Daniel Levy’s transfer business: Is it that bad?

Seriously, is it that bad?

Just as it was last summer, there have been some fans spewing negativity about how the club has not been busy enough with transfer moves to match what our title rivals are doing in the market.

We must not forget that our squad, even as it is, is a formidable one and that is why we are back in the Champions League for another season. In fact, had it not been for a relatively fluky final 20 minutes of that second leg against Juventus where we lost the game (instead of Juve winning it), who knows how far we could have gone in the UCL, having thrashed Real Madrid, the same team who went on to win the competition?

Yes, signings are needed to patch up a few holes, but we have to be understanding and patient.

Throwing money is an effective strategy, so long as you have it and so long as another club doesn’t have more. Tottenham as a club cannot afford to spend £70m on a centre-back or £66m on a goalkeeper. It would be nice for fans, but we don’t have the annual revenue of Liverpool, or the clubs currently shelling out those astronomical sums.

I’m not sure what expectations people place on our recruitment team, but blaming a player’s failure to join Tottenham on Levy or Pochettino is absurd. If a player doesn’t want to move to England, or gets a better offer somewhere else, or would like to move to a club that he feels is more appropriate for his circumstances, then that’s just how the chips fall.

This isn’t FIFA career mode where a formulaic result is certain should one or two factors be met. Transfer deals are an incredibly complex, in-depth process that sometimes hinges on exigent circumstances of which many are beyond the club’s control.

18 comments

  1. Devils advocate i think! have you shelled out the extra hundreds of pounds for a new season ticket to not see one new quality player being bought and to see the same failings when we fall short again due to lack of investment? are you happy with that when everyone else is buying just to keep pace? i’m not.

    1. I actually agree with the article and you’re an ignorant idiot if you don’t see the bright side

      we’re NOT making the zillions you think we are as a club and it’s not like we have a shit squad to begin with

      1. Wake up you idiot! If you didn’t see how much we made last season, plus the little net spend and with there being a separate budget for player purchases then you are blind, we were down the bottom of spenders net spend last year! if we are going to keep up with the top 4 then we have to spend why can’t you see that? why is that so hard for you? do you want to win things or just get to a certain level and stay there and be mocked by everyone for not winning anything? Poch even came out and said be brave, in other words SPEND SOME MONEY SO WE CAN WIN THINGS!!!! you probably still don’t get it!

      2. Your a idiot if you can not see the wool Levy is pulling over your eyes, As I am typing Levy and co are trying to milk out a club who had financial problems, now that Villa is in a position to call the shots lets wait and see if the Grealish deal will get done now. You must of noticed that we only do business with clubs who need to balance the books or have financial problems. The little rant what Poch had said at the end of last season just looks like hot air now. You can not have a go at fans if the club is showing no ambition.

      3. I have not read any comment from anyone on the sites I have checked that say we make “millions” never mind “trillions”.,or we have a bad squad.If transfers are so complicated why do other clubs seem to manage them without so much fuss and usually in good time.,Our first 11 when fit is as good as the top teams in the league,However the depth is not there and has not for some time.For Levy inertia is progress.

    2. Fall short of what? Winning the Premier League or a top four position? Can’t be the latter as we have managed that for the last three seasons so all things being equal why don’t you stump up the £150 million or so from your personal fortune that it will cost to join Liverpool, Chelsea and United in challenging City for the title next season. No? Not got it? Didn’t think so! I’ve spent the extra hundreds of pounds on my season ticket next season and I can’t wait to get into the new stadium to support our team and see where our journey takes us this year. Don’t forget you always have a choice but clearly you do not use it very well and prefer to be one of life’s malcontents sniping away at the club. I suggest you get real.

      1. Why the personal attack Mike? i have my opinion you have yours! i point out falling short of winning the premiership when Leicester won it and last season in the FA Cup that’s for starters, getting past Juventus etc etc don’t tell me you have forgot all our nearly moments? you must have a short memory! i could go on and on! most teams have 4 strikers we have 1 in Kane and a not up to standard backup! with a bit of investment not Man City levels we can start to win things i really believe that, we are the only premiership club not to sign anyone yet because Levy wants to drive fees down negotiating for weeks and months to save a few million and it is hurting us! i want the best for us but Levy needs to back Poch, if your happy with us being the nearly underachieving team then i guess your happy! i want us to win things and not have these idiots constantly going on about our lack of winning anything, bare trophy room etc etc, i will continue to support my team like i have for 45 years i’m just a passionate supporter that believes we can start to win things with the right(no excessive) spending. BTW Levy has said there is a separate budget for player transfer from the cost of the new stadium. Coys.

        1. People who call their fellow fans “idiots” open themselves to “personal attacks”.

          This is a perfectly reasonable argument in this article; you may not agree with it now and none of us will if we let players go without replacing them with players of equal or potentially better quality. But the jury is still out. None of this is as simple as the people who just say “pay him the money”! Not are the circumstances so simple and this article tries to make a sensible case for consideration. If you can’t be understanding or even civil to fellow Spurs fans, don’t cry when they bite back.

  2. why can’t we spend that kinda money…if we went for quality rather than sign plays like MS NK and the rest of the long list of shit transfers we very much could sign players in the price bracket

    1. Why can’t you stop behaving like a brat and get behind the club??? How about that?

  3. As long as we don’t panic buy by leaving it too late e.g. Sissoko. Would have been nice to wrap up a box to box mid in time for the us tour. There’s no doubt that late signings have hurt spurs early form in the past costing more than they have saved in the long run.

    Also ENIC is a commercial entity and one of few owners who appear to make a profit from running Spurs and not just in capital increase, so the amount of money available is really up to them with regards to the purse strings, its not a matter of whether it’s profitable because as an entity it is.

  4. Understand the difference between – acquisition clubs and development clubs.
    Acquisition clubs (e.g. Liverpool, Chelsea and Man U.) have to replace half their starters every year in order to compete and some do really well. Development clubs like Spurs do not. They need to replace people who are going to move on early so that the team stays solid and intact. At least 1/3 of the squad are quality journeymen who are willing to be “at the ready” despite limited opportunities to play. This is a full 28 man team. Today’s issues for Spurs is not where to fill gaps this year (unless we lose Alderweireld and Dembele) and even then we have back up. Issue 2 is how badly we were hurt by having so many starters playing in the World Cup. International managers have far less interest in the long term health and fitness of the players. International players get “used up”. Providing there is not too much World Cup damage: Spurs will improve greatly this year by the return to form and full fitness of Lamela, Moura, Wanyama and Winks; plus growth & improvement from Foyth, Walker-Peters . et al. Acquisitions of developable players to start to back up our time limited (age &/or injury) stars is a strong priority but not nearly as desperate as an acquisition team.

  5. Levy isn’t a bad guy, and he does care. The problem in the past is he has put making a profit before the team and success. Berba and Carrick to mention but a few. You can’t go on selling to rivals without it either making you a feeder club or not ambitious. Walker again is another example.

    Where I have sympathy with every supporter is this game is about fine margins and small degrees… we are a couple of degrees off of success, but perennially manage to not do enough.
    Often we have given a 6-8 point head start to our rivals by negotiating so hard and so late.. that yes, we get a good financial result.. but at the expense of the team.
    The new stadium is a big expense but Levy and us know that. (Despite the bank loans in place) We all know that we will get a sponsorship deal to cover approx half of the stadium cost, in time. And extra match day revenue will make up the rest.
    Poch’s comments at the end of the season about being brave and not thinking we are so clever for signing a player cheaply – is a direct indication that things needed to be done differently.
    We all thought (me included) that the new stadium would herald a new era of prosperity and success (The stadium finances are covered above) So when you manage to convince players of the calibre of Kane to stay you must make it worth their (and our) while and invest in genuine quality players that are going to help us now. Not another Sissoko “because that’s not our prime target but the next one down in our price range”.. it’s been proven over and over not to work.
    We have been long suffering fans.. we have a genuinely great first 11 now and a chance to do something special, with a lovely new stadium too.. lets not fall short.. just to make a few more £’s – lets go above and beyond in the transfer stadium this once, bridge those couple of degrees… and see where it leads us.

  6. As long as Spurs are run by an investment company with low risk policy ,football achievement will always be secondary to financial stability.So,if you want to support a team that will lift the premier league title or other major trophy look elsewhere.Sadly some supporters are happy doing an Arsenal by finishing in the top four whilst others are fobbed of by the expression “work in progress” and “potential.”,The only way that THFC can achieve its true potential is Lewis selling up to an institution that focuses on football success which in itself will provide financial reward.

    1. Nice dream Bob. Now who fits that bill? Worked for a while at Wigan. Man C owners are using the club as a vehicle for other objectives than football and will not weep if it crashes and burns. Chelsea are run by someone who sacks their manager just because he gets bored. Liverpool might go someway towards that model; Fenway have been good owners at the Red Sox but have still not brought the sort of success that their fans crave. Man U are an ATM for their owners and a fashion statement more than a football club. Is Arsenal your model? Not sure that many Gooners would claim to be happy with their board!

      Levy makes mistakes and some day he is going to have to seize the moment or, as you say, we will slip into the “Top 4” is good enough mentality. But to quote the song “If you know your history” you will know that this club of ours nearly folded due to total incompetence. It took the often despised Alan Sugar to save us from collapse (and worse still the clutches of Bob Maxwell).

      We will need to invest if we are to progress, I think we all agree on that. But meantime this has been a sensible, thoughtful contribution to the debate. Let’s see what happens before deadline day!

  7. We will win nothing while Mr Levy Holds the purse strings. Not paying the price, is not the problem.
    Not signing players early enough is what gives us the problem. They need time to bed in, and acclimatize.
    They don’t get it.. We lose them for a month. Or two. While they find their feet, and learn what Poch
    wants. This means we are already behind others that are more organised.
    On another point. What was Tony Adams on, When he said. { ” England will win nothing with Spurs players”} Who else did we have. Who else gives English players a chance, as we do. Adams played for.
    Le North London French, Didn’t he ?

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