasn't."
Sugar admitted it would be difficult for Spurs to bridge the current gulf between Arsenal, Chelsea and Manchester United and the rest of the Premiership.
But he backed Santini to transform the club's fortunes, as he has done with the France team.
"It is becoming like a three-horse race at the moment but, given a bit of time, I hope this new regime can get us up there," added Sugar.
"If you go back to the World Cup of two years ago, the French team had the capability, talent and resources there but they failed.
"This guy has come in, taken over the same group of players and, from what I understand, not lost a game in the qualifying process for Euro 2004.
"If that's the kind of thing he can do, take a group of players who have the ability and make them perform, that's all we can ask for."
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