The Levy holds firm in stormy weathers
Saturday, September 1, 2012 at 9:54AM Blimey. That (deadline day) was just a little exciting. So okay, Jim White once more failed to explode on live television and Moutinho failed to materialise in the end, but all things considering, it’s been a good window. No doubt perception of what defines good will differ amongst the majority, splintering into a variety of groups ranging from the happy to the content to the disappointed. Review time.
Thoughts
Joào Moutinho was a vital ingredient to the plan. I firmly believe he’s the key to ‘replacing’ the departed Luka Modric in terms of midfield creativity, an outlet of control for a system that will be based on fluidity, pace and strength. Long term, we’ll have to revisit this particular deal. Sounds like we worked until the bitter end to get it done, so the fact it didn't happen does make me feel empty. Four months we'll have to wait so the hope is we start up on the 1st of January and not on the last day. As for Dempsey he's a fantastic addition to the squad. Not comparable, the two of them. The latter is versatile and scores goals. Not quite as creative as Rafa van der Vaart but fitter and a better fit into VB’s plans.
So why wasn’t the attempt to sign Moutinho kick-started earlier?
I don’t know. There’s no definitive answer unless you work alongside Levy. Some will blame the chairman for brinkmanship and others will point to the culture of transfer negotiations, with clubs (selling clubs) also waiting until the last minute to do business in order to pressure the interested party into paying over the odds. Seems a couple of chairman in this window have had their egos bruised by little Daniel. It might have been down to the player wanting the ilk of wages we simply cannot afford. With regards to Lyon and the hissy fit thrown by them in the aftermath of the transfer of Lloris to Spurs, one or two seem to point and shout at Levy for taking massive risks, changing his mind and playing games. But that’s how he operates. He's always operated like this. It's not going to change. In the end the fee and personal terms might have been agreed. The third-party ownership of the player the stumbling block.
The player (Lloris) signed in the end and probably signed for the fee we were willing and happy to spend on him. Levy does what he does for a reason. We want it to be purely about the football but he’s a business man, the money spent is an investment in the club which is part of ENIC’s investment. It’s why he’s so shrewd and perhaps sometimes willing to sacrifice for the sake of making a stand or refusing to be bullied or paying a penny more. Doesn’t always work. But he’s been relatively successful in this window, probably because he’s able to work with a manager who has a clear strategy in what is required.
Hate to say this, but if we had CL, some of our other targets (strikers included) might have been easier to sign as well. We’re aiming high. Too high perhaps. In fact so high that our backup plan for a striker was Remy, and that failed to get past agreeing a fee. Leandro, Llorente...perhaps not possible now for several reasons but possible in the future. Although I’ll like to point out (before you do) that both links have been ever present for the past few windows and nothing has happened. Not sure we’ve ever really bid for Llorente. If we’ve got our hearts set on someone and it’s for £20M or so then maybe we won’t want to spend that amount on someone we don’t really want. I don’t know, I’m trying to rationalise again on this. Spoke about this in my last blog about our summer targets and it does seem that wages + lack of Champions League is holding us back. What is frustrating is how there’s no apparent cheaper options out there. But then would you be happy with one?
Might not be as bad as it looks here (with Adebayor, Defoe). Dempsey can play in forward positions. Only need one up front, midfield/flanks will be important in how we attack and create. We’ll have to use width to compensate for lack of deep-lying movement from central positions. Midfield currently more robust and direct than reliant on scheming and ghosting. For now anyway.
Replacing Modric was never going to be easy. Catch 22. Sell Luka early in the window, get less money, then perhaps struggle to attain targets or sell him late on and give yourself less time to sign replacement. Then again, ground work would have been worked on throughout the summer. Some of the complexities of transfers breaking down are not always discussed in the public domain because we’re not privy to the details. Although the Porto chairman is also having a dig at Levy and his negotiations. Again, it's funny ha-ha how some are quick to just lay the blame on someone representing THFC.
Key player movement (or lack of) + reminders
Lloris in will have Villas-Boas smiling. Sweeper-keeper. I actually gave up on this one happening until the new year so the fact we went back in to negotiate shows us how important a player he is to aid the new template of player positioning, starting with man between the sticks. Upper body strength will need to be worked on.
Moutinho. The one that got away. I'm fixated on this. We’ve relied heavily on a play maker. Modric was special. Moutinho also has that edge, able to defend but also craft and create and attack the box. The player wants to leave Porto. We all thought he would if Hulk failed to move on. Neither have departed. Yet. Hoping this will be resurrected in four months time. We’ll have to sit back and watch how the side will set out to retain possession and attack from deep/counter attack. Either we’ll compensate or Villas-Boas has plans to mould Dembele into an emergency ‘playmaker’.
Talking of which, Dembele is a steal. Quality player who has gone from strength to strength under Jol at Fulham. He’s not in the same class at Luka and it’s unwise to expect the same type of movement and play from him but he brings something different. Dynamic, beastly, box to box. Strength and skill.
Dempsey might be perceived us some as a fall back plan but let’s think of this without the pressures of alternative signings. He’s Prem experienced. He’s cut throat in front of goal and scores a fair few. He can play in midfield, on the flanks and up front. He scores goals <-- hello. I mentioned that already but it’s worth repeating. If Bale steps up this season and improves his tally then playing with one striker might not impact us if the midfield are sharing the load. Rafa got a fair few for us in the past two seasons. We need to retain or improve on that form. Also, he’s another strong player. We’re turning into a very mobile, versatile side (on paper).
Remy was the player we got linked to a few times and had bids rejected for. I think at one point we were balls deep, but it didn’t happen. He’s not in the same class as some of our other prospective signings but then the other ones are Llorente and Leandro, to name just a couple. What player would sit in the tier below Remy? Seems our quest here for an out and out striker (which ironically is not what Remy is) will continue into yet another window.
Jenas. Turned down a move to Sunderland. Still with us. I guess along with Huddlestone (who doesn’t appear to fit into the mobile fit that VB is aiming for) we have a fair few options to cover us for the cup games. Midfield is looking very busy. What will be of interest here is how VB handles squad rotation. Redknapp didn’t. Our benchers we’re exactly that. Afterthoughts. Never called upon to do a job and when they were, they struggled.
dos santos has finally gone. I’m sure he’ll look good in La Liga. He looks good in anything other than a Lilywhite shirt.
Rose to Sunderland will allow him to develop and for us to see if he will ever get to the required level to return and play for us.
Kane to Norwich. As above. We'll see how he does coming up against Prem opposition from one week to the next.
Bentley hasn’t gone anywhere. It staggers me how his career has just disappeared like a ball landing in a skip with noone willing to recover from all the rubbish. Haven’t got a clue what kind of shape he’s in, physically or mentally. Would love for him to come good but not sure how he’ll fit into the team as he has no pace.
Gomes not moving on is surprising. Thought someone might come in for him. Seems to be a millions light years away from the first team.
Kaboul out for four months. So Dawson stays. Caulker is willing and able so centre-back wise we’re doing fine. Full-backs? Let’s hope for no injuries or loss of form.
Easy to forget Bale signed a new contract. His progression and new improve instructions on the left (and when to roam) in the hands of the coach. Could bring a completely new dimension to the side (or an old and working one if he stays on the flank).
Defoe’s contract is business, IMO. Say for example, we sign Leandro in January, we get to sell JD for extra pennies in the same window. Can't see him being anything more than an impact sub as he lacks the movement and patience to truly lead the line on his own.
Kranjcar, Corluka, Pienaar, Bassong also shifted on earlier in the window along with short-term players Saha and Nelsen and other lesser squad members with very little impact to our plans. None of them close to first team action.
Conclusions
Not too shabby for a team punching above its weight financially, signing (some) players good enough for CL and retaining strength in squad. Best to remember how far away we are from the likes of Man City and Chelsea in terms of finances and yet how close we are on the pitch. And without CL it makes it doubly hard to compete for certain signatures. Levy has shown he can work with the coach – although not disputing some of his methods and ideology isn’t always agreeable with some quarters. But then in a modern game plighted by over-spending, we continue to compete and plan for the future.
We've got better depth in squad but perhaps not quite a better first team although it’s unfair to discuss this until after we start winning games and seeing a visible distinction between this side and last seasons.
Also, some of the changes made were simply impossible to avoid. Ledley King retiring and Luka Modric wanting out. Selling Rafa van der Vaart is one of sadness, but sentiments aside, he was continually subbed off last season. Not fit enough under Redknapp so not a chance he could fit into VB’s plans. Not just about the fitness, but his style would see him relegated to the bench and Rafa is not productive out on the wings and shouldn't be wasted on the bench. A brilliant player, one that truly galvanised us. Had a winners mentality and will never be forgotten for his form against the scum. Was one of my favourite players before he signed for us, had to pinch myself when he did. Good luck back in Germany. I’ll be keen to see how often he plays and how many games he finishes on the pitch.
We’ve made more in transfers out then spent on transfers in. That will no doubt turn the chairman on. I’m fairly excited myself. But more so in getting behind the team (easy tiger) and watching us gradually transform into a new variant one that hopefully retains the beautiful football of recent years but with more guile and mental strength.
Levy might not be everyone's cup of tea and his ideas of what is best for the club differs from some of ours but by doing the best for himself he does actually do quite well for the club in the end. Opposing chairman crying their eyes out? Bless them. They probably expect to push us over and don't like it when they come up against someone that bites back. All fair in love and war. The work now shifts from boardroom to training pitch and the league.
A very good window. It could have been majestic with Joào. I will ignore the scenario that would play out if Adebayor picked up an injury. For now.
Positive thinking.
Gylfi Sigurdsson
Jan Vertonghen
Emmanuel Adebayor
Moussa Dembele
Hugo Lloris
Clint Dempsey
COYS.
Reader Comments (45)
I have never been more fed up with being a Spurs fan. 30 years I've supported them and when we get a decent team it is ripped apart. Harry, VDV, Modric, replaced with inferior models. I've had it with 'em. AVB hasn't a clue. Wake me when it's over.
Lennon signed a new deal until 2016 <3
" I will ignore the scenario that would play out if Adebayor picked up an injury. For now."
good, you bury your head, that will help get goals when this happens
Great article, Hope that Hudd has just gone to regain fitness. When Modric was injured a couple of seasons ago we didnt suffer when Hudd played. Surely we (AVB!!) can forgive a lack of mobility for such excellent distribution?
Also he's gonna have some barnet by the time he next scores for Spurs.................
♫ So buy buy in the window we buy. People moan about the Levy but the Levy is sly. Them good ol' boys singing Spurs Til I die, Tottenham til the day that I die, Tottenham til the day that I die ♫
Great article as always spook. I reckon if Ade gets injured we'll se Clint as an emergency striker. Also, I wonder if the AVB era will see more productive business in january than under redknapp. He and Levy seem to have a decent rapport, and like you mentioned there's still money available from the profit we made on transfers
Nice summary of the transfer window ...But without moutinho we would struggle cos dembele is more attack oriented so is sigurdsson .No link up man (Moutinho) means problems .Well lets hope for the best ..
I Pray that Levy gets fired and ends up on ther doll. I will help his children but not him and hopes he starve's. We will not finish in the top 6, Moutinho was the most critical player to sign in our history and Levy's biggest failure. We will not finish in the top 6. I have been a massive Spurs supporter for over 40 years but will not watch another game for the 1st time in my life. Once Levy is fiired and ends up on the doll and we get Moutinho i may watch again. I have never in all my years as a Spurs supporter been as disappointed as i am now except when Suger took over. Sis Sis Sis!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I think we have done well over the transfer window on certain sites all i hear is bitterness ,so what we didnt get Mourtino but for once i do think we actually did try ,but maybe a little late and that 3rd party rubbish .There have been a lot of changes and it is a worry but the blessing is we have a reletivly easy period as the prem goes Norwich today ,week off and then 2 easyish games so that is pretty much 4 weeks for all the players to settle in before the big one Mank U ,,this im am trually happy about if we had harder games it could be a utter nightmare .I think we will win the next 3 games the confidence and understanding will build and we will flow ,if Ade hits form we will be outstanding and he should do with the amount of crosses coming in ,if not Dempsey could be priceless .Lets back the manager ,,we have know choice we will do well we have class all over the pitch BELIEVE .
COYS
I totaly disagree with your optimism yet again Levy has totaly screwed us over. With the money we received for Modric, VDV Bassong, Pienaar, Niko and Corluka and we are arguing over 2.5 million over signing Moutinhio.
No creativity in midfield and no cover for Ade or Defoe if they are injured. There was no chance of us getting Damiao or Lloriente. and we end up with Dempsey. I think there is no chance of us finishing in the top 4. I think we will even struggle to finish in the top 8 actualy and all the pressure will go to AVB when it should go to Levy-LEVY OUT!
Anyone who thinks we've had a good window is extremely naive. Levy looks like he's spent loads of money but he hasn't spent any at all. Over the last 3 seasons we've sold 80m worth of players yet over the 3 windows have only spent 60m. As a result we've got rid of two creative world class players and effectively have just turned ourselves into mid table shit.
No replacement striker up top, no creative midfielder except huddlestone but avb is to fucking retarded to play him, no replacement for left back or right back and no proper replacement for the wings.
We now have a weak squad interms of numbers and quality and our first team is considerably weaker. If levy and avb were horses they would have been shot by now.
EDITED -
Leave out the stupid comments next time.
I cant see how you can say it was a good transfer window when we sold all of our creative players and did not replace them ! Levy is a shambles and when we are mid table at end of season he should pack his bags and disappear! I just feel sorry for AVB he has been given no chance!
'We’ve made more in transfers out then spent on transfers in.'
And herein lies my issue with levy. I'm sure most windows these days this turns out to be the case for us. Several widows ago it seemed good to me and that next window we'd have a bit more to spend on the top quality needed - never materialises. There always seems to be some massive deadline name for big money that never happens - smokescreen?
Like you said you can't understand why Moutinho and Lorente for that matter didn't happen earlier, maybe we never really wanted it to happen. Our net spend on transfers over the last 5 years must be minus a big figure like net overal we've made £50m maybe. Doesn't go back in the team next window is my gripe. So where does it go :/ arsenal are vulnerable. Get Moutinho and Lorente and 4th could be ours. As I see it we will end 5th a couple of points behind them now :( are we saving to help fund NDP? Who knows.
I hope avb really goes for the europa cup - . I'm puzzled - 2 forwards? and only 1 who can play on his own. dempsey counts a s a forward? Adebayor heads off to play in 2 legged tie v gabon in september and october - and if they win that will be away for the african nations cup in jan/feb. so presume we have back up plan for that january? unless there's any youth players? who was that lad who came on end of season?
Spooky, - I have to agree with you, that this window was good in terms of the six additions, - yes Mountino was the one that got away.However I do believe that Levy did have a go for him, - but lets not forget that Sporting Lisabon was due 25% of any fee Porto would get for him, this fact, further complicated our chance of getting Moutinio, - unless we would have made a 30/35 mill bid.We can of course only quess what went on behind doors during the negotiations ! It is also noteworthy that AVB never feelt that this deal was going to happen. Levy spend a good 60 Mill in this window, backing up his/our new Manager.In addition to that he has just spend 43 Mill on a state of art training center and are in progress of building us a new 60.000 seater Stadium! In my book Levy is doing just fine and I look very much forward to a great season, - a season were we all get behind our new Manager and Team, - the future is bright !
Love The Shirt Love The Spurs
Mark.....you want Levy on the doll...is that a rubber one? Levy will NOT get fired. What's up with you people. Buggered if he does and buggered if he doesn't. Moutinho is part owned by a third party who weren't willing to play ball. The fee was agreed with Porto but not the wages that Moutinho's agent requested. Spurs were willing to push through the paperwork without the standard medical taking place. For Christ sake be grateful for what we got in our Chairman, frustrating yes, an idiot no.
Brilliant balanced assessment of where we are now. The 'project' at Tottenham will be interesting to watch and experience. The ideology sweeping the Premiership seems to be we must all become and follow the Spanish model. Atletico gave a pretty good demonstation last night didn't they>
However, whichever model or footballing philosophy we embrace and practice still all depends on the depth of squad our team has because in the EPL where we produce the most entertaining, fast and physical expression of the game, our players will become injured and therefore unable to play. I am so relieved that we have retained the loyal service of Mr Dawson.
No matter what 'best practice' is sought from the Management perspective; solid commonsense is a key foundation to any budding novel approach. Having plan/option 'B' & 'C' is another.
Good summary Spooky. Some are slaves to their unrealistic expectations. Others throwing the toys out of the pram cos they didn't get all the sweeties they dreamed about
This was an ambitious rebuilding plan which nearly got everything done in one window. That's not something to moan about. Daniel Levy signed two national captains! They are rare commodities. Top players with a strong mentality. One of them is a Frenchman who refused to join a strike which. Rarer still.
The glass is more than half full. There's plenty to look forward to.
I think this is a moderately successful window. Lloris and vertongen are key signings which make our first eleven much stronger. Dembele, dempsey and siggy are an upgrade on vdv, pienaar and krancjar in my opinion - maybe not as much guile but far more direct and effective in the AVB system. Good to also have adebayor on the books permanently.
If we had replaced modric with moutinho we would be undoubtedly stronger than last year, as it is we definitely have a hole in our squad. We are also still lacking lb cover for benny, yes bale and vertongen can cover there but we really need another specialist for that position, The third player we are missing from the squad as has been well documented is another no.9 to give adebayor competition and keep him on his game.
Additionally walker, bale, lennon, kaboul and defoe have all signed contract extensions in the last 12 months, we have the nucleus of a very good squad. It's important now to weather the transition period and have a relatively successful season which i believe we will do. Then we can concentrate in the next 2 windows on getting those special players who can fill the 3 holes which currently exist in the squad.
We are not far away from having a very settled and competitive squad - the future's bright the future's lilywhite! coys
Not happy. JM wad all that may. I would rather no HL or CD. What's levy playing at? What must AVB must be thinking. We lose Rafa and luka a.d don't replace them. Sorry spooky, I was so positive yesterday and stuck up for DL but its stupid defending the inexcusable
Levy is rubbish and AVB will be left with a team that will finish mid table! Gooners will be looking down on us once again laughing,,,,,,,,,,,,
The negativity of some people amazes me, almost as much as their inability to spell.
The crap thrown at DL is also fairly stunning. Spurs are a very well run club that operates within the means available, as all clubs should do. For those complaining that we don't spend enough money, is that how you run your own finances? "I want a car but rather than get a Ford Focus I am going to buy an Aston Martin because I feel as though I need one. Now i'm bankrupt but it is somebody else's fault." People like you are, frankly, morons.
As for those people that go on about being a fan for forty years but never watching another game, good, sod off and can I please have your season ticket? The club does not need whingers, complainers, and outright idiots, it needs fans; short for fanatics remember? Also, it makes you sound like a fourteen year old boy being asked to tidy his bedroom.
Was the window perfect? No Was it good? Yes. Whether it leaves us with a better or worse team only time will tell but at least we didn't buy Nelson, or a Neville, or any of the other stupid targets that the Sainted Harry would have bought.
Sorry but I am sick of the keyboard warriors going on about what they would have done better than those actually qualified to run the club.
Rant over :-)
COYS
I think levy does an excellent job for us, & cannot argue with how he runs our club. At least we know we will always have a club and a stable 1 while he's in charge. I am gutted we missed out on moutinho, would have been a class signing, which we do need after losing vdv & modric. But i feel the transfer window big error we made, i feel was in the last jan window. If we had signed a top class striker then, when we needed it, we would have been in CL as we couldnt buy a goal. We lost out so narrowly, how many games did we just need someone to finish of chances. At that point i feel a striker would have elevated us higher at what was and now i feel will have been our highest point for many a year. We were so close to greatness at that point, & a slight gamble would have propelled us forward. Speaking of going forward, great signings in, but the marque signing missed. I dont think we will do better than last season now, we just dont have enought spark or that top class edge, i cant see every player trying their best & being as motivated as they were under Harry. I hope i am so wrong but feel this season could be dissappointing & frustrating under AVB. God i hope not thou, as how good was it last year, so close but so far. But no matter what, come on you spurs, we'll support you until we die lol
What is this team ripped apart crap:
King - out of AVBs hands
Modric - out of AVBs hands
which leaves
VdV - cracking player, too slow for the system.
The ripping apart was absolutely inevitable, and nothing to do with AVB.
(unless you are upset that we have 'replaced' reliable Brad with a world class young keeper).
Also - keeping Bale. Major coup. Lets not dick around, he is one of the top left sided players in the world and we kept him for at least another season.
How happy you are with the window seems to be directly linked to whether you know anything about football. Seem Dembele/Sigurdsson/Dempsey derided as poor players - presumably because they are average on football manager or didn't come from spain.
I like Spooky's assessment, I think we've done good business but for me getting Moutinho would have been the statement of intent. We probably have Bayern Munich to partially thank, but surely such a complex deal should have been attempted earlier? And surely we have to wait a year for a second crack as few teams let stars go in January? As for the striker situation, is this part of the current fashionable ideology espoused by Barca that you don't actually need one? We'll see how that goes.
If AVB is the managerial genius we are led to believe then it's game on. If not, it's hello top six again. I wait to be convinced. Hands up who was thinking before yesterday that Clint Dempsey was the key to our dreams.
I'm really happy with the signings we have made. There are lots of options for rotation and different formations. I daresay there is a recall clause with Kane in case of injury, and with the Adebayor AFCN I think the reason why we have signed someone extra is fairly obvious. The Brazilian football season ends in December. Internacional will be more willing to sell Leandro at the end of their season, which coincides with the transfer window and the AFCN. If we bought Leandro now I think the price would be higher since internacional wont be able to replace him. By waiting until January he will be cheaper, we wont be paying around 1.5 million in wages for 4 months, and he might be bought in just we need him. Or maybe Levy doesn't have a clue of course, but I know which one my money is on.
Thank you Tallestpurpl , you've said exactly what I was thinking - EXACTLY!
Happy with the transfer window, would have been very happy with Moutinho, but 'cést la vie'. Hopefully, we'll get him in January.
Not so happy with the way so many armchair managers/chairmen gob off - sitting in your front room, watching telly and knocking back cans of Stella doesn't qualify you as an expert. It's easy to criticise from that position, but unless you were a fly in the room during negotiations, you REALLY don't understand the intricacies involved in transfer dealings. Get real!
Follow Spooky's lead and be objective - if criticism is necessary, let it be constructive criticism... not just mindless ranting.
I, for one, am proud of the fact that we are run efficiently and that there's no risk of sliding into bad debt just to satisfy fans who seem to think that we must have a mega-nest-egg hidden away somewhere. Perhaps one day that nest-egg may be provided by a billionaire backer but, until then, let's keep things in perspective.
COYS
I don't get the pessimism. OK, We have lost two great players in VDV and LM but they WANTED to go, allbeit for very different reasons. We all hoped we could replace luka with another world class replacement but realistically we cannot offer the wages or the CL football that sort of signing would demand, and we can't just throw money at it like some other clubs. VDV wanted to be close to his family and, to be honest, his star was waning even though he was still capable of moments of brilliance. I love VDV but at that price and under those circumstances we did very well there.
A solid #9 would have been great but I would rather wait then get another Rasiak and you have to feel we will be active again in January to resolve both this and the playmaker position.
Dembele is an excellent capture as is Lloris and spooky is spot on with Dempsey, it's a no brainer at 6m. Proven, versatile, dynamic, he can play that CF role at a push, as can Dembele. We turned a healthy profit on two players and have signed some very exciting replacements. The spine of the team has changed but I'm really positive about that change.
The failure for me was not getting JJ or DB off the books but their lack of ambition and comfort with still nicking a healthy wage is one thing we can't do much about. They'll run down their contracts and slip down the league on frees in due course. Meantime we'll keep looking up and forwards. As spooky says, love the shirt.
levy you are a complete and utter mong youve sold all are creative players n bought average players ,i mean clint fooking dempsey id av sooner kept saha,will not finish above mid table and then levy will blame villa boas like he did with wanday ,not being funny but the money made this transfer window n last should av ad more than enough money tobuy moutinho,same old same olddaniel deep pockets fooking levy arsenal were there for the taking but levy screws it again n on what planet is dempsey n dembele better than vdv n mods
Levy is an arch cunt,
Bald headed penny pinching little cunt, we have all known we needed a top class striker and a Modric replacement, I mean for fucks sake, Dempsey for 6, Berba went for 4 mil and he pisses on Dempsey.
Levy fucked us again, we had a genuine chance of moving on but all we got was the same old bollocks and PR spin bullshit of the supposed Moutniho offer.
Clint fucking dempsey, what a joke, he is Pav in disguise.
LEVY OUT!
I like waiting until the last minute to show off my shite negotiating skills and make sure we always end up making a profit
Because I fail to understand that you have to speculate to accumulate
"We’ve made more in transfers out then spent on transfers in. That will no doubt turn the chairman on. I’m fairly excited myself. "
Pray tell, what is so exciting about this? Is the money being invested in anything that we as fans can see/appreciate? Do we know if it's going to anything practical like building the stadium or is it just balancing the books before ENIC sells?
Gooners brag about their finances because it's seemingly all they've got. Strikes me as a form of Stockholm syndrome. Just sayin' ...
Ossies dream is bang on the money.Coys your dreaming mate or sleeping with Levy!!! That Greedy bald headed Twat is killing our club so he can save money. He would not give harry any big money to spend because he wanted to see him fail just because he wouldnt lick levys arse. If any one on here thinks dempsey is the answer or dembele you have been conned by Levy. we sell vdv and mod and he wont pull up the extra 2mill to buy a player we so badly need. our season will be over by january window and he still wont buy moutniho!! and will blame the player saying he wants champions league football!!! LEVY F**k OFF
Wayno,
Check out this link... http://oxforddictionaries.com/
Your 'brand' of English may be acceptable (perhaps even necessary) on Twitter, where you're limited to 140 characters, but - quite frankly - it made my head hurt trying to read your comment (regardless of the fact that I disagree wholeheartedly with your opinion).
Please do us all a favour and try using the Queen's English in future.
LOL thats what its come down to GREG pulling peoples spelling apart!! what are you a fucking school teacher?? Face the facts LEVY is a greedy C**T and has not invested in my team He got rid of Harry who has been our best manager since BN. You are a mupps!! Short for muppet sir!! lol
To those bemoaning the activity in the transfer window, please be mindful that AVB and Harry, are totally different as coaches, so it is to be expected that different types of players might appeal to them. In the first place, whether Harry, AVB or any other manager/coach, Ledley was gone and Modric was going.
That's the two best players. ANY coach and ANY chairman, would be required to look at the squad, carefully, once the two best players were removed from the equation. It is heartbreaking to read comments such as:
"I've had it with 'em...Wake me up when it's over.", or "We now have a weak squad interms (sic) of numbers and quality and our first team is considerably weaker." How about this: " I have been a massive Spurs supporter for over 40 years but will not watch another game for the 1st time in my life. Once Levy is fiired (sic) and ends up on the doll(sic) and we get Moutinho i may watch again." Really? So, you won't be watching the team anymore?
Look, I felt like this when we sold Jimmy Greaves (makeweight in the Martin Peters transfer) to the Spammers. I cried for three days...but life goes on. Martin Peters was wonderful for us and Martin Chivers came in and didn't do too badly. I still missed Jimmy - but the CLUB...the TEAM...these things mean EVERYTHING and whatever iteration is presented, they have the right to expect our support.
It's what we've got (at least until January) and that's that.
Selling Van der Vaart, sad as it was, was the right thing to do. He is approaching his 30th birthday and was in the second-last year of his contract. More than once, he had expressed an intention to one day play again, in Germany before finishing his career in Holland. To get as much as we did for him, was an unbelievable result by all concerned. Over 10 million pounds! Sigurdsson is seven years younger, just as good with the goal in front of him - and we got him for 2 million less than we eventually sold Rafa for.
Dembele and Dempsey were a class double act for Fulham, last season and, having benefitted from a season under Martin Jol. come to us pre-schooled in the "Tottenham way". Vertonghen was a necessity, as we all know, to replace the King. Had Ledley been able to play on for two more seasons, then that might not have been the case, as Caulker would, presumably. have matured to the point where the exchange with Ledders would be almost seamless.
We all got excited at the prospect of Moutinho, Willian, Damiao, etc - but all along, AVB said these were not realistic transfers. That we got so close with Moutinho, given that Porto's Chairman Pinto is the Portuguese version of Mr Levy. is actually a credit to the club. Of course, it is a shame it didn't come off (this time) but none of us are privy to the negotiations that went on until at least midnight.
Let us not forget Levy's first act, post-Redknapp, was to secure the services of Bale for a further year, until 2015. Nobody was complaining then, so give credit where it's due.
If you think WE had a poor last day of the window, imagine how it was for the Gooners or the Bin-dippers. That should give you some perspective.
COME ON YOU SPURS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Fair points about Bale and VdV.
I am suspending judgement and hoping for the best.
In the end it's the results that matter and I will reserve judgement on Levy for at least the next 10 matches or so to judge this transfer window and yes these selections could really suit AVB's project.
But when it comes to transfers Levy makes it all about Levy. So in the end it's him who I will applaud or blame when it comes to evaluating whether our squad is good enough.
I am concerned but also looking forward to the experiment and the new chapter.
I've seen a lot of slagging off of people who criticize Levy as well as anyone who's expressed pessimism or cause for concern.
I will agree that optimism is probably the best approach right now but if things don't quite work out, I hope those of you glass-half-full/In-DL-we-trust folks will also suspend judgement until we've seen what happens.
Of course you'll probably be able to blame it on AVB in that scenario :)
COYMFS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Some of you folks really surprise me. If you hate Levy and AVB, then you can rightly jump off the boat. Please do. We don't need you. Levy is a genius, and a businessman. So what we didn't get Moutinho. We replaced Modric and vdv with more total midfielders. vdv does not have pace, thus does not fit into system. Doesn't even play 90. Mousa will be a terror, running at players. Siggy and Dempsey can finish. Dempsey SHOULD challenge Lennon for a starting role. Competition is good. World class keeper, who could be here for a decade. And don't you understand EVERYTHING is about the NEW STADIUM?!?!?!?!? That is key. We don't have oil money. I love this team, love the shirt, and am fully behind AVB, why would you want to be pessimistic. Must have a crappy life, so you take out that negativity on Spurs. Get a life.
"...a massive Spurs supporter for over 40 years but will not watch another game for the 1st time in my life." Mark, take a chill pill. I know how you feel but being a football fan is a holy mission, being a Spurs fan is being part of the divine wind (Kamikaze).
I feel Levy has let us down with very poor strategy but can see the merit in the argument Spooky is presenting with the usual eloquence. Time will see who is right and if we start looking like a team that can challenge, because that has to be the bottom line now, then I will get that humble pie back out of the wife's fridge.
Yes, I have got a crappy life but Spurs help to get me through it.
Timmy L - is Levy bigger than the club?
Are you saying have to love Levy and believe he is a genius to love Spurs?
seriously some of u spurs fans need to get real!!!..
not going to support spurs again until levy leaves!?....we don't need supporters like you...jog on down to finsbury park u mugs!
You've got it backwards, son.
I would still support Spurs if Satan were the chairman and Sol C***bell were the manager. That doesn't mean I wouldn't bitch about it.
Thank you Tallestpurpl , you've said exactly what I was thinking - DITTO !!!!!!!!
Of course we are all gutted that we are overloaded with world class players and not sat at the top of the table with 9 points in the bag but FFS lets get a grip on reality... We have NO fucking idea of what it really takes to run / manage a football team
Yes as members of the free speech society we are allowed an opinion
Lets remember our role in THFC is that of a supporter we dont have any other say in the day to day matters.....
So lets do our job ......SUPPORT our club and its members
And to all you bitching twats...FUCK OFF AND SUPPORT FANATSY FOOTBALL.........Nuff said