- Nov 6, 2006
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Also those aren't really his decisions. Levy isn't a scout, so he's relying on people to give him correct recommendations.
People he's hired.
Der!!!!
Also those aren't really his decisions. Levy isn't a scout, so he's relying on people to give him correct recommendations.
The wins against Chelsea and Arsenal certainly were great, and I've loved seeing Kane's emergence. As I said in another thread a while ago, watching Kane this season has been akin to living my childhood dreams vicariously through his Roy of the Rovers exploits - now that's something that I'd certainly agree transcends any issues of points and league positions.
However, as much as I'm looking forward to seeing our young players progress, the whole issue I've been making in this thread is that we shouldn't be satisfied with being 6th or thereabouts simply because that's "where we should be". Would you still be excited about next season if you knew we'd not finish any higher than 6th due to the huge discrepancy between our financial power and overall quality compared to Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool, Oil Money, and United?
That's pretty much what some in this thread have been saying - don't expect us to punch above our weight....know your place Spurs...stop dreaming...admire the well run business Levy has.
My problems with the current state of the club go deeper. We charge more for a season ticket than any other Prem club (if you factor in the CL games included in Arsenal's season tickets). Our own manager has to try and publicly dissuade Levy from following commercial interests by making the club go on far-flung tours. The club's website is one giant merchandise shop. We delay the unveiling of new shirts as late as possible because Levy is trying to squeeze every last penny out of cut-price tops about to become outdated. We sell every top player that comes our way. We have a transfer policy of 'buy young - sell big'. We drag our transfers out as long as possible (both outgoings and incomings) because Levy wants to get the best price, which more often than not results in us missing out on realistic targets or being stuck with overpaid and unwanted players. We get through a new manager every 18 months or so as Levy looks to keep the fans onside with new saviour after new saviour whilst deflecting attention away from the lack of success. Oh and fucking Stubhub.
And for what? The fans are treated like shit over and over again...just faceless consumers to be milked dry. Do you think the same happens to this extent at Villa? Newcastle? Southampton? West Ham? Everton? Nope...not even close. You know what clubs do treat their fans in the same way? Yep...the Arsenals, Liverpools, Uniteds, Chelseas, and Oil Moneys of the prem.
One very important difference between those distinct groups...the latter actually compensate the exploitation of the fans by returning some palpable success. We have the most expensive season tickets to go and see a club that some on here are content to see finishing 6th because that's apparently our level. Don't you see anything wrong with that?
I'm sure the counter argument from some would be "well Spurger...the club needs to make as much money as it can from us fans if we're ever going to be in a position to challenge...don't forget the new stadium", but the merchandising and new stadium is not going to suddenly get us competing with teams that can pay £250k p/w to the world's best players.
Maybe...just maybe...I'd be willing to accept us perpetually being the 'best of the rest' and nothing more if our fans weren't being treated as if they're getting top quality, competitive football taking place at the highest level in Europe. Instead we get far-flung European games against pub team-quality sides I've never even heard of, a group of players that went on holiday 6 weeks before the season ended, the opportunity to see our best players leaving over and over again once they've cut their teeth at a 'stepping stone' club, oh and let's not forget....one trophy and one CL outing in 16 years under Levy.
just so you know and ignoring the childish sarcasm,
I have a 2:1 in business management so not quite comparable but you dont need a degree in economics to run successful businesses. This is what I do for a living,
I buy/invest in failing businesses which I turnaround and then sell for a profit and in terms of business assets/cash I passed the figure you quote many years ago.
Is @Bus-Conductor vs @Spurger King the SC version of Mayweather vs Pacquiao?
Bsodls and Wanckers. Can we all unite and just say. We wish that a mad Sheikh would have bought us instead of Sugar (let alone Levy).
What could have been?
Maybe nicked Fergie from Man Utd. Kept our merchandising guy.
We could have bought Brazilian Ronaldo, or Shearer. Maldini, Baggio...
We could have built a hundred thousand seat stadium. With marble columns and proper cisterns which you could do charlie off of.
Champions league, premiership, fa cup etc... they'd have all been ours.
Abramovich would have taken one look at us and decided to buy a german team.
Arsenal fans would have cried. Henry would have joined us on a free transfer.
But I guess it didn't. And it's not likely to.
So we have to get by. Good and bad.
Oh and @Sarsipius - I've always liked you as a poster (hard not to when your avatar is from one of the best films of all time), but the Chelsea remark was below the belt. I've stuck by this club through the whole of the 90s, and go to games at every opportunity I get. In truth, I'm becoming increasingly indifferent to modern football in general...not just Spurs...but I'll never give up on the club, and I'll never stop dreaming of seeing us rise to the top.
I feel skeptical that we will do it over the next couple of seasonsWe're getting by very well, all things considered.
Still won't stop me from wanting the club to be in a position to win more than one trophy every decade. The game has changed a lot over the last few years, and if you're not loaded, you're just making up the numbers. The rich clubs just get richer due to the CL structure, so at some point we need to get to the next level. Or we can just curl up and let our ambition die like a bunch of small fry also rans.
Come on pal, it was a gentle dig nothing more. I qualified it with quite a long response. Why is everyone's so tetchy tonight? Have you all synchronised periods or something?
Ultimately, it's senseless to become unhappy by something as capricious as the fortunes of a football team and if we are genuinely to attribute so much importance to it then probably we should make sure we're supporting only the most successful team. Hence the joke.
But therein lies the rub. Being a football fan isn't just about supporting the winning team. Even glory doesn't equate to just winning. It's about so much more than that. How about the camaraderie between people united by their geographical proximity. A bond between men and women on an near tribal level. Watching young men representing your area go out and play a football game to the best of their ability. Even the banter and songs of opposing fans. The thrill and buzz of a goal scored and jointly celebrated by some thirty thousand voices in chorus? What does it fucking matter if your team don't win the league? It's a game, that played in the right way and right spirit should always be a joy to watch. But the real test of the supporter is not crying about it when it doesn't go exactly how we want it. And that's fundamentally what differentiates adults from children. Maturity.
I actually feel sorry for this increasing trend of dissatisfied football fans, and especially so in our club when we have so much to be happy for (as consistently pointed out). I'm sure it's a result of an instant gratification culture that we've adopted coupled to the ever increasing price of football tickets/merchandise but also I think it's a lot of unhappy people projecting their life's grievances onto their football team. From a psychology point of view this is a rich discussion.
Feel free to be unhappy or disillusioned by all means, Spurger, but don't try to make out that others lack your 'ambition' if they're happy within themselves and aren't complaining about some supposed lack of desire from the board to achieve more. It's nonsensical.
You say it like it's a piece of piss, how much money would a potential buyer have to pump into to make it to the top 4?Why? We will be of great value to the right party when our stadium arrives.
London-based, established fan base, international reputation.
All a potential buyer needs to do is put money into the squad and voila we are ready to challenge top 4.
Theres alot of money out there but not alot of club with our profile.
You say it like it's a piece of piss, how much money would a potential buyer have to pump into to make it to the top 4?
You've seen the way he sells players, he isn't going to be selling the club on the cheap.
I also don't fully agree with BC's idea of ENIC's ambition. I think it's a more subtle issue, where ENIC (an investment company) inevitably tries to improve the club in certain ways, but only for the end purpose of selling the club for a profit (I'd be very surprised if people don't recognise that as their masterplan). Of course we benefit - we got a new training ground, regular European football, some great talents, and will be getting a new stadium. I'm not denying that. But we could invest more if the powers that be actually wanted to. We had opportunities to really push on with just a little more investment when Harry was in charge, but neither Levy nor Lewis were interested. Why? Because this club is an investment to them that doesn't command a 'speculate to accumulate' approach. It's not about daring to do (and the riches that might come), but about a bottom line. I don't have an issue with fans being realistic about what we can achieve under our current set-up (as BC implied), but are people really happy to say (after Harry) that this is as good as it gets, so get used to it? Nothing about the history of ENIC, Levy, and Lewis suggests to me that we'll go much further under them (even with the new stadium), but apparently it's wrong/childish/glory-hunting to hope for a better, more successful future for the club.
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On top of buying the club at whatever price, the squad will need 100m to become top 4 quality (in transfer fees and wages).
I assure you there wont be a shortage of buyers. It is not alot of money on a corporate context. RBS just pissed away 400m in 1 quarter for example.
How much have QPR spent in the last couple of years? They're likely to get relegated.
City have spent over £1bn and will probably finish 4th.
Liverpool in the last 3 years have probably spent £300m and will be lucky to finish 5th.
£100m not a lot of money? Give me £1m then please. You wont even notice it.
It's not about me though is it? 100m is alot for norml people. Potential club owners/rich businessman are not normal. Besides haven't the RBS example put this into corporate context?
Can we compete financially with Everton? What about Hull City? West Ham? Or is matching the transfer spending of these clubs simply beyond us until 2020 and beyond? And if that's the case, why would any highly rated player like Lloris, Kane, or Eriksen stay at the club in the long term, when they can earn more money at bigger clubs that will aim to improve their playing squads at all costs?
There is a price to be paid for austerity. People who think we can maintain our current position indefinitely, while the club have a strict buy to sell philosophy for the next 5 years, while clubs behind us spend 200+ million pounds NET improving their playing squads, are going to be in for a real shock soon. We have to engage in a modicum of net spending to maintain our place as the best of the rest going forward. In the past, with limited television income, we could probably get away with clever sales balanced by clever purchases with a strict ceiling of transfer fees not to exceed sales. But that time has come and gone in my opinion.
Now, some may say they are perfectly happy to go backwards a bit towards 8th-12th if it means a fully paid off stadium come 2020, but this would unquestionably cost ENIC equity in the value of the club, diminish the commercial appeal of the brand, create apathy amongst potential season ticket holders, and open the door for others to establish themselves as the best of the rest.
Furthermore, there are ZERO guarantees that ENIC will engage in heavy spending once the stadium is built.