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Category: Management

  • Transfer Signings PT2

    Transfer Signings PT2

    PART 2….

    Radu Drăgușin

    Arriving from Italy with such high praise in the Serie A league as one of the most promising defenders, I was quite excited with the thought of another ‘Romero’ capture. To say he has struggled to adapt to the English league is a bit of an understatement. At times he has been very poor, getting caught out of position and with no real exceptional pace he struggles to recover forcing him to take his player down. We have seen red cards, poor distribution out the back and a real lack of confidence is evident in his game. I was hoping this extended run of game time would help boost his confidence and we would begin to see the reason we invested in him but his performances have been inconsistent at best.

    Considering he was brought in to replace the likes of Dier, Rodon and Sanchez, I really don’t see how this has been any sort of upgrade, with the pace of Sanchez arguably being more suited to Anges high line pressing than what we are seeing from Dragusin. He is still only 22 and maybe we are yet to see the best of him but he needs to improve vastly if he is to be successful in the English game.

    Transfer Rating: 6/10

    Good enough to get us in the Top 4: NO

    …………..

    Pedro Porro

    If you are a stat man then it is hard not to be impressed with this man’s figures. Porro’s seven assists last season was the most for a Tottenham defender in a full season since the Premier League began. He is not doing too bad this season either, with 2 goals and 7 assists already to his name, he is potentially on course to break his own record. At times he has shown great passing ability and vision to release a striker early.

    As a right back, or right wing back, or in our case an inverted full back, we have to address his overall positional play and defending contributions too. Physically he copes quite well in the Premier league and again is another player that works hard for the team. But how many times have we seen him get caught out of position leaving us wide open at the back. We have seen several teams target his side for that reason, leaving Romero or whoever overloaded with 2 players to cover. Of course this is inevitable with the current system and it is difficult to over criticise a player that is following team orders.

    Transfer Rating: 8/10

    Good enough to get us in the Top 4: YES

    …………..

    Destiny Udogie

    Arriving as another hot prospect from Italy and making quite a name for himself in just a short time in Serie A, I can see why Paratici recommended him. He looks a perfect fit for the Premier league and it didn’t take him long at all to settle in. In his debut season he managed 2 goals and 3 assists, which isn’t bad for what was then a 21 year old. But injuries have slowed his progress down since the second half of last season and it hasn’t gone much better for him this season. Currently out injured with another hamstring problem we can only hope he makes a good recovery and re-discovers that early form he showed. This season he has just 1 assist to his name and so things haven’t gone quite so well for him so far in his second year at Spurs.

    Like Pedro Porro we have to look at how Udogie handles his defensive responsibilities and there’s no question he can handle the physical aspect of the Premier league. But like Pedro this kami-kazee style of football means Udogie is quite often caught out of position. Whilst his pace and strength allows him to recover quickly, these constant demands will inevitably not only cost Spurs but also the players’ fitness levels. He is still young but he needs to learn when to go forward and when to hold position. At such a young age he has great potential if he is guided in the right way!

    Transfer Rating: 8/10

    Good enough to get us in the Top 4: YES

    …………..

    Yves Bissouma

    There was a lot of hype when we signed Bissouma and it was regarded that this signing was seen as a real steal! So much in fact that even Paul Merson himself said this could be the signing of the season, now that’s saying something coming from him lol. With our other holding midfielders failing to impress (Winks, Skipp and Højbjerg) I was very excited to see what difference this man could make to our midfield. 

    So I have to say Bissouma has been incredibly disappointing. If we even ignore the fact that he has only managed 2 goals in 3 seasons and not a single assist, because at the end of the day he is a defensive midfielder. His defensive contribution has been inconsistent at best, being caught out of position and making it way too easy for opposition to hit us on the break because there is simply no midfield there to protect the back line.

    As one of the more senior players out there I would expect him to not only organise himself better but to be commanding those around him and taking control. I just haven’t seen this in his game and it seems these types of players are becoming all the more difficult to find these days.

    When he does win the ball Bissouma doesn’t seem to know what he wants to do with it, like it is always an afterthought where he is going to pass the ball next. On multiple occasions I have seen him wrestle the ball away from the opposition, before running around in a circle as he decides to attempt a sideways or backwards pass. Whilst he is physically strong and is more than capable of winning those duels, his overall game is not what I expected it to be and his passing is average at best.

    Transfer Rating: 6/10

    Good enough to get us in the Top 4: NO

    …………..

    Pape Matar Sarr

    Another recommendation from Paratici I believe and at just the age of 22 he has already shown plenty of potential. Boasting 8 goals and 6 assists to his name since joining Spurs, that is not too bad. He is a player that likes to go forward you can clearly see and every time he attacks the opposition line you think something exciting may happen. Sometimes when I watch him I think we have a real star on our hands here and nothing can stop him.

    But then there’s these other games, the games where more defensive duties are required. In this central midfield role alongside Bissouma or whoever, there are going to be times when defending and helping out the defence is going to be required. Unfortunately Sarr has absolutely no interest in this part of the game and in the current system that is a problem. Sarr reminds me of one of those lazy school kids who just wants to stand on the half way line and wait for the ball to come back up to the more exciting end of the pitch so he can join in again. There may be games where we can afford him but for many games he can become a liability and that’s a shame for all the man’s ability.

    Transfer Rating: 7/10

    Good enough to get us in the Top 4: NO

    …………..

    Summary…

    Well that’s most of them covered. I know I have left some out, some of which just haven’t played many games yet and it is too early to judge. Hopefully the likes of Wilson Odobert will provide cover for a much needed Son and it’s good to see Djed Spence finally being given some game time. So far I have been quite impressed with him. I didn’t mention Werner because he is on a loan deal and let’s hope it remains that way lol. 

    More recently we have signed Kinsky, Danso and Tel on loan and although it is too early to say, I am not getting carried away with these signings as they appear as ‘quick fix’ options to just get us to the end of the season. Time will tell on those.

    Looking at the list above there are several good signings and the odd dud, which is always expected I guess. But overall the rebuild is showing potential if we look at these players individually, so that only leaves me to question as to what’s going wrong? I think we all know the answer to that one!

  • Transfer Signings

    Transfer Signings

    How are we doing on the rebuild?

    We’ve had a major squad overhaul these last two seasons and we all know it was long overdue. There have been far too many players in the squad that should have been moved on a long time ago. We can debate why it has taken so long and point the finger at certain people within the club for not cutting their losses sooner. But let’s focus more on the rebuild and ask ourselves where we are after 2 years of rebuilding under Ange Postecoglou.

    PART 1….

    Dominic Solanke

    I have to say it, he is a hard worker but with only a single successful season to his name it was always going to be a huge risk. A risk I couldn’t quite understand to be honest considering we had already twisted and bust on the Richarlison signing. Why would we want to make the same mistake twice ? But this is not the first time we have seen those in charge repeat their mistakes in consecutive moves and yes I am talking about the appointment of Conte so soon after Mourihno.

    I lecture my kids on learning from our mistakes but here we have one of the biggest football clubs on the planet with unimaginable resources at their disposal, making the same mistakes time after time.

    Solanke will run his socks off for you but he’s never going to be a Harry Kane, he’s never going to be a prolific goalscorer, and that was exactly what we needed. I think like a lot of people out there, the logical step was to sign up Toney. Now I know what a lot of people will say to that, Solanke fits the Ange system better (running around aimlessly like a headless chicken), but was that really the reason why we signed Solanke and not a proven International goalscorer like Toney? Or was this Mr Levy going for the cheaper and younger option once again to make sure he gets his return on the transfer? I know what I think!

    Transfer Rating: 7/10

    Good enough to get us in the Top 4: 50/50

    …………..

    Cristian Romero

    A great tackler with a typical aggressive Argentine temper that will always make him popular with the fan base. Going forward he looks part of an exciting Spurs team and he knows how to find the net too which is always a bonus for a defender. But we have to judge a defender most of all on how he defends, how he handles pressure in the box and how many goals come from his side. This is where I find Romero frustrating, he seems to switch off far too many times in the box which result in goals I feel were avoidable with better positional awareness. If he can improve this part of his game we have a real world class defender.

    Transfer Rating: 8/10

    Good enough to get us in the Top 4: YES

    …………..

    Lucas Bergvall

    I first watched Bergvall in a pre-season friendly for Spurs and I know we shouldn’t get carried away with friendlies but I really felt we have the next star on our hands here. He’s the type of player I would expect to see in a Real Mdrid shirt in a few years time, so we better enjoy him whilst we can! Like most players this season he’s had his highs and lows but let’s remember he is only 18! The confidence he shows for an 18 year old is incredible and it won’t be long before Maddison will be looking for the exit door as this man is the future. His physical attributes give him the potential to be very successful in the Premier league but it’s his quick vision and passing ability that sets him aside from the rest. With more game time I expect him to become a key figure in future Spurs teams.

    Transfer Rating: 9/10

    Good enough to get us in the Top 4: YES

    …………..

    Archie Gray

    Another young signing who has really been thrown in at the deep end this season! I don’t think anyone would disagree he has been outstanding and yes we know he is not playing in his favoured position, which makes it even more impressive. The confidence he shows on the ball under pressure makes him a perfect fit for this kami-kazee football because let’s face it, if you are defender in this Spurs team, you are going to find yourself in deep sh%t more than once or twice in a game, so you better know how to handle it! I hope this experience only helps develop him further as a player and I can’t wait to see how he performs when he’s played in his preferred position.

    Transfer Rating: 9/10

    Good enough to get us in the Top 4: YES

    …………..

    Micky van de Ven

    I don’t think there’s any doubt he is a player we miss when he is on the sidelines. His pace and recovering ability make him invaluable with this high line defending set up. He is a player that is very difficult to replace in this current Spurs squad but yes, Gray has made a great effort in his absence. I hope Micky can get over these injuries and does not become another one that is plagued with injuries leaving us to only question what could have been! Not only can he defend well and cover those around him, but for a defender he is one cool finisher too. In fact some of his finishing has been superior to most of our forwards these last two seasons. Mickys dribble and assist against Utd was as good as any you will see from a defender.

    Transfer Rating: 9/10

    Good enough to get us in the Top 4: YES

    …………..

    Brennan Johnson

    I have to say when we signed Johnson I asked who, and why? Once again he fits the bill in the age department meaning Mr Levy will get his return on his £47.5 million over the 6 year contract, but is he any good? Well after just over a year now I am still asking why? In all fairness he has scored 15 goals so far this season and is our current top scorer, so it may sound a little harsh. Credit where credit’s due, he has shown the ability to come into the box late and ‘toe poke’ a few goals and there’s nothing wrong with that. Many great strikers have made their names in just being in the right place at the right time. 

    I think my frustration with Johnson lies with his overall contribution in a game. Sure we have another hard worker who can maybe run all day but he’s not a great passer of the ball and his control lets him down. My biggest criticism of Johnson though is his lack of dribbling skills. For me I want to see my wingers beat their man and put in a good cross or pass and he simply does not seem able to produce that. 

    An interview I saw with Johnson from last season has stuck in my head when he was asked about how he was settling into the team and adapting to Anges way of football. In this interview he says he was instructed by Ange himself to always put in a cross or pass into the box as early as possible and NOT to look up first. This astounded me as it goes against everything I remember being taught as a boy, control the ball, look up and make the pass. But not with Ange ball, our wingers are instructed to ‘hit and hope’, so it is difficult to criticise Johnson for this as he is only following team orders.

    Transfer Rating: 7/10

    Good enough to get us in the Top 4: NO

    …………..

    James Maddison

    When Mads joined us I was very pleased and pretty confident he was a key position we had been missing for some time, since the departure of Eriksen in fact. It was clear we needed a new creative midfielder who could split a defence with a clever pass and create a few assists for our goal starved forwards. It didn’t take him long to show just that and the timing of his injury last season couldn’t have come at a worse time. Before his injury he showed the ability to dribble forward and commit his player before making that through pass or even going for a one-two pass into the box causing mayhem for the opposition. 

    But on his return from injury all that seems to have deteriorated within his game. I don’t know if it is because of his injury he is being over cautious now, or whether the Ange system is taking its toll on his game. Again, it may sound a little harsh considering he has still notched up 10 goals and 7 assists over 33 games this season. But from a player of Mads ability I think he is capable of more assists and I think Spurs need to work out how to utilise him better to get his full potential.

    Transfer Rating: 8/10

    Good enough to get us in the Top 4: YES

    …………..

    Dejan Kulusevski

    What can we say about the ‘ginger swede’, strong, physical, exciting and committed in everything he does. I was very frustrated with him last season and began to even question if the right decision was made in making his signing permanent. But this season he has been outstanding and a potential player of the season at Spurs. He has managed 13 goals and 10 assists in all competitions so far this season, compared to 8 goals and 3 assists in the full season before. There’s no coincidence that his rise in form coincides with the change to his favoured position down the middle, giving him that extra freedom to keep the opposition guessing. 

    Sure he could do with cutting out those silly challenges or rather ‘shoves’ he likes to impose in a tackle but he is just that type of player, committed in every play. If I was to find a criticism at all in Kulu, it would have to be his long range shooting. For the amount of times he has cut in and made a shot attempt, I have lost count how many times we have seen them sail into row z! If he can learn how to control these shots and improve his accuracy we have another top class player.

    Transfer Rating: 8/10

    Good enough to get us in the Top 4: YES

  • Levy out? ENIC Out?

    Levy out? ENIC Out?

    With growing unrest amongst Tottenham fans and recent protests organised by such groups as Change for Tottenham, what changes do we want at Spurs and are these changes realistic? I think one thing we can all agree on is a change to our 17 year trophy drought because the Audi Cup just doesn’t cut it I’m afraid.

    The debate among Spurs fans on who they want to run this club has been ongoing for some time. On more than one occasion it has been argued that Levy must get it right this time or he could be the next one out of the door. 

    We have all seen the banners on match day and heard the calls from the stands “Levy Out!”. However, 24 years later I would say both Levy and Enic are standing pretty strong. But that hasn’t stopped the debate from remerging each time Spurs have on field troubles and questions are raised again like a long running soap opera that just refuses to call it a day. 

    When Enic took over Spurs in 2001 it appeared to be a fantastic move following Alan Sugar’s era, in which Mr Sugar had formed a solid base after saving Spurs from liquidation. Daniel Levy was already managing director of Enic and he soon became our new chairman at Spurs. A new owner, a new era, the only way was up, right?

    Despite transforming this club into a global brand that can compete with any football club in the world in terms of revenues, there is still so much discontent within the fan base. The reason for this is quite simple, a lack of trophies is plain for anyone to see and for all their efforts and achievements off the pitch, the majority of fans will judge a club’s success according to that trophy cabinet. 

    Now of course there is always a divide, with some Spurs fans quite content to play the ‘long game’ with Enic. For some fans just the match day experience alone at Tottenham Hotspur’s new stadium is enough to put a smile on their face as they marvel at all the facilities and if you are really lucky, enjoy some fine cheeses in the virtual cheese room!

    Perhaps that’s what the modern football experience is now all about and those of us that are still obsessed with winning trophies are simply from a different era, a dying breed maybe? For a lot of fans, the modern match day experience is about more than just watching a football game, it’s a full day activity that can be enjoyed in a safe environment with all the trimmings. And for others it is simply another tourist attraction they can tick off the list while sightseeing in London.

    It’s not just on matchday that Enic can entertain you, they offer stadium tours, the Dare Skywalk, Legend tours and now the F1 Drive for racing fans. The stadium has held concerts including top artists such as Lady Gaga, Beyoncé and Red Hot Chili Peppers to name a few. There are frequent NFL games being held at the stadium, not to mention Box office fights with the likes of Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua involved.

    It’s all pretty impressive and is why in 2024, Tottenham Hotspur Football Club was estimated to be worth a staggering £2.6 billion. That’s not a bad return on an initial investment of £22 million paid to Alan Sugar back in 2000. 

    So why do so many fans want Levy and Enic out? 

    Well I guess there is the old saying “money doesn’t buy you happiness”, at least not for many of the Spurs fans.

    Daniel Levy has faced much criticism down the line, largely down to transfer policies and manager appointments which are two of the biggest things in football, especially from a fans point of view. Criticism for hiring the manager, criticism for not backing the manager, criticism for not sacking the manager sooner, it’s tough being the boss! But should a chairman of such a big club be even making these huge footballing decisions? Is Levy even qualified to make such calls? Some would argue not and maybe that’s where much of the problem lies.

    As a lifelong Spurs fan I’ve been following Spurs matches for some time and one thing I have noticed is Daniel Levy is a frequent participant of Tottenham’s games both home and away. You don’t follow this amount of games if you don’t have the passion for it, he is more than passionate, he is dedicated to Spurs, for those close to him may even say he is obsessed. As a lifelong fan himself he bleeds Tottenham and I imagine this trophy drought is hurting him just as much, surely?

    Despite this lack of trophies Levy has shown much restraint from panic buying and has not swayed from his beliefs that this club must be run in a sustainable way for the future of this club. Whilst other owners of football clubs like Jack Walker at Blackburn Rovers and Roman Abramovich of Chelsea were like kids in a sweet shop buying everything they could get their hands on, Levy has been cool and calm like Charlie Bucket, just biding his time!

    Last year Scott Munn was brought in at Tottenham as Chief Football Officer, which technically makes him number two in the club hierarchy behind chairman Daniel Levy. Is this evidence of Levy and Enic trying to make changes, some improvements to the set up at Tottenham to prevent a repeat of mistakes we have seen before. Or will Scott Munn merely be used as a sacrificial lamb when the going gets too hot for Mr Levy? I don’t know if this Scott Munn is even qualified himself to make football decisions that involve the appointment of a manager or player. What I do think is essential for change is for Mr Levy to stop interfering with on field football matters and just concentrate on the global brand of Tottenham Hotspur that he is clearly passionate about. 

    So do we really want Levy and Enic out? Or do we just need to see a bit of tweaking to get it right? 

    You know, Spurs, Brighton and Brentford are the only three Premier League clubs that are entirely English-owned now. Just three of us left, it would be a shame to see another club sold to foreign investors. Sometimes we have to appreciate what we have, “the grass is not always greener on the other side” they say and right now we have a 100% English owned club with a chairman that claims to love Tottenham Hotspur. What more could you ask for from an owner? Well, obviously a few trophies would be nice lol.

    Clubs like Spurs saw the future, they looked at other countries and other sports such as the American sports and they knew where football was heading. Whether we like it or not (and alot of us won’t), football has grown into something bigger and the club is no longer about just supporting its local fans, this commercial brand has gone global and they have been preparing for this for years. Of course there are always pros and cons, Tottenham has financial security that we could never have imagined 20 years ago, but as we become increasingly commercial, it does feel like we are losing part of our identity.

    As an old skool fan it is difficult to appreciate everything that modern football has brought us and perhaps I will never fully understand, but it would be good to see a clear distinction between Tottenham the football club and Tottenham the global brand because at the moment the two seem very muddled. 

    Do I want Levy and Enic out? Whilst I’m a believer it is “better the devil you know”, I accept that if we don’t see changes at the club, that Trophy cabinet will remain empty! A ‘break-up’ is never easy, but sometimes you have to accept it is for the best.

    I just hope we don’t end up with some numpty on the rebound 🙂

  • ENIC’s Transfer Stance

    ENIC’s Transfer Stance

    In the January transfer window Spurs signed 3 first team players and 3 academy players too. Keeping it brief, for Danso I’ve already read reports from the fan base, “he did ok” or “not too bad”. I think this is where we are at now with our expectations, as he has done little to impress me so far and why would he considering he was a third choice signing after the other defenders rejected us. For Tel, if you get past all the hype, he was just an out of favour youngster who nobody else was willing to take a gamble on. Maybe he will come good but I am not buying into the hype and will believe it when I see it. And then there’s Kinsky, well his erratic performances so far have certainly been entertaining, he fits in well doesn’t he!

    So as another transfer window closes let’s take a look at Enic’s transfer stance.

    It’s no secret Enic has not been interested in those big name signings we all dream of. With over 20 years of transfers the data is very clear on that. In fact Levy himself has always admitted Tottenham would not break their wage structure to bring in any superstars.

    So where has that left us? 
    I doubt any Spurs manager under Enic will say they were ever fully backed in the transfer market yet Spurs have always maintained their aspirations of European qualification each year. Some may argue Enic has enlisted new players to achieve just that and nothing more. In the 24 years since Enic’s reign began we have managed a top four finish 8 times and qualified for Europe a total of 16 times. 16 out of 23 doesn’t sound too bad but at the same time Spurs have never looked capable of achieving anything greater than that if we’re honest.

    Over the years we have become accustomed to signing mediocre players from unknown teams from a land far far away. I believe it was Danny Rose who pointed out that you needed to Google these players names who Enic were signing just to find out who they were. More recently Romero has also spoken out of his frustrations on Spurs transfer policy and we all remember Contes speech in regards to the clubs lack of ambition. In fact both Conte and Mourinho suffered the same fate after questioning the quality of players in the Tottenham squad.

    So what is the logic behind Enic’s transfer policy? 
    Well if we say a world class player would cost in excess of 100 million, Enic have opted instead to buy 4 or 5 average players for the same kind of value combined. You might ask why would they buy 4 or 5 average players if they can buy a superstar for the same price. Well, the key difference between these players is the superstars wage demands.

    Even with 4 or 5 of these average players on the books it still costs considerably less on the wage bill compared to that of a world class player. Whether you agree with Enic or not, that is their policy and not even the brand spanking new stadium with its incredible additional revenues seem to make any difference when it comes to Enic’s transfer stance. You would be a brave man to argue against Levy when it comes to finances and clearly he has built a sustainable model. 

    However, my only counter argument would be the commercial value that comes with a world class player, does that not counter the players additional wage demands? I really don’t know the answer to that but you only have to look at Sonny to see what a player can be worth to the club globally. When you sign a Ronaldo or a Beckham, that commercial value with merchandise and sponsorships etc must be worth a fortune and so I wonder why Enic have not been a little bit braver in the transfer market now that they have the resources to pursue these options if they wish.

    Regardless of what I think we have continued to see relatively unknown and unproven players that offer potential to develop into something greater. Sure, sometimes this works, if you buy 20 unknown players eventually one of them is going to come good. I wouldn’t call that good scouting or particularly useful if you are trying to build a successful football team. But every now and then you are going to get lucky.

    So what happens when we do get lucky? 
    Well we sell them of course for a tidy little profit.  Now in all fairness Levy doesn’t necessarily want to sell these players and more often than not he has no choice but to cash in before losing them on a freebie (his wallet is still stinging from Sol Campbell). The problem we face is that when we do find ourselves with a world class player, they want to win things in their career and unfortunately that just doesn’t match with Enics current model. Any top player knows that if they want to win things they have no alternative but to leave Spurs because you’re not going to win trophies with 20 average players who you need to google. 

    We have seen these top players come and go over the years as they do their best to carry a bunch of nobody’s but their efforts always come to nothing as the cavalry never arrives to back them up. Kulusevski is the latest victim to this since Kane passed on the ‘baton’. Eventually these players grow weary of Enic’s long term plan and seek a move away as let’s be fair, a footballer’s career is relatively short and so you can understand why a player may not be so patient to wait for this long term plan that Enic have adopted for the last 24 years.

    There are several players on that list who chose to leave Spurs to achieve their dreams, Walker, Carrick, Berbatov, Bale, Modric, Eriksen and of course last but not least Harry Kane. With the exception of Kane (let’s hope that changes this season for him) they have all gone on to win majors including league titles and even champions league success whilst Spurs of course have won none, so their moves were justified they could argue. You cannot begrudge a player for having ambition and if Tottenham don’t match this ambition the inevitable will keep on repeating.

    So with such a transfer model how can we expect to ever build anything? 
    I would say after 24 years it is clear we cannot. This could be one of the reasons why we are now seeing Levy back Ange and provide additional time to turn things around (beyond what we’ve previously seen with other managers) and promote more of our academy players. This appears to be a change in strategy from the top and we have seen several signings in recent seasons to build a stronger academy. 

    Players including Archie Gray (paid 40 million aged just 18 years), Lucas Bergvall (paid 8.5 million at just 17 years old), Min-hyeok Yang (paid 4 million aged 18 years), Ashley Phillips (2.3 million aged 18 years), Alfie Devine (500k when aged only 16 years), Vuskovic (paid 11 million when he was just 16 years old). 

    In the latest transfer window we have seen the acquisition of 3 more academy players in the names of Dan Batty, Luca Furnell-Gill and Reiss-Alexander Russell-Denny which emphasises the ongoing strengthening of the youth setup.

    We know clubs like Chelsea and Man City have achieved great success by acquiring world class players but it doesn’t have to be the only way to achieve a successful team. Clubs such as Ajax have been famous for developing young players and maintaining high levels over the decades. If it’s done correctly it can work there’s no doubt. 

    The question is, are Levy and Ange the right men for the job?
    It’s ok buying these young players but if they are not developed correctly we may never see the rewards on the pitch, at least not in a Spurs shirt. Lets use Alfie Devine as an example, he signed for us back in 2020 aged just 16. Like a lot of youngsters there was much hype and excitement around him but the most I have probably seen of him has been in an England shirt U19/20. Despite becoming the youngest player to have played for Tottenham in a senior game at the age of 16, we have seen very little of him since. 

    However, he is now on his 3rd loan spell and currently enjoying his football in the Belgian Pro league. These 3 loan spells have brought in approx 10 million to Spurs which is a pretty good return on the transfer of 500k when he was signed from Wigan. So in Enic’s eyes, does this make Alfie Devine a success story? This is my concern, are we being led up the garden path once again or is this investment in youth players a genuine attempt to build something long term on the football pitch?

    Sure, at the moment we are seeing the likes of Gray and Bergvall getting a very good run out but don’t forget, before all the injuries they were both sitting on the bench week in week out getting very few minutes. We have seen so many young players join us in recent years but they have all struggled to get game time in a Spurs shirt, with most being loaned out before finally offloaded for good. At present we have the likes of Bryan Gill and Alejo Veliz loaned out because they couldn’t get game time at Spurs. Jack Clarke was another young player that had to leave Spurs to get an opportunity in a first team, resurrecting his career now at Ipswich. Juan Foyth struggled for opportunities too but that 10 million investment gave Enic a return of over 30 million in loans and a transfer. So is this youth development really a new and improved football model to bring us more stability on the pitch for years to come? Or is it simply another business model that Enic are more than happy to profit from?

    With our current injury list our younger players are getting a lot more opportunities but how much will they learn and develop under Ange’s current system. Will they benefit in future years from this time under Ange or will it do more harm than good? It is frustrating because we know Spurs have the resources and foundations to achieve great things in the world of football, not just off it but potentially on it too. But under Enic’s current transfer strategy we may never see these come to fruition.

  • Ange hung out to dry?

    Ange hung out to dry?

    Let’s be honest, we are all scratching our heads as to how and why Ange is still in a job at this moment. Ange Postecoglou led Tottenham Hotspur to their worst half-season since 2008/09 and it’s only gone from bad to worse since then. If these levels of performances continue then Ange could be setting a few more records before the end of season that he may not want on his CV. 

    How is it, a relatively unknown and unproven manager in top flight football is being given so much time when other managers in the past have not. Even the legendary Glenn Hoddle was only given 6 games by Daniel Levy before being shown the door in the 2003/04 campaign.

    Some may argue Ange is being given the benefit due to the extreme number of injuries this season, but isn’t he partly responsible for those injuries? The sheer number of hamstring injuries certainly raises questions about his training methods, football tactics and lack of squad rotation earlier in the season.

    If we are looking for answers, then maybe this January transfer window gives us a better clue as to what may be happening behind the scenes. Even by Daniel Levy’s standards, it seems inconceivable for Spurs to be entering a transfer window in such a time of crisis and yet nothing appears to be developing in either a change of coach or additional players to help ease the injury problems.

    There is absolutely no doubt Ange is up the creek without a paddle right now, he has said it in his own interviews, he needs players, he needs help! In fact Ange went as far to say that Tottenham (and Levy indirectly), “were playing with fire if we don’t bring anyone in”. By this he means relegation, it’s that simple, Ange himself is making no light of the situation so why is the club so quiet when everyone else is crying out for answers. 

    As far as I am aware no one at the club has come out to publicly back Ange in this moment of crisis and maybe Ange himself has even realised by now he is well out of his depth for this job. It may be the kinder thing to just put him out of his misery, with only his pride perhaps stopping him from walking. Yet if Levy wont publicly back Ange, but doesn’t want to sack him or help him in the transfer market, has Ange been hung out to dry by Levy?

    If so, then what is going on at this club? What we do know from the appointment of Ange Postecoglou is he was more than likely not the first choice, some believing even that he was Tottenham’s 6th choice. We know several managers came out publicly and snubbed the job after what they had seen prior with the likes of Conte, Nuno and Mourinho. Since Poch was given his marching orders for failing to produce miracles, it has been a bit of a merry go round at Spurs and it seems finding a replacement may not be that easy.

    Any top managers that may be interested in the job would most likely not be available until the end of the season if they are already in employment. Not only will a lot of high profile managers not be interested in such a position, but ideally Tottenham needs to find a replacement coach who is willing to carry on the work of rebuilding this squad with the youth development that has already been put in place. 

    We know not all coaches are keen to go down this line as there is little reward for them to invest the time in players that cannot deliver trophies within a 2 year span, as a coach is well aware that 2 years is most likely his own life span at the club. So the alternative option may be another unknown, unproven manager who is willing to take the risk, which makes this proposition of switching managers less appealing at the moment. 

    This puts Spurs in a difficult and very dangerous position, to hold out until the end of the season. Sure they could sack Ange Postecoglou and replace him internally but other than Ryan Mason, who is there that you would trust? We know Ryans previous spells as caretaker manager were hardly inspiring and so in this time it would be deemed far too risky for Levy, not to mention embarrassing.

    For me the logical answer is to wait until the end of the season to replace Ange Postecoglou but with whom I have no idea. If Daniel Levy is to take this route then Ange has to be backed in this transfer market, even with short term loan deals to help us get over the line! There must be an abundance of players available on loan and let’s face it they don’t have to be that good, just injury free would be nice. A couple of experienced veteran players would be good to help balance the team that’s currently packed with youngsters.  

    The fact that Daniel Levy seems unwilling to invest in players for Ange when they are facing a crisis only strengthens the argument that Enic are contemplating a replacement come the end of the season. As Ange said, Enic are playing with fire and may well come to regret this. I really hope not but we can’t ignore the fact we may be discussing one of the biggest relegation upsets in football’s history by May.

    Would that be the end of Levy?

  • Levy’s Legacy

    Levy’s Legacy

    After 24 years in charge of our great club it is logical we ask ourselves what has Daniel Levy achieved at Tottenham Hotspur and what will his legacy be? Of course as soon as we talk about this, many will likely jump to the same answer and I guess it’s difficult not to as we now boast a 60,000 plus state of the art stadium, where beers fill from the bottom!

    There’s no denying it is a fantastic stadium and we can all see the brand that is being created around it, attracting a global market with its International fan base, world famous music gigs, NFL matches on the world’s first dividing, retractable football pitch, premium boxing events and of course let’s not forget the formula race track.

    It seems there are no limits as to where Daniel Levy can take this football club, at least off the pitch. But shouldn’t a chairman of a great football club, one of the richest in the world in fact, be judged on how we succeed on the pitch?

    Let’s look at the facts, in 24 years Daniel Levy has achieved one trophy for Spurs. Yes that’s right, I will repeat that just in case you think it is a typo, Daniel Levy has delivered just a single major trophy in his reign as Chairman of Tottenham Hotspur.

    If we compare this to the major clubs in the English league, since Daniel Levy’s reign began Liverpool have won 20 trophies, Man Utd and Man City have won 26 trophies respectively, Chelsea and Arsenal both boast 22 trophies. The numbers do not lie, Daniel Levy’s single trophy to his name which was a League cup back in 2008 is pretty grim!

    So with that in mind, I ask you again, what will Daniel Levy’s legacy be? 

    Well in that time the club have appointed 12 full-time managers which means a managers lifespan at Spurs is approximately 2 seasons. Incredibly this is also the average for any top flight manager in the Premier league although it used to be 4 years prior to 2012. We have seen numerous staff come and go during this time from technical directors, head of scouting, academy development and we now have my personal favourite, a managing director sport, currently held by Scott Munn. I have absolutely no idea what this role entails and I wonder if this is part of Tottenham’s evolution to the next level, or whether he has been simply enlisted to form another safety buffer around the impenetrable Daniel Levy. Another fall guy perhaps for Daniel Levy to shrug his shoulders and say, “well, it wasn’t my fault!”.

    Despite such a poor record on the pitch over the last 20 years, Daniel Levy is the highest-paid director among the Premier League’s current 20 clubs. Reports suggest Levy was paid £3.581million last year, up from £3.265million the previous year. The Spurs chairman also received a £3 million bonus back in 2019 upon the completion of the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, a stadium that was over budget and experienced multiple delays.

    When this stadium project was first announced the Spurs fans were reassured that it would have no impact on the team’s development and future transfers would not be affected. Despite these promises Spurs became the first club in Premier League history to not sign anyone since the creation of the summer transfer window. In fact, thanks to Daniel Levy, Tottenham Hotspur has the current record in the Premier League of 512 days without a single signing. That is one record I do not expect any club to beat for quite some time!

    It was a record that halted everything Spurs and Mauricio Pochettino had built in those years running up to another season of “almost”, where an unlikely league title was actually in our sights and an incredible champions league run fell short of only 90 minutes.

    Since then we have seen further top class managers come and fail with questions being asked not only of these managers but also of Daniel Levy and Enics responsibility. Each time a manager fails we hear calls for “Levy out”! How many times have we seen these calls from the stands? Is this something we would expect to see from a successful club? 

    We have heard all of the excuses from Daniel Levy over the years and I could list them all for you but at the end of the day that’s exactly what they are, excuses. Every club can give their excuses for challenges they face on and off the pitch but a successful club does not let that distract them from their ultimate goal of winning trophies.

    Daniel Levy has earned himself a reputation as one of football’s toughest negotiators and former Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson described negotiating with Levy over the transfer of Dimitar Berbatov as “more painful than my hip replacement”.

    Unfortunately this reputation has perhaps done Spurs no favours over the years with many clubs and agents unwilling to even entertain Tottnham Hotspur in transfers whilst Daniel Levy remains at the helm. It seems the days are long gone when we can attract world class players like Gazza or Gary Lineker and Jurgen Klinsmann to the club.  

    For those too young to remember, let me explain those for you. Paul Gascoigne joined Spurs in 1988 and was arguably one of the most exciting players the world had seen since Diego Maradona had set the world alight in Mexico 86 (maybe I’m a little biased). Gary Lineker joined Spurs in 1989 from Barcelona and was the current England no1 forward receiving the Golden Boot in Mexico 86. Jurgen Klinsmann joined Spurs in 1994 and was the no1 forward for Germany lifting the World Cup in 1990. Acquiring these players was not only immensely exciting but they were major statements to the world that Spurs were here to compete with the best!

    If you look at how this compares with our more recent signings the gap couldn’t be bigger. When Richarlison joined us in 2022 he was backup striker for a struggling Brazil team, with previous clubs including Everton and Watford. When Dominic Solanke joined us in 2024, his last senior call up for England was back in 2017, with his club form faltering at Chelsea, Liverpool and Bournemouth. It is believed even the appointment of Ange Postecoglou was Tottenham’s 6th choice on their list of potential managers, as Tottenham’s failings under the world’s best managers was evident for everyone to see. This manager role at Spurs has now become a poisoned chalice with only the brave or stupid willing to take on such a position

    So where does that leave us?

    Before Daniel Levy took over from Alan Sugar in 2001, the previous 20 years had seen us win 5 major trophies including the Uefa cup and FA cup. Whilst those figures are hardly remarkable in comparison to the achievements of the other major clubs in England, that still equates to a major trophy every 4 years. We never really challenged for any league titles during this time but Spurs were always a team that were quite capable of going on a successful cup run with exciting players that included the likes of Glenn Hoddle, Chris Waddle, Ossie Ardiles and Ricky Villa to name a few!

    Under Daniel Levy we now average a single major trophy in over 20 years. Since our distant glory days Spurs have become better known as Spursy. In fact it was Tottenham fans themselves who first coined the phrase Spursy, describing a “brand of skilful but flaky players who could never quite deliver”.

    In Levy’s own words, “Over the last two decades we have been in 14 semi-finals, made it to six finals and only won one of them. It must be our hope that we are soon celebrating a trophy win.”

    This is Daniel Levy’s legacy.

  • Ange Postecoglou Exit?

    Ange Postecoglou Exit?

    I’m a big believer that any manager needs to be given time in a job and I would say 2 years would be the minimum time a manager needs when he is rebuilding a squad to the degree we have been doing this last 2 seasons. But at the same time there has to be a moment when you say enough is enough. Is that moment now? Or is the prospect of a cup final and mitigating excuses of injuries and inexperienced youngsters enough to warrant him a little more time.

    I like the fact our youngsters are getting a good run out this year, even if it’s mostly down to injuries. I hope these youngsters will progress and we can benefit from this in future years. If we have to watch poor performances every week, I want it to be at least for the sake of these youngsters finding their feet in the Premier league, that I can accept.

    But if Ange Postecoglou is still with us come the end of the season, will Tottenham Hotspur or these young players benefit from continuing this philosophy of football. After all, if we want these young players to progress, we need them to be led by coaches who have a little bit of a clue about tactics and understanding of Premier league football. 

    How much can these youngsters learn from Ange ball, or as the rest of the world knows it, Predictable ball. This constant insistence of short passing with virtually no direct balls out from the back not only make it predictable and easy for the opposition to apply pressure, but it is making it much harder work for themselves. Without mixing up their play they are forever finding themselves under pressure and it is inevitable that a bad pass will occur sooner or later. Has anyone actually worked out just how many goals we have conceded under Ange that have been self inflicted ? I am quite sure that percentage will be well above the average for any team. 

    If you look at Arsenal’s distribution for example, they are known for playing a progressive and attractive style of football but they are willing to go long with their goal-kicks as they are short. Stats show roughly half of Arsenal’s goal kicks end in the opposition half. If you compare this to Spurs, incredibly we have gone long with just four of the last 145 goal-kicks so far this season. I would be interested to know out of those 141 short passes out, how many times were we able to get out of our own half before we lost possession? 

    It’s not just this playing out from the back that is the problem. These so-called inverted full backs seem to create chaos for ourselves and leave more gaps at the back than it is really worth. If you are going to play this way you need to see a lot more discipline from a defensive midfielder to provide cover, but instead the Spurs setup looks like a complete melee. When we do manage to form an attack the threat of a counter attack is imminent because our midfield is wide open. If you are going to insist on pushing these full backs so far forward then you need a holding midfielder who can be relied on, or even implement the system with three centre halfs.    

    To be honest, I didn’t see the point of bringing in another manager until the end of the season but the situation in the league table is becoming a concern. The last time our league position was this dire was under Juande Ramos. Interestingly this was also the last manager we picked up silverware with. Is it an omen?

    However, had we not brought in Harry Redknapp when we did that season there was a strong possibility we were heading for relegation. We should never underestimate the threat of relegation, a club is never too big to go down! As far as I am concerned we are now in a relegation fight and something may have to change, especially if we lose to Everton tomorrow.

    Unfortunately we know from last time around that top managers are not interested in the Spurs job and it has become rather a poisoned chalice. That’s hard to even comprehend isn’t it. Enic have spent the last 20 years rebuilding this club from the ground up, training facilities and stadium that compete with the best and revenues that make it one of the richest clubs in the world. But neither world class players or managers want to be part of this club. 

    That is the sad fact of things at Spurs but even with a subpar team and a coach whose football methods are more consistent with Aussie rules football, this club is making some serious money. So do Levy and the shareholders even care? I would argue that winning trophies certainly hasn’t been made a priority at this club and all these promises of bigger and better things to come when the new stadium is completed is now wavering very thin. I think it’s time some of us accepted we have had the wool pulled over our eyes!