Managing Director Football: Fabio Paratici

[TOMSPURS]

Wish this could be pinned down and appear automatically whenever anybody brings up "sporting director" or equivalent.

1. The solution to the present issues at Spurs is not one singular thing that can be simplistically presented. It's not the wrong formation, it's not the lack of a role.
2. I don't believe in more cooks in the kitchen as a general rule.
3. Levy and Pochettino don't want one. See post above.

I never said and certainly don't believe a Sporting Director would immediately solve our current issues. They could help to prevent issues which are widespread throughout the club happening again.

A proper management structure with clearly defined roles, responsibilities & accountability is normally a good frame work for success.

Poch has been given the power to prevent young players going out on loan. Previously the loan system was used to develop several of our 1st team players. Jake Livermore developed into an England international after several loans. Josh Onomah was blocked from going on loan & blocked from competitive football. Similar problem with KWP, mom performance 1st game of season against Toon, next start last game of season??

Failing to add & freshin the squad over recent transfer windows is now having a negative effect on the team. Frankie DeJong publicly said he came close to signing. Money was obviously available. Why didn't Poch like the alternative options? Who is in charge of coordinating our scouts? Who does Hitchin report to..Poch, Levy, McDermott??

A Sporting Director doing their job well is not another cook in the kitchen, it's the person directing the chef's!

Levy has previously been convinced it's the correct way forward for the club, he just needs to find the right person ?

 

[Bulletspur]

i think it's quite dangerous when one person has too much control over things. It's fine when it's all going well but if things take a turn for the worse (like our current situation), we're left in a situation where a Manager who can't get his team playing for him is entrusted with persuading new recruits to sign up. I think we could have a real struggle in the January window if Poch is still in charge.

Exactly this!

 

[Twizzle]

If Poch remains manager, he would obviously need to appoint him or at least be his preference.

Picking some one he didn't approve of would drive a wedge into the situation.

 

[DJS]

Bring back PLEATY!

 

[UncleBuck]

If that was the route they wanted to take then they need to go and get Bielsa from Leeds, probably the only person who Poch would listen to with the same philosophy.

 

[rabbikeane]

If Poch remains manager, he would obviously need to appoint him or at least be his preference.

Picking some one he didn't approve of would drive a wedge into the situation.

That's pretty much the same as asking Poch to hire his own boss, what kind of strenght would such a DoF work from?
Maybe it's time we actually start to think about what's the best for the club rather than Pochettino.
Our situation is already messed up, Pochettino must get his act together or get out the door.

Yep. Hiring a Sporting Director isn't going to loosen the purse strings, and we still wont sign a player until deadline day unless Levy signs off on it.

So much else he can do, Baldini was very effective getting players out. Not to mention it would be someone that could keep more of a focus on targeting players than Levy and the manager have the opportunity to.

 

[Spurs_Bear]

So much else he can do, Baldini was very effective getting players out. Not to mention it would be someone that could keep more of a focus on targeting players than Levy and the manager have the opportunity to.

What? How do you know?

So many people are blind to the whole point of a Sporting Director working under Levy. We still don't sign the players unless the numbers stack up, the Sporting/Technical/Football Director is nothing more than a Chief Scout to us.

 

[spursfan77]

The thing about a sporting director is that the manager/coach has to be subservient to him, at the very least equal but that only works if they are friends or completely in tune with each other. The sporting director brings in the players and tells the coach to work with them possibly having brought in the right man for the job in his opinion.
The only way it can work in reverse is if you have Man City money when you can go out and get any player the coach wants.
Personally I am of the opinion that a sporting director needs to be a fantastic salesman to sell the club to prospective recruits.

Not if you read Trix’s posts I put up he doesn’t. Baldini anyway. He had little to do with transfers while Poch was here.

You’re thinking of someone more along the lines of Commolli, who was basically a head of scouting like Hitchin now is.

 

[worcestersauce]

Not if you read Trix’s posts I put up he doesn’t. Baldini anyway. He had little to do with transfers while Poch was here.

You’re thinking of someone more along the lines of Commolli, who was basically a head of scouting like Hitchin now is.

Not really referring to how we've done it I was putting the actual idea of having a sporting director. The sporting director will be the constant while coaches come and go, another reason we don't call them manager now. Pretty sure Baldini left when Poch came in because Poch wouldn't work to him but it was Baldini that brought in the players with the Bale money not AVB.

 

[freeeki]

Far too much pro-Poch pseudo-religious claptrap in here.

What does Poch want? What will Poch think? What's best for Poch?

Poch is a club employee who was previously a high flyer but is now failing dismally in his role. He isn't the club itself. This idea that everything must be the right decision for the manager and not the club is nonsensical.

The club never sending our most promising youngsters out on loan at Poch's request, the club failing to sign anyone for successive transfer windows with Poch's blessing... many of the big calls we've made as a club for the sake of Poch are now coming back to bite us massively on the arse.

At this point things like the appointment of a sporting director should be down to what Levy wants, not what Poch wants.

For all the waxing lyrical over the stellar job Poch did here once upon a time, one thing is beyond doubt - that Levy's overall trajectory of progression at this club is far more impressive than Pochettino's. If Levy thinks it's for the best, at this point it should happen. Sod Pochettino, his track record of making big decisions isn't exactly great.

 

[spursfan77]

Not really referring to how we've done it I was putting the actual idea of having a sporting director. The sporting director will be the constant while coaches come and go, another reason we don't call them manager now. Pretty sure Baldini left when Poch came in because Poch wouldn't work to him but it was Baldini that brought in the players with the Bale money not AVB.

Have a flick through the links I posted on the previous page if you get a moment as its easier to read those rather than me type it all out. It's all in there what happened with Baldini and how much influence he had over where the Bale money was spent (Eg. Soldado and Paulinho were players AVB wanted and not him) versus what he actually did at the club in a wider role. There's a few interesting bits in there.

 

[mpickard2087]

The problem with this role is that people only focus on one aspect of it - transfers.

Personally I think every serious club should have one. Someone should be overseeing the work of various departments - academy and youth set up, medical staff, scouting structure and network, coaching development, adhering to plans and playing style, etc. - and ensuring best practice and that the club is constantly moving forward in these aspects. If the "manager" has to oversee these it's less time focusing on the first team (which in my opinion should be their sole 100% focus), and if it's owners/chairmen then the vast majority of these have only a basic knowledge of football they're picking up along the way.

 

[danielneeds]

The most crazy thing was that we didn’t have a sporting director whilst Levy was caught up with the stadium build. It’s now clearly evident that with so much focus and time spent on that project the development of the team suffered.

 

[Hakkz]

That's pretty much the same as asking Poch to hire his own boss, what kind of strenght would such a DoF work from?
Maybe it's time we actually start to think about what's the best for the club rather than Pochettino.
Our situation is already messed up, Pochettino must get his act together or get out the door.




So much else he can do, Baldini was very effective getting players out. Not to mention it would be someone that could keep more of a focus on targeting players than Levy and the manager have the opportunity to.

I want the DoF to be the one to recruit the manager as well as the players based on philosophies agreed upon by all. Having the manager appoint the DoF is pointless...

The whole point of a DoF is to make the manager's job easier in the way that he will be discussing recruitment with someone who focuses on the football side. Not a chairman who is in charge of the commercial side.

 

[Archibald&Crooks]

I thought Levy was the DOF ?

haha

You wait until he's finished doing his coaching badges

@Geez come on, I've left the door open for you.........

 

[NEVILLEB]

Enic/Levy have had nearly 20 years to create a transfer system that works. If they haven’t worked it out by now then they probably won’t in the future.

 

[dontcallme]

Enic/Levy have had nearly 20 years to create a transfer system that works. If they haven’t worked it out by now then they probably won’t in the future.

This is my concern.

I believe there is a place for intelligent strategy in the transfer market. Liverpool have spent big but many of their top performers didn't cost the earth.

I always felt Arnesen not working out hit Levy hard. He spent the whole of the season after he fired Hoddle investigating where our issues lay.

Arnesen hired coaches and took over the football side of things and did everything within budget. But the money at Chelsea was too big that he left.

After that Comolli, Redknapp, Baldini and Poch's transfer setup have been short term and sometimes not worked.

If Levy can't get the setup right now then his time is surely coming to an end.

 

[NEVILLEB]

This is my concern.

I believe there is a place for intelligent strategy in the transfer market. Liverpool have spent big but many of their top performers didn't cost the earth.

I always felt Arnesen not working out hit Levy hard. He spent the whole of the season after he fired Hoddle investigating where our issues lay.

Arnesen hired coaches and took over the football side of things and did everything within budget. But the money at Chelsea was too big that he left.

After that Comolli, Redknapp, Baldini and Poch's transfer setup have been short term and sometimes not worked.

If Levy can't get the setup right now then his time is surely coming to an end.

I think Levy has focused on the training ground and stadium and let the football side of the club diminish recently.

He’s a control freak and that won’t change so unfortunately we are stuck in this loop.

 

[DFF]

It’s Pochettino who doesn’t want a DoF. Our history pre-Poch suggests that Levy is fully on board with having one. There've been multiple stories in recent years that Levy has conceded this requirement to Poch in order to keep him happy and keep him here.

Mauricio Pochettino halts Tottenham search for head of recruitment

Mauricio Pochettino has vetoed Tottenham Hotspurs’ proposal to appoint a new sporting director with the manager eager to retain a significant influence over transfers. The club are understood to have assembled a shortlist of potential candidates to replace the former head of recruitment, Paul Mitche

www.thetimes.co.uk

Daniel Levy will tell Mauricio Pochettino he would not get same level of control away from Tottenham

Daniel Levy will step up his bid to bring outside investment into Tottenham Hotspur and will tell Mauricio Pochettino he will not get the same level of control at any other club as he fights to keep the Argentine.

www.telegraph.co.uk

 

[Fittster]

Which English clubs have managed to implement the DoF role successfully?

I love the concept but you have issues of a power struggle with the manager (whoever that is), there is a culture of having managers, not head coaches. Adding a DoF reduces the influence of the 'Manager', will top names put up with that?