Few weeks ago Tottenham Hotspur supporters trust asked some questions to ownership of club. They answered last night with I'd tell not appropriate, nervous voice. You can read their answers in full here.
In short it was between lines this. How dare you to ask us those questions you @$@$@$, do you remember how bad you were before we took over, you were mid table to lower table club, you had small stadium and look at us now! You are successful club which played in 13 of 17 seasons in European competition including 6 Champions Leagues! Do you remember how small stadium you had and now you have big ?We are devoted to spending money to reinforce our squad. Last summer we invested 200 million, this January we obligated to invest 47 millions and we are still hearing voices saying we don't invest. Yes some of players we bought did not work as we expected and we are paying price for those wrong decisions now, but we made steps to make our recruitment policy better and stuff like that.
Let's question ourselves some questions:
Are we better now than what we were before ENIC ?
Compared to previous owner in terms of position on the table yes we are, in terms of number of trophies I don't think so. One minor trophy like League Cup for 22 years is nothing for club which should be big. Why don't we have more trophies ? Because ownership didn't support coaches properly and most of them didn't have enough time on the bench to do something big. Examples: They refused to pay some little money for Grealish because they thought it is to much and player went to Aston Villa and become 100 million worth after. Jose wanted Bruno Fernandes, he had things packed for Spurs, but they failed to sign him and he got Gedson. Who remember Gedson now ? Jose wanted Kim min-jae who plays for Napoli now while he was in Turkey, Spurs offered 5 million other side requested 10 but that was to much for this board. Look at him now. Harry Rednapp said something about his times and Suarez too. Poch wanted Mane, they refused...Conte wanted Bastoni, Pau or Guardiol and he ended up with Lenglet on loan. Those are not only examples. Of course. to be fair those 3 didn't want to come or were to expensive which I can understand, but Botman was reachable and they didn't even bid for him. Look at him now. There is long history of not supporting coaches here. Examples are numerous. Do you remember when they didn't sign anyone for 500 or so days under Poch because they are building stadium ? They took loan to build stadium and didn't use live cache so I'd say they could support that coach even back than. Their claim they spent 200 million in summer is not true. Even if we count Romero like signing of last summer and player they signed who coach didn't want to use or ask for like Djed Spence spent money is not going above 178 million. Is this big spending anyway ? Yes it is. They brought rwb Porro and that is support of coach too. I thought they changed in that aspect a bit. I and no one expect buying players on Kilogram like Chelsea is doing under new owner, but expect support like 2-3 better players than we have in every transfer window on urgent positions first.
Is qualifying for European football merit of success ?
It should be for smaller clubs like Brighton, Wolves, Southampton etc.., but you are not in such club you are in Tottenham gentleman! Merit of success of big club and board are big trophies. Under you we were close couple of times, but won only one little League Cup for 22 years!! There is a theory I support which said: If there is no trophy for 1 year it's players, if there is non in 3-4 years it's coach, if there is non for 7-8 years it's board! You are not on 7-8 you are on 15 (double!) years even if we count League Cup! I know competition is not fair, but 15 years for big club is to long period!
Do we have bigger stadium ?
Yes we have, but fans like to say old White Heart Lane had soul. Ok bigger stadium can bring more revenue, it's solid foundation for getting money even from non football activities. But they built it on loan which they are repaying from revenue now. How many non football events can they organize on this stadium per year ? I've hear local journalist saying Real Madrid repaid stadium reconstruction worth of 500 million by simply selling right to organize non sport events for next 20 years or so to some company and returned invested money with one elegant move. That is on example one possibility. Why not learn from the best and richest ?
Did we have some signings which didn't work like we expected and we are paying price for that right now ?
Yes we did, mainly because Daniel Levy is deciding who to sign without much consulting of coaches or directors of football or he put non competent people to do that in the past. So it's probably your fault anyway. Fans asked him to step away from that and to employ someone competent for that and he hired Fabio Paratici who is doing this job very good. However we can see Daniel Levy didn't step away from it because he is signing players like Djed Spence without consulting coach or DoF. Paratici has legal problems in Italy and is facing suspension. Who did you bring to work with him ? Man from Everton Gretar Rafn Steinsson ? Where was Everton at that point ? Little above where they are now. What kind of players he brought there ? We must have better DoF in case of Fabio's fall due process in Turin Italy. There is no room for more mistakes there!
Main problem here is not selling players who did not work for us as we expected. We're just sending them on loan and we paid like 250 million for all of them! That's potential 250 million of locked founds! I believe Daniel Levy is some sort of market owner who would rather give player for free than sell him for lower price than he paid him for. Look at Dele Alli example. We waited for him to rust completely before we gave him to Everton like present. Look what they did with Doherty. That shows how really we are talking about ridiculous small amount of money for them they are spending in football club. 2,5,10 millions mean to them like 20,50,100 Euro to rest of us. But Ego's are to big like I am not paying for administrative fees which lead almost to collapse of Porro's deal.
Imagine you ordered some cool thing worth 450 E (PS), your child really want it, you thought shipment fees are zero and you find you need to pay extra 30 E for that. You can be angry because of that, but would you really return package and disappoint kid or pay 30 and then tell about bad practices of store you ordered this for ? I already know your answer...
Serious owner would sell all those non wanted and not young who are 24 or more years old, rise founds and invest it on players coach really wants on positions that need urgent addressing like left central back, central back, goalkeeper and to increase level of players on the bench.
Real questions should be:
Where is your financial report for 2022 ?
Let's see your revenue and expenses. Prove you are not parasites which just suck money from the club like some fans are claiming.
Do you have any passion for football as sport ?
According to that how bored Daniel Levy is looking on stadium every time camera is zooming him I'd say there is no passion at all about football in him. Joe Lewis never attended any football game too. I mean if you don't have passion why don't you sell club to someone else who has it ?
Is it true you sacked Jose Mourinho few days before League Cup final because you were afraid he might win it to avoid paying him bonuses like some pundit claimed ? Why did you do that then and not at the end of the season ? That tells a lot about ambition if it's truth.
Why is Daniel Levy still buying players he wants without consulting with coach/DoF so called "club signings" ?
Is it truth that we're drilled by non football influence to the point that some players deliberately make Sunday league errors in multiple consecutive games ? Are you ordering that to easier sack the manager or is that happening because of some cooperation with betting sponsors or their or some rival club's influence ?
Just stop it, cut it, get those players out of club, replace them!
I am thinking this because I still don't understand this:
What happened to team under Jose which were first in December after playing and winning games against Arsenal and Manchester City ?
What happen with the squad after Champions League final under Poch and in next season ?
Is it truth you sacked Rednapp and Poch when they felt they can fight for the title with just couple of more signings just to avoid spending money ?
Why did you change managers so often in the past when everyone know manager need at least 3 years to implement vision and multiple windows to change players with those who can play his style ?
Why don't you sell players manager doesn't count on but send them on loan (those 24+)?
Is it truth that Daniel Levy has the biggest salary among all club chairmen ?
One advice for the end: Managers need time of three or four years to assemble powerful squad, to implement their vision and to win things. It's very rare that manager comes and become champion in first season unless he is not coming in some super team full of world class stars. Pep was not champion in first season, Klopp needed years to make goal scoring machine in Liverpool. Conte didn't come in team full of world stars, he'll need at least two more transfer windows to assemble squad which can fight for tittle. Continue supporting him like until now or if it's possible better. Stop influence on players to make mistakes whatever source of it is (you, bettors, rival clubs, moles in the board, other coaches who want to jump in... ) and let them play like they can.
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