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Nice to see Levy talking about the DNA of the club and being unique. Bringing young players through who are “one of our own” should be commended and applauded.
Be great if we could have 3/4 to 1/2 of the team as world class academy products.
However the reality is you need patience in that scenario as footballers generally peak around 25-27.
So unless you are prepared to field predominantly youngsters some will always move on if they don’t get game time. Or you do play them and they make mistakes as still learning. And therefore probably don’t compete at the top of the tree.
So in reality you still need to buy players at the top of their game if you want to win the bigger trophies and continuously push for the CL and the money that creates. .
Which is what everyone does in reality so we aren’t that unique.
Nice sound bite though.
Be great if we could have 3/4 to 1/2 of the team as world class academy products.
However the reality is you need patience in that scenario as footballers generally peak around 25-27.
So unless you are prepared to field predominantly youngsters some will always move on if they don’t get game time. Or you do play them and they make mistakes as still learning. And therefore probably don’t compete at the top of the tree.
So in reality you still need to buy players at the top of their game if you want to win the bigger trophies and continuously push for the CL and the money that creates. .
Which is what everyone does in reality so we aren’t that unique.
Nice sound bite though.
Even ferguson kept breaking the British transfer record over and over again and was a bigger spender than other clubs. As if he was going to win all those league titles without his big money transfers.
Where have all the good times gone…
Which is it? The beginning or the premature end of the next THFC cycle. I won’t call it by the name ‘project’ because that’s clearly what it isn’t. It was ENIC’s gamble to maintain the status quo amongst a squad that was looking tired and at times disinterested.
Let’s be honest, injuries have been next level bad luck (like any team would cope with such key talismanic players injured for months) and like Bardi said on this week’s pod ‘You have to back the manager’. It’s only been 3 months people into Jose’s reign. Some will always be against the man because of who he’s managed in the past, some think he is yesterday’s man. Regardless even Jose must be shocked at how the last 3 months have turned out.
One thing we can all agree upon is that the increasednegativity and disconnect between club and fans is now back (not seen since the Sherwood tenure back in 2014). I myself, am finding it a difficult watch at the moment the negative nature of the football on show. We’ve hit bottom but things will get worse still before they get better (unless the Coronavirus has everyone playing behind closed doors till the end of the season). West Ham can still get relegated right? Silver linings and all.
Whether you are PRO ENIC / Anti ENIC or Levy out are they really going anywhere? They’ve always reacted rather than be proactive when we are at risk of trouble so the self-imposed transfer ban for two windows and subsequent failure to buy players to make an immediate impact is hurting us now.
I’ve seen rumours resurface again about ENIC selling in the summer (you can’t take the £££ with you Joe!) and some fans are clinging to this hope. Be careful what you wish for but it would be nice to be backed with next level money. I see the logic of what ENIC have done with the stadium and training facilities – it’s up there with the best in the world. No naming rights (yet) and all set up for sale.
The term anchor tenant grates though because it implies it is not entirely ours and ENIC are focusing on the concerts, Rugby League, NFL, Boxing lined up this year to bring in the revenue but is the stadium a rightful heir to old WHL? I don’t feel the connection (yet).
We are a hard watch at the moment, inviting too much play onto us and too many individual errors costing us each game. Before we lost Kane and Son, Jose moved us up from 14th to4th with the highest points won bar Liverpool and City. Injuries and not effectively replacing Walker, Dembele and adding depth to the squad when we really needed it have fucked us completely
I try not to be overly negative. There are positives. Jose hasmade a good start clearing out the deadwood and has called out the board on where this season’s priorities lie. This summer is massive for ENIC and if they don’t sell, I hope they are proactive for a change in moving on and bringing in players to add depth and an immediate impact to the team (as soon as season ends).
The excellent Swiss Ramble’s financial analysis last week has shown that THFC have the lowest paid players compared to income, 2nd highest paid directors. You can bet this was not lost on the players through their agents when we were challenging the last 4 years. Feel undervalued? I would be.
One thing very much needed is a DOF between Levy and the team. Spot those gems of a player early and manage negotiations. Maybe Jose’s DOF pal from Lille can join in the summer as previously touted.
Our recruitment has been more miss than hit through the Poch years until now and I’m still to be convinced Poch can spot a player. You can argue Levy never truly backed him until this summer after the N’bodies brought in but how many were Paul Mitchell picks or famously scouted by Pleat (Dele).
N’Dombele concerns me. Such a prospect but is unfit. He was at the club well before pre-season so why? Be prepared to give him another season but I just hope he is not Adebayor 2.0 on double his money and contract years turning up when it suits him. I hope the lad becomes a worldie but if he’s still pulling up after 15 minutes looking fucked at the start of next season then get rid. Now I have witnessed his 1st half display vs. Burnley after writing this the case still stands. Jose mishandling him? Could look like it, but I’m of the belief he needs to be called out. He didn’t say he was rubbish, but needs to give more. The Sky analysis from Spit Carragher was bang on.
I hope we have something to cheer before the season’s end, something to give the fan base hope for next season. The positive is that ENIC are now exposed and if we miss out on CL and EL, the excuse for lack of investment is no European football. That won’t wash this time and any anger needs to be directed to the top.
We may be owned by an investment company, but now the focus is on the main product – the football club. Failure to do so and it’s time for them to go. Protests, campaigns will be justified (and only the deluded can argue against this – you support THFC not an investment company).
Again being positive ENIC, Levy and Lewis are not in the business of losing money so the worse we perform on the pitch the more the image and value of the club suffers. ‘To Dare Is Too Dear’ as the banner states…not anymore ENIC. The priority is THFC on the pitch now and the fans patience is close to running out. Do better. If you’re not interested in seeing us challenge and win then leave.
ENIC need to get the message now before the season ends to sharpen their minds on what’s required. Especially more so after the Trust’s minutes from their sit down with Levy and board about investment in the team impacted due to no CL next season. The blame is at the top.
The final thought is on the Amazon documentary. Was it worth the money Daniel? It allegedly drove a wedge between Poch and the board, players unhappy with the intrusion and whilst Amazon cannot believe their luck at what’s gone on this season ‘Fuck All or Nothing’ as it should be titled will result in the club and us fans getting plenty of stick from other fans.
They’ll be memes created no doubt to beat us with online and then we have to relive this shit show of a season (again). Will we learn the truth? Would ENIC want to be seen in a negative light? Don’t be surprised if the club pay the money back and ask it never sees the light of day – I think it was just one of the worst decision the club has ever made commercially and highlights how they misread the situation last summer.
The club need to speak out, calm the fans, back the manager for success.
You also need to do your part, cheer the team on, sing their names – encourage them and support each other during this difficult period (and no more players running into the crowd please!). The good times will (hopefully) return, that’s the cyclical nature of football.
Come On You Spurs.
Which is it? The beginning or the premature end of the next THFC cycle. I won’t call it by the name ‘project’ because that’s clearly what it isn’t. It was ENIC’s gamble to maintain the status quo amongst a squad that was looking tired and at times disinterested.
Let’s be honest, injuries have been next level bad luck (like any team would cope with such key talismanic players injured for months) and like Bardi said on this week’s pod ‘You have to back the manager’. It’s only been 3 months people into Jose’s reign. Some will always be against the man because of who he’s managed in the past, some think he is yesterday’s man. Regardless even Jose must be shocked at how the last 3 months have turned out.
One thing we can all agree upon is that the increasednegativity and disconnect between club and fans is now back (not seen since the Sherwood tenure back in 2014). I myself, am finding it a difficult watch at the moment the negative nature of the football on show. We’ve hit bottom but things will get worse still before they get better (unless the Coronavirus has everyone playing behind closed doors till the end of the season). West Ham can still get relegated right? Silver linings and all.
Whether you are PRO ENIC / Anti ENIC or Levy out are they really going anywhere? They’ve always reacted rather than be proactive when we are at risk of trouble so the self-imposed transfer ban for two windows and subsequent failure to buy players to make an immediate impact is hurting us now.
I’ve seen rumours resurface again about ENIC selling in the summer (you can’t take the £££ with you Joe!) and some fans are clinging to this hope. Be careful what you wish for but it would be nice to be backed with next level money. I see the logic of what ENIC have done with the stadium and training facilities – it’s up there with the best in the world. No naming rights (yet) and all set up for sale.
The term anchor tenant grates though because it implies it is not entirely ours and ENIC are focusing on the concerts, Rugby League, NFL, Boxing lined up this year to bring in the revenue but is the stadium a rightful heir to old WHL? I don’t feel the connection (yet).
We are a hard watch at the moment, inviting too much play onto us and too many individual errors costing us each game. Before we lost Kane and Son, Jose moved us up from 14th to4th with the highest points won bar Liverpool and City. Injuries and not effectively replacing Walker, Dembele and adding depth to the squad when we really needed it have fucked us completely
I try not to be overly negative. There are positives. Jose hasmade a good start clearing out the deadwood and has called out the board on where this season’s priorities lie. This summer is massive for ENIC and if they don’t sell, I hope they are proactive for a change in moving on and bringing in players to add depth and an immediate impact to the team (as soon as season ends).
The excellent Swiss Ramble’s financial analysis last week has shown that THFC have the lowest paid players compared to income, 2nd highest paid directors. You can bet this was not lost on the players through their agents when we were challenging the last 4 years. Feel undervalued? I would be.
One thing very much needed is a DOF between Levy and the team. Spot those gems of a player early and manage negotiations. Maybe Jose’s DOF pal from Lille can join in the summer as previously touted.
Our recruitment has been more miss than hit through the Poch years until now and I’m still to be convinced Poch can spot a player. You can argue Levy never truly backed him until this summer after the N’bodies brought in but how many were Paul Mitchell picks or famously scouted by Pleat (Dele).
N’Dombele concerns me. Such a prospect but is unfit. He was at the club well before pre-season so why? Be prepared to give him another season but I just hope he is not Adebayor 2.0 on double his money and contract years turning up when it suits him. I hope the lad becomes a worldie but if he’s still pulling up after 15 minutes looking fucked at the start of next season then get rid. Now I have witnessed his 1st half display vs. Burnley after writing this the case still stands. Jose mishandling him? Could look like it, but I’m of the belief he needs to be called out. He didn’t say he was rubbish, but needs to give more. The Sky analysis from Spit Carragher was bang on.
I hope we have something to cheer before the season’s end, something to give the fan base hope for next season. The positive is that ENIC are now exposed and if we miss out on CL and EL, the excuse for lack of investment is no European football. That won’t wash this time and any anger needs to be directed to the top.
We may be owned by an investment company, but now the focus is on the main product – the football club. Failure to do so and it’s time for them to go. Protests, campaigns will be justified (and only the deluded can argue against this – you support THFC not an investment company).
Again being positive ENIC, Levy and Lewis are not in the business of losing money so the worse we perform on the pitch the more the image and value of the club suffers. ‘To Dare Is Too Dear’ as the banner states…not anymore ENIC. The priority is THFC on the pitch now and the fans patience is close to running out. Do better. If you’re not interested in seeing us challenge and win then leave.
ENIC need to get the message now before the season ends to sharpen their minds on what’s required. Especially more so after the Trust’s minutes from their sit down with Levy and board about investment in the team impacted due to no CL next season. The blame is at the top.
The final thought is on the Amazon documentary. Was it worth the money Daniel? It allegedly drove a wedge between Poch and the board, players unhappy with the intrusion and whilst Amazon cannot believe their luck at what’s gone on this season ‘Fuck All or Nothing’ as it should be titled will result in the club and us fans getting plenty of stick from other fans.
They’ll be memes created no doubt to beat us with online and then we have to relive this shit show of a season (again). Will we learn the truth? Would ENIC want to be seen in a negative light? Don’t be surprised if the club pay the money back and ask it never sees the light of day – I think it was just one of the worst decision the club has ever made commercially and highlights how they misread the situation last summer.
The club need to speak out, calm the fans, back the manager for success.
You also need to do your part, cheer the team on, sing their names – encourage them and support each other during this difficult period (and no more players running into the crowd please!). The good times will (hopefully) return, that’s the cyclical nature of football.
Come On You Spurs.
Thanks for you input. You've moved the conversation forward a great deal. I feel that everyone is now sufficiently edified until your next brain nugget falls out. I, for one, look forward to that time with great anticipation.
Yes, but your boy continually said we did...and we did because we had been in the CL for 2 years running. So your boy was going full Trump on us with the "the stadium won't affect transfers".
And no one's crying my man. You are the one that can't deal with the truth.
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Doesn't matter how much we spend. You have to spend the money right. Get someone in who knows how to build a squad like a director of football, because we struggled without one under Poch. Levy has always favoured the approach and should go back to it.
Yeah, easily 1 of the biggest spenders over that period. Wages & transfers. So far in modern football,no team has continued to win major trophies without spending big. I think in the old days you could do it without spending too much. But these days you need a lot of money or else how are you going to keep these top players happy on much lower wages than they could get elsewhere.
So where do you think the other £200m has gone?
Assuming of course that it was pure profit, which it is isn't.
I think a Dortmund player will be there for the guns n roses concert. Who will work out the clue & be the Sherlock Holmes of the forum today
Really?
Show me 10 posts from the LOB, that praise Levy.
Should be easy enough from the 1000s of posts on here.
Levy builds a stadium that gives us extra revenue streams and people on here use it as a tool to bash him with.
You couldn't make it up
Excellent well balanced post
I'll answer that when you acknowledge the validity of my point, that there was all that CL money that surely wasn't budgeted for as it would have been financially irresponsible to expect that continued windfall. Without conceding that point then this 200M you are asking about now doesn't really exist.
Well, I'm sure it helped your IQ raise several points. Keep on at this rate and it might reach double figures.
100% agree on most things . Except Pochetino was the strongest link in the chain for the first few years and Enic was the weakest. Only from the no-transfer transfer window , when Poch chose himself over the squad and accepted Levy's no-transfer window for doubling his wages did both Poch and Levy become equally the weakest links.
Enic have remained the weakest link more than any 1 individual manager or player. 1 puny league cup in 20 years is a joke.
This is the best fucking post I have ever read on this forum and on the state of the club and I agree with every word, well thought out, very balanced and accurate.
Only the delusional can argue against it.
Stevee, your problem is that your making the issue an "us against them" thing. We all support Spurs, any logical person can praise the owners for what they have done but also want them out or be frustrated with them and want better from them for the continued faults on the football side.
The problem is, you view the situation with bias, you are all in on the owners but you can't see that the majority of people who have complaints against them aren't this extremist group you view them as.
And by viewing them as this extremist group of people you yourself are also becoming an extreme apologist on the other side, drawing battle lines with fellow supporters whilst defending corporate billionaires who don't give a single solitary fuck about you and you can't see it.
Take a step back and realise that a grey area exists.
But I ask you, why should it? Why should ambition be punished because of the transfer failings of a board who have mismanaged the squad to the point where CL is no longer available to us? And why should the supporters pay more for that failure and suffer from it?
Surely the logical thing to do would actually spend MORE because the squad has failed to reach the CL but Levy doesn't believe there is any correlation between spending and success so that's never going to happen, instead, missing out means spending less, it makes no sense whatsoever, how is the gap going to close spending less after missing out?
The "not being in the CL" is a bullshit excuse for spending less imo, even with the increased revenue of the stadium (which I appreciate is a factor) £25m extra a year isn't even enough for a top quality signing these days, whether ENIC like it or not, if they want success they have to spend and sometimes, they have to take financial risk for reward.
But I don't think they want success, they want consistency "just enough to make a profit" is their motto and if we aren't careful, it's soon going to become club motto.