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Who is to blame for our bloated squad?

pablo73

Well-Known Member
Dec 6, 2006
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I thought I'd move this debate over from Transfer rumours.

I don't think it's something that can be pinned on any one person but I am amazed how some people completely exonerate HR from any blame. The reason given is that he had to buy the players he did to get us out of the hole we were in. The players I am thinking of are the likes of Defoe, Keane, Palacios etc who we are now looking to sell at a substantial loss. While there is an element of truth to that, I personally don't believe he would have done any different had we been mid table or top 6. I think that is borne out by the face he bought Crouch when we were in a good position and he was all over Joe Cole when we'd qualified for the Champions League.

With a bit of imagination, we should have been looking at a far higher quality of player at those points. It's that imagination he lacks in my opinion, he sticks to what he knows - I think he still has the same mindset as he had at Portsmouth and am amazed that he is so effective at deflecting all criticism away from himself. Yes, he has done a decent job but his record on player purchases has been pretty poor to say the least and he shouldn't be immune to criticism for that.

He's hardly known for leaving clubs in a better position than he found them - there is surely a reason for that. Personally, I have lost a lot of confidence in him to identify the players we need to progress and I thought that was supposed to be one of his main strengths.
 

gregga

Well-Known Member
Aug 22, 2005
2,281
1,312
Personally I think the situation with our squad is slightly bizarre.

The transfer market appears to be overheating, in terms of the sums being bandied about for average players (£35m for Carroll anyone??), yet we have a host of decent PL standard players in whom noone seems interested.

Players like Bentley (if given the right support), Palacios, Bassong, Pavluchenko, Jenas and Hutton could do a very good job for most other PL sides so why aren't the bids flying in?

Perhaps this is symptomatic of the growing polarisation of wealth in the PL, with the richest sides splashing money around like it's going out of fashion whilst the rest scrabble around making free transfers because they're having to spend their entire income on paying players' wages, which have been inflated out of all proportion by greedy agents and profligate chairmen?
 

Krafty

Well-Known Member
May 26, 2004
4,768
2,099
Situations and circumstances, Ramos, Comoli, Redknapp, Levy. I can understand most signings but a couple stand out as bad acquisitions. Bentley was the wrong player for the wrong price at the wrong time, and I've yet to fully understand the signing of Pienaar, although he was very cheap and looks a better player than I imagined.

The injury situation with King and Woodgate meant we need more centre back options, depending on what you believe one of the Kyles was bought because we wanted the other one, Defoe/Keane/Crouch were bought in to do an imediate job, Palacios likewise. Paylvuchenko hasn't set the world a light, and other players have picked up injuries (so cover was needed) and/or haven't progressed as one would hope.

Plus VDV became available at a very late stage and you cant turn a signing like that down.

I think this summer we know we need to get rid of the deadwood, permanently. If we don't Levy (and to a lesser extent Harry) will get more of the blame. Arguably this is the first window where we are quite settled as a team, we know what we need, we aren't waiting and certain things to happen (Like getting through the CL play-off like last season) so we should be a lot more effective and decisive in the market.
 

ThorntonSpur

every away game is a home game
Jan 21, 2011
2,440
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i think bids are not flying in becasue it has been widely reported we need to sell before we can buy.

so why give us the money early and why not try to beat us down in price - eg defoe and crouch we want about 12 million - clubs will offer 8.

the same can be said for any other - only by selling abroad may we reap a reasonable quick sale - nico pav,and wilson for example may go abroad, but also arguably players many dont want to go

the reason fro the bloated squad is the chairman he agrees and signs the deals.
 

JUSTINSIGNAL

Well-Known Member
Jul 10, 2008
15,980
48,500
As I said in the other thread. It is worrying that Redknapp wanted Palacios, Bassong and Kranjcar and already he has deemed them deadwood. If I was Levy then I would think twice about sanctioning spending another 25m+ worth on players if Redknapp has aleady written off three players he wanted.

Before we brought in Crouch that was the summer where Redknapp really could have done some scouting and found a player with the potential to be a significant upgrade on what we already have. Instead he played it safe.

On one hand I understand due to Redknapps age he has a short term transfer policy which means he only brings in players to do a job for fim and reach our goals as quickly as possible. This means though when we do move up a level that we then need to keep upgrading players. In that case I do in part blame him for bloating the squad if he had identified players who had the ability to grow with the team and up there performance then we wouldn't have so much deadwood. Someone like BAE is good example of a player whos performances keep getting better.

Hopefully Redknapp will get it right this window and not just look at short term solutions.
 

dickyid

Well-Known Member
Dec 18, 2004
1,449
142
Perhaps this is symptomatic of the growing polarisation of wealth in the PL, with the richest sides splashing money around like it's going out of fashion whilst the rest scrabble around making free transfers because they're having to spend their entire income on paying players' wages, which have been inflated out of all proportion by greedy agents and profligate chairmen?

Repped! Great point.
 

alex3

tottenham till i die
Jun 17, 2011
1,836
1,439
like when we signed crouch it was to play him with defoe,and that was a proven partnership,and in there 1st season we got 4th and they got around 40 goals between them,and this season arry broke that partnership and we didn't score enough goals
 

Stavrogin

Well-Known Member
Apr 17, 2004
2,361
1,475
As I said in the other thread. It is worrying that Redknapp wanted Palacios, Bassong and Kranjcar and already he has deemed them deadwood. If I was Levy then I would think twice about sanctioning spending another 25m+ worth on players if Redknapp has aleady written off three players he wanted.

Before we brought in Crouch that was the summer where Redknapp really could have done some scouting and found a player with the potential to be a significant upgrade on what we already have. Instead he played it safe.

On one hand I understand due to Redknapps age he has a short term transfer policy which means he only brings in players to do a job for fim and reach our goals as quickly as possible. This means though when we do move up a level that we then need to keep upgrading players. In that case I do in part blame him for bloating the squad if he had identified players who had the ability to grow with the team and up there performance then we wouldn't have so much deadwood. Someone like BAE is good example of a player whos performances keep getting better.

Hopefully Redknapp will get it right this window and not just look at short term solutions.

Whilst he is a short termist (from age and background - remember when he became a manager football was much more short term, things went faster), I'm not sure he does 'short term' deals - Gallas aside.


What a lot of people miss is that Redknapp is ruthless... he may really like Palacios or Defoe but he'd carry them to the airport on his shoulders if he could upgrade.

Also, it's worth pointing out that those players you mention have essentially done well and seem to be commanding decent fees, it's not as if they been thoughtlessly scrapped - so's I don't see why it should be worrying.
 

cusop

Well-Known Member
Oct 25, 2010
1,092
188
We have too many players and some have to go..

Question for the wise sages here if Ekkoto is so good why did ceteh buy clichy?
 

Ron Burgundy

SC Supporter
Jun 19, 2008
7,705
23,267
I blame Jenas

I don't think that's fair on the guy

To be fair, were Jenas involved in transfers he would promise an awful lot, and nearly get there with some good signings (or in this case sales) but never quite make it

You're out of line IMO
 

Ron Burgundy

SC Supporter
Jun 19, 2008
7,705
23,267
Question for the wise sages here if Ekkoto is so good why did ceteh buy clichy?

That's not the question though is it

The answer, FWIW, is that Ekotto isn't for sale. Nor is he as 'big a name' as Clichy - all the better for us
 

brett.spurs

Banned
May 22, 2007
7,388
2
Both Harry and Levy.

Harry for the unnecessary buys like Pienaar, Pletikosa, Khumalo, Friedel etc. Levy for not being willing to take a loss on a depreciating player. Both of them for their "out of sight and out of mind" attitude which sees us loaning half of them out and being back to square one when the season ends.
 

pablo73

Well-Known Member
Dec 6, 2006
3,978
13,596
Both Harry and Levy.

Harry for the unnecessary buys like Pienaar, Pletikosa, Khumalo, Friedel etc. Levy for not being willing to take a loss on a depreciating player. Both of them for their "out of sight and out of mind" attitude which sees us loaning half of them out and being back to square one when the season ends.

That's pretty much my take on it
 

mpickard2087

Patient Zero
Jun 13, 2008
21,886
32,513
Both Harry and Levy.

Harry for the unnecessary buys like Pienaar, Pletikosa, Khumalo, Friedel etc. Levy for not being willing to take a loss on a depreciating player. Both of them for their "out of sight and out of mind" attitude which sees us loaning half of them out and being back to square one when the season ends.

TBH I pretty much agree with all of that.
 
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