Disappointed with our lack of transfer strategy

[Lilbaz]

This whole debate can be pretty much summed up in one sentence. Levy buys for profit, not for success.

Which is then reinvested into the club, by buying 2,3,5,7 players in the hope that they will also become good and help us challenge and be even better.

 

[LexingtonSpurs]

I too would love if we could be more aggressive in the transfer market, but it must be said, Levy's fiscally responsible approach to transfers, while frustrating, has put the club in a very good, stable, position. We are in position to compete for a top-4 spot every year now. As a fan, its hard to really expect more year in and year out.

I do expect that when the new stadium is in place, assuming ENIC remains in control of the club, we will be in Champions League more often than not. I do think we have a bright coach with a great future. I look at what Levy is doing with global marketing, and think that in a couple of years time, we will have significantly more resources to use in attracting and retaining top players.

We will never be RM or Barca, though I don't know how long those teams will remain outliers if La Liga goes to a more even distribution of broadcast revenue. We have seemingly held onto our key players this summer - Lloris and Vertonghen. We have players who want to come to Spurs, Di Maria aside. I know hope springs eternal, but I really feel like we are on the cusp of a golden age in Spurs history.

 

[StanSpur]

Apologies that this has been done to death..but that in itself highlights that there may actually be some substance in the points I have made. Like I say I'm not anti levy and don't moan about the club just for something to do.
Having sold Bale, Modric, Van der Vaart, Berbatov, Carrick. These at the time have been our standout players..hence why United and others have come in for them. I also believe that the fact we have sold sets a statement that we are fair game for our best assets. Your point about Lukaku is interesting..as he is an established PL striker with a year experience at the club..and cost less than the likes of Lamela who is massively talented yet a gamble. Couple that with paying over the odds for soldado, paulinho, and recruiting multiple players in the same mould. I'm nice and chilled out believe me and am not writing off our chances prior to kicking a ball but think that you are pretty blinkered in your view. I hope that we can achieve the right blend and will certainly be supporting Poch and levy 100%

Let me ask you this, if you bought your home for £300k and in 3 years someone came and offered you £600k would you not take it? You probably would. It makes sense to do so as you would be better off. How is that different to buying Bale for £12m and selling for £85m? Or Berbs for £10m and selling for £30m? Mods, Carrick etc etc.

We are not a top 4 club, we flirted with it for a few years but that was whilst clubs were in transition periods more than anything. We do not have the finances to match Liverpool, Arsenal, City, Utd or Chelsea and therefore an expectation to match them in terms of quality is flawed. Did we pay a little too much for some players yes, is that a Spurs issue? No.

All clubs in the past 5 years have paid over and above the value of players as the money in the game has increased. City, Chelsea and Liverpool have paid some serious money for players just as inexperienced as the likes of Soldado, Paulinho and Lamela (in Prem terms) and they too have not always worked out. I think looking at Liverpool before Suarez is a better comparison than the other top 5 as they, like us, have been trying to improve without having a competitive team to attract players. They spent as much on Suarez as we did on Lamela without any knowledge of how that would work out, they spent as much on Downing as we did on Paulinho, 50% more on Carroll as we did Soldado. It is the way football has become in recent years.

And what of our strategy? Do you actually know what our strategy is? Or are you speculating based on the outcomes you see. I know that in my company there are often compromises to the strategy because of unforeseen or external factors that require flexibility. This means what the club delivers is not always what it set out to do.

Also you seem to look at the club in its football performance and that is a naive view of the game. It is, and has been for a long time, a business. One of the outputs of the business is a game of football every week but that is only one part. We are an advertising agency and a clothing retailer amongst other things too. The job of the owners and senior management of our club is to maximise revenue, sure no doubting that the more success on the field we have the more commercial opportunities we create but bottom line is......the bottom line!

We can do two things, either grow the club slowly through steps of incremental improvements such as building a new stadium, better training facilities, improving a few players each season or, we could spend huge and bring in the galacticos that will take us to the top of the league in two seasons. I'm risk averse so will opt for the first option as each step taken ensures a platform for the next. The second option creates the potential for the floor to be taken from underneath us. You don't need reminders but Leeds and Portsmouth are clear examples of this strategy, pinning all hopes on either getting to a level of income through brand and competition prize funds to maintain at the lofted heights, or to sell on at a profit. The problem is they were up against 19 other teams in their league with equal ambitions and those with established platforms and heavy financiers just made their efforts pointless.

I do believe that one day we will be owned by a wealthy family and we will invest as per Chelsea and City and compete for the title, but until that sugar daddy comes along i cannot complain about how my club is being run. I see Spurs being in the top 6/7 for years and years to come and for me that is a great thing. Going into each year confident we can challenge for a cup and a place in Europe is so much more than any Torquay fan can hope for and we are privileged to be supporters of one of the best clubs, squads, teams in the UK. So lets not bitch and moan about a strategy none of us understand and just be grateful that we have a great club.

 

[ultimateloner]

We can't spend our way to glory it's against the Tottenham tradition.

 

[StanSpur]

Last summer we were all excited by the signings we made. Unfortunately they didn't work out.

This season some will shine, some will flop there's no guarantee.

Yes we are a selling club but so are 99% of the teams in the world.

I agree and truth is of the £105m (or whatever it was last summer) I imagine that collectively the players will be worth closer to £150m by the end of this season. This means it was an investment worth making. We could have bought two players at £50m each to replace Bale and if both had failed to live up to the expectation we will have lost that value from our books. I think the you look at Soldado and sure he will depreciate due to his age but Lamela could develop to a £50m player. Players like Chadli and Eriksen have already increased their value considerably. Eriksen wouldn't be sold for less than £30m now (a 200% increase in 1 year). So looking at the 7 purchases collectively we have made investments that will grow our club. And yes we will sell them as all clubs do. Read Steve Bruce today. Bought Shane Long in January for £7m, got offered £12m 8 months later, took it. He wanted to keep the player but that is a £5m profit in less tha a year, it was the right business decision.

 

[parklane1]

I always have to laugh when i see a thread start off with these words "Firstly and most importantly to start off I want to stress that I'm not a Levy hater" it usally means that the rest of the post is going to tell us just where he goes wrong.

 

[Dharmabum]

By that same remit Liverpool (Suarez), Utd (Ronaldo) and Arsenal (Fabregas etc...) are all selling clubs. Even Chelsea sold Luiz this summer for big money to Barcelona.

Not to sound picky but Luiz was sold to Paris SG

 

[LiamJM10]

Not going to read the thread, not going to read OP. Titles already pissed me off.

We're signing players we NEED. Players who are also affordable and logical. They're also young and will only get better. We're also signing players who can effectively open the door for others to leave, thus helping us out financially, as well as for exiting players careers.

Our strategy is on point. We are looking at our weakest areas and improving them.

Left back? Done, solid acquisition. Price? Swapped with Sig. We've got a LB in without spending a penny and without losing anyone important.

Backup GK? Done, saves us a job next summer. Vorm is solid as they come, more suited to the system than Brad.

CB depth? Halfway done, Dier in. Young, will only get better, English too. Seems happy to wait his chance and learn.

Cover for Walker? Done, Yedlin, will also rake in a fuck tonne through stateside merch (though he's much more than Khumalo II). Also like for like with Walker in terms of attributes. Dirt cheap and when Naughton leaves in January/next summer, we'll have actually made profit on our RB reshuffle in transfer fees alone.

Still need? First team CB, actively trying for Musacchio. Arguably need? Centre midfielder, see previous example and repeat. Ideally want? Left wing forward type, but it's the least neccessary. We've got 3/4 players who could slot in there for the time being, until a better option is available.

My opinion? We're signing solid players, who will only grow to be better. Last year we went a little loco, but Soldado aside all of our purchases were still smart (in the long run, Bobby only left out because he was never going to get better than his Valencia form).

 

[Everlasting Seconds]

I'm actually not that disappointed. Most often, I understand why a player is sold or signed (or not signed), and more often that not I agree at the time the decision was made. That doesn't mean that everything always works out, 'cause everything won't.

Any hire, in any industry, is a gamble. The smaller an organization, the more of a gamble on hire can be, and a the team of players in a football club is quite a small and vulnerable entity.

Take for instance Gallas, I quite understood that signing. Most signings last summer also were pretty easy to understand why they happened. Were they perfect, no maybe not. Did most of them happen for a reason, yes, I'd say so.

This summer, we have signed 3 defenders with the future ahead of them. Obviously a clearly thought of decision making process lead to those choices. There are also a few days left of the window, let's see what comes of that.

The overall aim to buy low and sell high is greatly esteemed in all other areas of trading. And after the Bale-saga, there is really no wonder why it's been encouraged at Tottenham. It works.

Yes, there have been decisions which should have been undone, or improved, or made. Naturally. But I don't think many of us could have handled it better, after all is said and done. Save perhaps that we would have replaced Berbatov several years earlier. If we had the skills to do it....

 

[SteveH]

This whole debate can be pretty much summed up in one sentence. Levy buys for profit, not for success.

Theres no profit without first success, Knob. or may I call you Cornelius?

 

[eddiebailey]

All the top players we have sold Berbs, Modders, Bale, Carrick, Keane all unfortuneately wanted to go, they made it quite clear publicly they wanted to go and some treated us like absulute shit. I dont for one minute believe that if these players had said "No I love it here I want to play for Tottenham Hotspur" would they have been sold. Unfortunatly each of these players went to clubs above us in the pecking order of things, nfortuneately these days contracts mean nothing and a disgruntled player is not something any manager wants. Why Levy gets the blame for this and not the players is beyond me.

A little unfair on Carrick, who I believe we could have kept (as also VDV).

 

[michaelden]

This whole debate can be pretty much summed up in one sentence. Levy buys for profit, not for success.

and in football, as in life the 2 often go hand in hand...

 

[Donki]

A little unfair on Carrick, who I believe we could have kept (as also VDV).

This is just my own view but I believe due to VdVs personal life and what later revieled that VdV preferred a move home, he always said he wanted a move at some point but yeah I believe we could of kept him but he wasn't really sold for profit. Carrick from what I rememeber always seen us as a stepping stone, but he didnt act as the others mentioned to be fair.

Carrick:
“I went to the World Cup with England and information was filtering through that clubs were in contact,” said Carrick. “Tottenham told me what was happening, but it seemed to drag on and on. I was desperate to come. It was a no brainer for me as soon as I found out United were interested. The first time I spoke to the manager was on the phone when the move was all sorted. I’ve never been so nervous about getting a phone call in my life. I’d heard the rumours about him and I was scared stiff. That phone call will stay with me for the rest of my life.”

Player power wasnt so much then but its clear from his own words he wantd to leave.

Also a insight into a Fergie team from Carrick:
“No disrespect to the teams I played for in the past, but we’d go away and a draw would be a good result. You don’t get that here. You’ve got to go and win. Believing you can win anywhere was a feeling I’d never had before. I remember my first start was in a 2-1 win at Watford and after the game the manager gave the team a right going over. I wasn’t used to that. I was buzzing after a win. I learned there’s a way of doing things at this club. I became accustomed to it. To come to a team like this is incredible. It is the stuff of my dreams. Not just playing with them, but training with them and seeing how they live their lives. That attitude all comes down from the manager and it certainly rubs off on every player who walks through these doors. It’s a daunting thing to do at first. Before I came I spoke to Rio Ferdinand about it, he was the same on his first day of training – and he was a proven international. Nothing prepares you for walking through these doors. You’ve got to justify being here and show you’re worth it – but you quickly fall into the routine.”

 

[eddiebailey]

This is just my own view but I believe due to VdVs personal life and what later revieled that VdV preferred a move home, he always said he wanted a move at some point but yeah I believe we could of kept him but he wasn't really sold for profit. Carrick from what I rememeber always seen us as a stepping stone, but he didnt act as the others mentioned to be fair.

Carrick:
“I went to the World Cup with England and information was filtering through that clubs were in contact,” said Carrick. “Tottenham told me what was happening, but it seemed to drag on and on. I was desperate to come. It was a no brainer for me as soon as I found out United were interested. The first time I spoke to the manager was on the phone when the move was all sorted. I’ve never been so nervous about getting a phone call in my life. I’d heard the rumours about him and I was scared stiff. That phone call will stay with me for the rest of my life.”

Player power wasnt so much then but its clear from his own words he wantd to leave.

What comes across from that quote is that there was no attempt by Spurs to persuade him to stay, which confirms the ITK at that time, that Comolli had told Levy to cash in because he had a cheaper upgrade in Zokora.

 

[brasil_spur]

Not to sound picky but Luiz was sold to Paris SG

Yeh my cock-up, thanks for point out.

 

[eViL]

STOP MOANING.

 

[cornelius knob]

Do you honestly believe that if Bale had of wanted to stay and play he would have been sold anyway?

In a word, Yes.

 

[RichieS]

I'm just going to leave this here - it's from last season but addresses perceived lack of "strategy".

http://spurscommunity.co.uk/index.php?threads/our-scattergun-transfer-approach.108004/

 

[Spurger King]

A little unfair on Carrick, who I believe we could have kept (as also VDV).

I think it was ValenciaYid (back in the 606 days was as good as ITK gets) who provided a bit of a back-story to that transfer. Apparently Carrick had heard the news about United's interest, and went to speak to Levy about it. Carrick told Levy he would be happy to stay, but in return for (an apparently reasonable) pay rise. As the story goes, Levy laughed him out of the office.

 

[Jamturk]

I think it was ValenciaYid (back in the 606 days was as good as ITK gets) who provided a bit of a back-story to that transfer. Apparently Carrick had heard the news about United's interest, and went to speak to Levy about it. Carrick told Levy he would be happy to stay, but in return for (an apparently reasonable) pay rise. As the story goes, Levy laughed him out of the office.

This should be posted in the "is Levy holding Spurs back" thread