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We do need a proper clear out but getting the money levy wants for players is difficult especially when other leagues just don't have the money to spend big.
It’s not just Levy’s fees.
Other leagues can’t (and won’t) afford the salary of the guys on loan. These players won’t take salary cuts. It’s much better for them financially to turn down permanent moves associated with pay cuts and make loan moves with subsidized salaries.
Winks would be, I think, the second or third highest paid player at Sampdoria. N’Dombele would be Napoli’s highest paid player ( by a mile). LoCelso would be Villarreal’s highest paid player (more than Pau Torres).
None of them are worth it.
ENIC appear unable to spend enough to keep us on par with our opponents, and so far, appear incapable of putting together a prolific enough academy to develop enough talent to offset our lack of spending.
Levy for his reasons (Kane?) decided to go for Conte rather than Potter or Ten Haag, who were the two most obvious positive-football coaching candidates that we could have gone for. I think what we need most right now is a coach like that.
Instead, we have Conte, who is good, but needs a certain style of play and player to make his system work, which requires a lot of spending, which we don't have. Conte can be both a great coach and not a good fit for Spurs.
If we aren't winning now, we seriously need to be looking at rebuilding, which is going to be forced on us anyways since Kane almost certain (imo) will not renew his contract.
I don't think Levy has the guts to do this though- he's too afraid of being the guy that pulled the plug on Harry Kane as a Spur- maybe because he doesn't really have a credible vision of what the club could be otherwise- which is probably because deep down, he's knows hes just a very good businessman that doesn't know shit about football or others sports. Shit- let's be honest- it's clear Levy barely even knows about working out- I'd put money on the average woman anywhere in the world to kick his ass in a fight at any time.
So Levy is bluffing, trying to save face and look important (so he can have ENIC give him a fat bonus each year), with no real idea what to do, hoping simply to take the least painful option each time, run out the clock, and avoid having to take too much responsibility for anything. Meanwhile he can collect bonuses en route to some huge possible payoff way down the line, and maybe, if he's lucky, he can get enough people to believe he did something useful to get a statue or plaque in the Tottenham area.
Levy and ENIC have NO credible plan, other than to try and make money. They don't know football, and they don't really care that much as long as they aren't hated too much, by too many.
The answer to what we need to do is pretty obvious though- get rid of deadwood and old players needing a change of scenery, get a coach playing positive, inspiring football, continue investing in young players with upside, aggressively grow our academy and loan/development efforts, and provide enough funds and time to credibly accomplish these goals. Get Levy away from any football decisions and get a board of international football experts, properly incentivized, to help manage the decision making of the club with regards to coaching decisions, scouting, and academy development.
At the very least I wish we'd move on Dier and Hugo. Dier for sure is just not good enough a player to occupy such a vaunted position in our lineup and team. Hugo is not a dominant enough player at his position that he should have kept Kane from being named captain for at least a couple seasons now. Us knowing who Harry is, I am certain this issue burns him constantly.
In terms of timing, it feels like everything has been totally mishandled by Levy, who appears to have the fatal flaw of thinking his human assets don't have a shelf-life (like his beloved real-estate) Basically we had plenty of opportunity to make better decisions but Levy, lacking any football or sporting sense whatsoever, has no sense of timing and continues to fuck everything up. This team needs a rebuild so bad, but has been doubled down on so much the other way, that any real effort to do so will represent a crushing loss of opportunity-cost in terms of both money and time.
I know I wrote a lot, and I am somewhat sorry I couldn't come to a more clear conclusion. I guess if I had to sum it up, ENIC and Levy suck, we need to get rid of them for someone better, and I don't expect good decisions to be made until they are gone.
Excellent post. Airfixx is going to be so agitated reading this.
Spot on.most clubs couldn’t afford them if there was no fee, wages are the primary barrier
I like Airfixxx, but no one can deny Levy is a bespectacled pencil-pushing wimp who shouldn't have anything to do with sporting decisions. The guy was clearly born to write and sign checks or whatever and should just stick to what hes good at.
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That's why we've employed Paratici
Yes, Paratici is definitely a step in the right direction- the guy actually knows football- but that is a very recent thing, and the damage has been done on several occassions in terms of opportunity cost. There are levels of club management above what Paratici can affect that Levy still unfortunately has influence over. Contracts and executive decisions on buying/selling, etc. Hiring and overseeing staff. I at least hope it continues to improve bit by bit.
Any director of football (or similar type position) at a club is going to have people above who sign things off that's just part and parcel of business let alone football business - you don't want short term employees having free reign financially it would be a recipe for disaster.
But yeah as you say it's a recent development after years of neglect/failure innthat area (Hitchen & co) so Paratici needs to be given the time to build up that side of things essentially from the ground up. In the meantime the first XI & squad needs a lot of work too - he's going to be a busy man
For sure, IF we had to replace Kane & Son, we’d need more than two players with who’s available/our budget. Hugo replacement would be easier to find.
We just need to scrap our backline.
What a great and reasonable post. No doubt some chopper head will come around and give a disagree without engaging because it truly is too sound of a synopsis to counter. I am in such agreement I'm left wondering if you are my multi? Wait...AM I YOUR MULTI FFS?!?!?!?
EDIT: NVM I got my answer...we cannot be the same person..
unless this "Airfixxx of whom you speak is a new poster and not
Airfixx
The problem is, that will take at least 2-3 transfer windows and by that time, Kane will be gone and Son will be 32. So we will have different problems and will have to find other attackers
Other:
Sell Kane, Son, and a few of the other middle of the road players and spend the money on players that Conte wants. Let him make his team and if it hasn't worked in 3 years sack Conte and sell to an oil sheik.
Sell Kane, Son, and a few of the other middle of the road players and spend the money on players that Conte wants. Let him make his team and if it hasn't worked in 3 years sack Conte and sell to an oil sheik.
I would settle for a couple in Jan and see what happens a complete clear out will take a few seasons a hell of a lot of money unlikely under the present owners .As was mentioned above Kane and Sonny are nearing the stage where they will slip a bit so get the best we can for Conti now and see how it pans out .
Benta and Kulu were brilliant acquisitions, and they are there because of Paritici and (I guess) Conte. If they can continue to find players like that I would like to let them keep going. I think Kane should be some type of AM, getting it ahead to speed merchants. Need to juice up the counter with more speed.
all but romero. lloris needs upgrading and so do the rest of them.
Our biggest problem, we're a club that goes into everything half-assed and then knee jerk our way ot of it.
We have a young manager,, playing attractive football and refuse to back him when all is going in the right direction. When things start to turn sour we back him with a knee jerk reaction sign players who don't seem suited to our league and then sack him soon after.
So we knee-jerk to a famous World-class chequebook manager who we don't really back, then sack when he gets pissy and results turn
So we kneejerk into a manager who has had a few "decent seasons and boot him the first opportunity we can only to go out and get another big name chequebook manager who we don't fully back.
All the time we've got from a project, a team playing some lovel football and bringing excitement, to a team of dor turgid workhorses, bailed out by goals from a front two we rely desperately on.
Sack Conte,, you need to get rid of all the Italian influences on the club as it's doubtful any manager we bring in would want to continuue with the turd football style we have.
We had the opportunity to do something that suits us, build with a talented manager,, used to building new squads every season, but Danny knew best.
We have a young manager,, playing attractive football and refuse to back him when all is going in the right direction. When things start to turn sour we back him with a knee jerk reaction sign players who don't seem suited to our league and then sack him soon after.
So we knee-jerk to a famous World-class chequebook manager who we don't really back, then sack when he gets pissy and results turn
So we kneejerk into a manager who has had a few "decent seasons and boot him the first opportunity we can only to go out and get another big name chequebook manager who we don't fully back.
All the time we've got from a project, a team playing some lovel football and bringing excitement, to a team of dor turgid workhorses, bailed out by goals from a front two we rely desperately on.
Sack Conte,, you need to get rid of all the Italian influences on the club as it's doubtful any manager we bring in would want to continuue with the turd football style we have.
We had the opportunity to do something that suits us, build with a talented manager,, used to building new squads every season, but Danny knew best.