Comolli: Tottenham’s scouting network is a joke around the world

[SpurSince57]

He's still telling it as it is though, ain't he. We are a fuckin laughing stock, the 'special' relationship with Real?!! Fuck me!! We've taken it up the arse from them with no lube!!! And don't mention the wads we got for Bale, you know the saying, 'a fool and his money are soon parted' and Levy is now that fool!!

Is he? You'll be quoting Jamie Redknapp as gospel next!

 

[SpurSince57]

What makes me laugh is that the people who will complain in one thread that we aren't picking up bargains will complain in another that we're not making big-money signings to show our ambition. Look at some of the reactions to Stambouli: 'Who? Why aren't we spending £25m on Schneiderlin? Where is our ambition?'

Of course, I doubt more than a handful of people on SC had heard of Schneidelin 18 months ago.

 

[Rout-Ledge]

What makes me laugh is that the people who will complain in one thread that we aren't picking up bargains will complain in another that we're not making big-money signings to show our ambition. Look at some of the reactions to Stambouli: 'Who? Why aren't we spending £25m on Schneiderlin? Where is our ambition?'

Of course, I doubt more than a handful of people on SC had heard of Schneidelin 18 months ago.

I don't see too many people levelling the lack of bargains claim at Levy.

Is it that they're complaining about the lack of ambition, or that Levy would rather save a few quid than back a new manager with the players he actually wants?

Schneiderlin was expensive, probably too expensive. But bringing in any old player because he's going cheap isn't the answer.

 

[SpurSince57]

I don't see too many people levelling the lack of bargains claim at Levy.

Is it that they're complaining about the lack of ambition, or that Levy would rather save a few quid than back a new manager with the players he actually wants?

Schneiderlin was expensive, probably too expensive. But bringing in any old player because he's going cheap isn't the answer.

Villas-Boas' wants and their wages would have taxed City's resources, never mind ours. A lot of people seem to have difficulty getting their heads round the concept that the players a manager might want and the players his club can afford are often different things.

You're assuming that Fazio and Stambouli were just foisted on Pochettino, that he had no input whatsoever?

 

[Rout-Ledge]

Villas-Boas' wants and their wages would have taxed City's resources, never mind ours. A lot of people seem to have difficulty getting their heads round the concept that the players a manager might want and the players his club can afford are often different things.

You're assuming that Fazio and Stambouli were just foisted on Pochettino, that he had no input whatsoever?

I assume that before a manager is hired Levy and his man will have a sit down and chat about realistic targets. It seems that wasn't the case with AVB, either that or he was mislead.

I'm sure that they weren't first choice. Whether they were foisted on him is anyone's guess. Stambouli doesn't seem to be getting much of an opportunity, if he was Poch's choice.

 

[JamieSpursCommunityUser]

And how much have they spent? What's their wage bill?

We finance player signings from player sales. That way we don't add to our £55m debt. 65% of our turnover goes on wages. How much higher a percentage would you like us to spend? 128%, like QPR?

Have you ever run a business in your life?

Burnley have out net spent us in the past 5 years.

I'm afraid it's a fact, and one you are curiously quite sensitive to.

I don't want us to be Man City or Chelsea, I just want us to show greater ambition than Burnley.

As one of the 20 richest clubs in world football, I don't think that is a lot to ask.

I would then also ask us to not be out thought and out skilled in the transfer market by West Ham.

If we can't do that, I'd just like us to spend our money on players who actually start a Premier League game.

And not to be spending £100 of my money towards said - 65% of turnover - paying £150m of reserve players who don't give a f*ck.

 

[jonnyp]

Can't say I'm surprised after several seasons of poor buys.

 

[shelfmonkey]

Is he? You'll be quoting Jamie Redknapp as gospel next!

So you think our scouting network is producing the goods do you? Stevie Wonder can see that's bollox!!

 

[michaelden]

Can't say I'm surprised after several seasons of poor buys.

Lloris
Vertonghen
Dembele (pre-injury)
Ade (loan season)
Soldado (La liga 3rd best forward previous season)
Lamela (tore up Serie A previous season)
Capoue
De Yedlin (US up coming star)
Eriksen (star at a young age)
Chiriches (national captain and considered good ball playing CB, still improving)

We bought a lot of players that are good. And good by most standards. It's getting them to work together. I think we are a bit talent rich and its bred in a complacency that is hard to shift

 

[Rout-Ledge]

Lloris
Vertonghen
Dembele (pre-injury)
Ade (loan season)
Soldado (La liga 3rd best forward previous season)
Lamela (tore up Serie A previous season)
Capoue
De Yedlin (US up coming star)
Eriksen (star at a young age)
Chiriches (national captain and considered good ball playing CB, still improving)

We bought a lot of players that are good. And good by most standards. It's getting them to work together. I think we are a bit talent rich and its bred in a complacency that is hard to shift

Good on paper isn't good in reality.

The challenge is finding players who are right for the team and the league, and most importantly who the manager actually wants and will actually get a game.

Nobody expects every signing to be a success, and we've made (for our place in the EPL pecking order) some absolutely top notch signings over the last few years. Personally, I'm not fussed about our lack of perceived net spend; provided we've got the money coming in from sales, we can afford decent players.

My problem is that when we don't have a clear managerial strategy in respect of signings. When Levy and his stooges are in in charge of these transfers, we see an endless stream of 'deal' squad players coming in.

 

[Joeyboey]

Lloris
Vertonghen
Dembele (pre-injury)
Ade (loan season)
Soldado (La liga 3rd best forward previous season)
Lamela (tore up Serie A previous season)
Capoue
De Yedlin (US up coming star)
Eriksen (star at a young age)
Chiriches (national captain and considered good ball playing CB, still improving)

We bought a lot of players that are good. And good by most standards. It's getting them to work together. I think we are a bit talent rich and its bred in a complacency that is hard to shift

You don't need a scouting network to buy the Ajax Captain or the Romanian Captain for example.

But you do need proper scouting to to ensure that signings will be a success.

I'm struggling to find any players on your list that are better than the players they have replaced (VdV, Defoe, King, Modric, Bale, Parker etc etc). Therefor we're weaker. Therefor they surely cannot be considered a successful signing if we're a worse football team than before.

 

[SpurSince57]

Burnley have out net spent us in the past 5 years.

I'm afraid it's a fact, and one you are curiously quite sensitive to.

I don't want us to be Man City or Chelsea, I just want us to show greater ambition than Burnley.

As one of the 20 richest clubs in world football, I don't think that is a lot to ask.

I would then also ask us to not be out thought and out skilled in the transfer market by West Ham.

If we can't do that, I'd just like us to spend our money on players who actually start a Premier League game.

And not to be spending £100 of my money towards said - 65% of turnover - paying £150m of reserve players who don't give a f*ck.

How much have Burnley spent in total on transfers and wages?

The list is based on turnover, not profit. Our most recent figures show a profit of £4m before tax in 2013. The previous year we nade a £7m loss. Our debt stood at £55m. How much more debt would you like us to run up? What level of interest do you think we will be paying?

 

[SpurSince57]

So you think our scouting network is producing the goods do you? Stevie Wonder can see that's bollox!!

No, I don't. Conflicting reports suggest to me that it needs a major overhaul. However, I object to a poisonous **** whose political games are at the root of many of our problems since 2006 coming on Talkshite to try and get some payback.

 

[nedley]

Good on paper isn't good in reality.

The challenge is finding players who are right for the team and the league, and most importantly who the manager actually wants and will actually get a game.

Nobody expects every signing to be a success, and we've made (for our place in the EPL pecking order) some absolutely top notch signings over the last few years. Personally, I'm not fussed about our lack of perceived net spend; provided we've got the money coming in from sales, we can afford decent players.

My problem is that when we don't have a clear managerial strategy in respect of signings. When Levy and his stooges are in in charge of these transfers, we see an endless stream of 'deal' squad players coming in.

And with the right mentality.

None of our seven buys have anything about them really.

 

[Rout-Ledge]

And with the right mentality.

None of our seven buys have anything about them really.

I think that can be excused if the player is young with unlimited potential (Lamela and Eriksen), but generally I agree. Chadli might be the only exception. I don't think Soldado is necessarily of the wrong mentality either, it's just not worked out for him unfortunately.

 

[Stoof]

Sold Carrick. Bought Zokora.

I think one of the first posts was correct: FUCK OFF DAMIEN.

 

[JohannTHFC]

Lloris
Vertonghen
Dembele (pre-injury)
Ade (loan season)
Soldado (La liga 3rd best forward previous season)
Lamela (tore up Serie A previous season)
Capoue
De Yedlin (US up coming star)
Eriksen (star at a young age)
Chiriches (national captain and considered good ball playing CB, still improving)

If anything this just highlights how dire our scouting has been. No strategy, just buying players because it seems like a good squad on paper.

 

[Stavrogin]

Sold Carrick. Bought Zokora.

I think one of the first posts was correct: FUCK OFF DAMIEN.

You know, the more I think about Commoli, the more angry I get.

Think how much time and money he has at his disposal to analyze football and scout players. Then think about how little he has really achieved. I'm positive that more than 50% of this forum would be able to match or exceed his results if they were in his position.

 

[michaelden]

You don't need a scouting network to buy the Ajax Captain or the Romanian Captain for example.

But you do need proper scouting to to ensure that signings will be a success.

I'm struggling to find any players on your list that are better than the players they have replaced (VdV, Defoe, King, Modric, Bale, Parker etc etc). Therefor we're weaker. Therefor they surely cannot be considered a successful signing if we're a worse football team than before.

King, VdV, Bale and Modric... each rare talents. You CAN'T replace them. You have to try rebuild. Which is what we did. We tried to rebuild a stronger team by having a stronger squad.

Defoe & Parker are worse than what we have. But if you think different , then fine, we'll disagree on that.

And I'm pretty sure that scouting teams would only have an initial input on the mentality of a player. It would be the Coach/ Manager that would have the final say, "I can't train/ work with this guy. He is not what I'm looking for".

 

[sim0n]

It's a weird result with Spurs scouting and players bought over the last few years. Most of them ARE good players, but many of them either don't fit the team and/or their are too many similar players in that position already. Some quick examples:

Soldado -good player, overpriced, and his style does not fit Spurs/prem
Sigurdson - good player, WAY too many attacking centre mids in squad (when team needed wingers)
Eriksen - good player, outstanding talent, too many players in squad suited for same position (see winger issue)
Paulinho - good player, showed a great engine, WAY too many midfielders choking selection

Okay, a couple full on busts:

Capoue - average player and Spurs had no need for a player in that position
Chiriches - marauding player from a lower league who is not suited to the prem

Some hits:

Lloris - top player, top signing
Vertonghen - top player, top signing
Dier - looks just about ready to step into a starting CB position (only 4 mil, great move)

Please do not loose sight of the issue by disagreeing with the examples I used as you can insert the players you think are good. It is the acquisition imbalance that is at the centre of this post.

So is the problem the "scouting network?" Or, is the problem a lack of focus at the decision-making level for acquiring players? Seems like loads of centre mid and attacking mid players bought in the last few years, but how many can you field successfully at one time? Most were good/successful players before they played for Spurs, so they didn't just forget how to play after arrival. But being 4+ players deep for these positions, and that's 4 players expecting to be starters, creates it's own own crisis.

Here's a point Sherwood made when he admitted the squad was overloaded. I think he put Bentaleb out there knowing he was as good, if not better, than Capoue. He threw Bentaleb in the face of Spurs' organization to make the point that they do not have to go out and buy every player. The academy produces enough players to balance the squad and they expect to develop, not expect to start. Capoue was a pointless buy at the time and has proved totally unnecessary.

So, there is no balance in the squad created by the similar position/role of the players bought by the club. I am not sure that is the fault of the scouts who recommend players though... Who keeps buying players that a.) Spurs already have a glut of starting level professionals and/or b.) Spurs already have suitable academy players available?

Only Spurs themselves know for sure....

P.S. Comoli is a **** either way