And that is Levy's fault.
Yes it is, and I have repeatedly criticised Levy for that:
I think Levy has made some mistakes along the way for sure. I do not agree with all of his decisions or policies. And I think the stadium really distracted him and the last 3/4 years he made some of his biggest mistakes. He never should have ditched the DOF, especially while the stadium build was focusing all his attention. He should have been building the recruitment structure/dept not dismantling it
Levy should never have let Poch talk him out of a DOF. He should also have been looking at best practice models and keeping us as a club up with the best systems for recruitment, recruitment analytics, scouting networks etc - Especially while he knew he was going to be tied up developing the stadium.
I've been a big defender of much of the way Levy has run the club, but he took his eye off the ball during the whole stadium build. Badly.
I think we've got ourselves into a catatonic state and Levy needs to wake the fuck up and make some very big decisions about the direction we take now. He's modernised the facilities he now needs to modernise the clubs infrastructure and operational structure. DOF needed and the introduction of a much better recruitment and analytics department.
I am not blaming Poch for wanting to take more control, ultimately Levy gave in, at a crucial time when he was going to be massively distracted with the stadium, and now he's now got his uber stadium with a team in decline that isn't going to be delivering CL revenues.
We need to get our fucking shit together. We need a DOF desperately, Levy needs to do his job, which he generally does extremely well, of running the business, but we need someone to oversee the implementation of a core philosophy and see that everything we do is in line with that philosophy. It needs to be - much like the likes of Dortmund and RBL - progressive, aggressive - something fans/punters in the stadium and globally can identify and buy into, even when it's not always successful, we need to be able to see "a plan" have an identity that drives us forward.
How much money you spend is less important than how cleverly you spend it and the coaching it gets. Look at RBL, their squad probably cost about a tenth of ours, but they've outplayed us. Ajax did the same last year with another cheaply assembled squad.
We've got ourselves in this mess not just because of Pochettino's failings, but Levy's too. Up to the point where he gave Pochettino the job as head coach, Levy had largely done things really well, bar the odd blip, then he took his eye off the ball to build the stadium - a time when more than ever he should have had departmental structures in place that he could have been delegating responsibilities to - only he hadn't, he'd dismantled it, acquiesced to Poch's desire to be the next SAF, and failed to replace Paul Mitchell's analytics department too.
Levy is responsible for overseeing the strategy and putting in place a structure, including recruitment team (DOF, and/or head of recruitment, recruitment analysts, scouting network etc) so ultimately the buck stops with him,
Levy has fucked some things up in recent years in terms of the structure and processes of our transfer strategy,
It's fair to criticise some of the decisions levy has made within that structure, the way that money has been spent, on who etc, his strategy for the recruitment structure, his management of contracts, the personnel he's hired and fired etc.
Even his business acumen hasn't escaped my criticism recently:
I've generally given Levy plenty of credit for the way he's built the club during his tenure, whilst being critical of some things in the last couple of years, but one thing that I think he's largely escaped criticism for, which is - or should be - his forte, is failing to bring in the stadium sponsorship. This is what he does best.
We built one of the best football stadiums in Europe, one of the best "venues" - with regular CL football, a likeable manager and Sir Harold of Kane - England's goal hero, leading the team, we should have been a very marketable proposition, and that should have been capitalised. Levy failed to do this. A deal that could have been very lucrative and extremely useful now; hard to imagine we are going to do a better deal any time in the foreseeable future.
And that is why your constant double-dealing on this issue is so repulsive.
No double dealing. I've criticised Levy for what I think is his remit, overseeing the structure, philosophy, appointment (or lack of) the right personnel and processes.
What I'm not ranting about is us spending within our sustainable model, putting a manager in charge of recruitment, not always getting our first choice targets etc.
You keep crying out in the middle of the ocean for a DoF. But there is no sign of one on the horizon. Pochettino is long gone-and that was your previous excuse for our not having one-so where is the DoF? And why don't train your guns on Levy for this?
Err....I have....see above.
Instead we keep getting your empty talk about how Levy is at fault for lots of things (without taking much care to actually go into detail on the nature of these things), but our mode of recruitment is not one of them (even though it drives you around the twist).
Again, bullshit, see above.
Since Poch (and his apparently stinky finger) slinked out of the building, we have bought two players. And you rate neither of them. And I am raging over this Hojbjerg jiggery-pokery.
Mourinho went on the record as being unhappy at our failure to sign a striker in the January winger. A striker. You can Google this. It's all there on the Interweb. Wanted a striker, felt we were up shit creek with Kane being out. And what did he get? He got a winger. A winger whom you don't rate. And Poch was gone, remember, so you can't stick it on him.
Last week, we went and signed a player neither you nor I can stand. And whose minutes you would have gladly given to Skipp, I believe. The entire deal is expected to cost us £45m (if he stays here for the length of his contract). And remember-Pochettino was sent on gardening leave last November. So, it couldn't have been his doing.
So, here we are. Pochettino is gone. Player recruitment continues to be depressing and infuriating. Who is responsible? Levy. So, let us call a spade a spade. None of your shameless hypocrisy, please. Many people on this site look to your for guidance, you know.
You even acknowledge the many times I've criticised and complained about all of the above. And again I refer you to the above. How many fucking which ways can I criticise and state Levy is to blame for the process we are currently operating.
And on the topic of Liverpool's hunt for a left-back, let's get this straight-and let's make sure the entire forum knows this-you rate Tsimikas very, very highly. Liverpool wanted a left back. They got a left back. And a damn good one. One who would improve us no end. They didn't go looking for a left-back, and arrive home from Lidl with a winger.
And as a matter of fact, I also like Lewis very much indeed. So, what I would say is that both of the left-backs Liverpool were linked with are very tasty. I think they were linked with Reguilon, too-another player you have expressed an interest in. Do you see any dud options on that list? I don't. And that is the point, isn't it? Not one donkey on it.
Not so hot on Reguilon, but again, for the millionth time, I like Liverpool's recruitment structures and processes - I do not like ours - I hold Levy directly responsible and criticisable for this - AND I FUCKING HAVE.
When I have ironically pointed out Liverpool have signed their 2nd choice for 10m rather than first choice for 20m on the odd occasion I have done so to highlight that even Liverpool have to do this. I have also caveated it with - "but that's fine when your recruitment process and structure work"
In fact here's an example of that:
Getting your 2nd, 3rd or 4th choice isn’t bad necessarily, as long as your recruitment people/committee are identifying the right people for that list.
Levy is responsible for overseeing the strategy and putting in place a structure, including recruitment team (DOF, and/or head of recruitment, recruitment analysts, scouting network etc) so ultimately the buck stops with him,
Meanwhile over at Tottenham, we are casting our net very wide. Doing our scouting on MOTD, generally speaking. Have we been linked with anyone you actually like? You have your head between your knees worrying we will sign Callum Wilson or Troy Deeney. You said none of the right-backs we are being linked with are better than Aurier (and I don't think you're too wide of the mark on that one). We are being constantly linked with a deal whereby we will swap a fabulously talented midfielder (one both you and I are huge fans of) for another wardrobe of a CB. It is not about the money we do or do not spend. There are players out there who would improve us so much for absolutely fuck all, in relative terms. Players like Tsimikas. He is a better player than Chilwell, who is priced at £80m, if reports are to be believed. Fine CBs like Salisu and Disasi are changing hands for £11m-£15m. But maybe we prefer the wardrobe at Inter. Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Dah.
One person oversees this madness. One.
Again, yes, I'm unhappy with the man overseeing this process to.
But, again, I still agree with the post of BF3's I responded to, that vexed you so. Whatever I'm fucked off with now, I wouldn't want us to go back to a system of managers being head of recruitment either. I would just like Levy to get to put in place a DOF, a much better, smarter recruitment structure, let that DOF oversee the introduction of a clear philosophy and steer the recruitment (including coaches) in the direction of that philosophy.
Will I need to repeat all this next week?
