The Tigers have enjoyed a dream start to life in the top flight with Sunday's victory at Tottenham Hotspur having propelled Phil Brown's side up to third in the table.

Hull's win at White Hart Lane was particularly sweet for Duffen who, before taking charge at the KC Stadium last year, had been a keen supporter of the North London club.

The Hull chairman was even a founder member of Spurs' Centenary Club in the Eighties so is understandably saddened to see their current plight at the foot of the Premier League.

Sporting director Damien Comolli is taking a large portion of the blame for Tottenham's troubles with his role in transfers and relationship with manager Juande Ramos having come in for increased scrutiny in recent weeks.

Such a set-up is common in European football but still carries a certain stigma in England with Dennis Wise's position as director of football at Newcastle United having been a major factor in Kevin Keegan's resignation and the club's subsequent descent into chaos.

Duffen last night told the Yorkshire Post: "Because it was Tottenham, I did feel sorry for the club and their fans (on Sunday). They have got themselves in an almighty mess and a lot of it is down to having a set-up featuring a director of football.

"This role just does not work because all it generates is a lack of accountability and a blame culture. When you run any business, you need good communication and good collaboration.

"To do that in football you need a full-time chairman or chief executive, a good manager and a good chief scout. This is what we have at Hull City and there is no doubt in our world that the people who make the key decisions are accountable. There has to be that responsibility.

"As a consequence, there is no way a wedge can be driven between the key decision makers. That is the problem with a set-up featuring a director of football.

"What happens is the manager says it is not his fault because he does not have full control of transfers.

"At the same time, the director of football can turn round and say 'well, we have brought in £90m worth of talent since last September and if this manager can't build a team from that, we should get someone else who can'.

"Meanwhile, the chairman complains that the other two are just complaining all the time. It just doesn't work."

Hull, one of just four clubs to still be unbeaten on their travels in the top flight, are the first club to beat the North London duo away from home in the same season since Chelsea achieved the same feat in 2005-06.

With four points also having been earned at home, it means Brown's men have enjoyed the best start of any promoted club since Blackburn Rovers won five and drew two of their opening seven games in 1992-93.

Duffen added: "Everyone is obviously delighted by the start and, on a personal level, I have to admit Sunday was a very emotional day for me. To sit in the directors' box at White Hart Lane as the chairman of Hull City was a real privilege.

"I shook (Spurs chairman) Daniel Levy's hand before the game and I admit I was very emotional. It was very special.

"I feel we won the game on merit. Okay, we had to ride our luck at times but I don't think any neutral observer would disagree that Tottenham's performance was their best of the season.

"It is interesting to see how we are covered in the national press. After we won at Newcastle, it was all about them being in crisis.

"After Arsenal, it was a case of them being humiliated by Hull. I did not agree with that, being humiliated is when someone from the Premier League loses to a lower division club at home,

"And since the Spurs match much of the coverage has been about Ramos. It is something we just accept, and in a way it can work in our favour because it means we are still largely under the radar."