It's been interesting seeing Levy in action in All or Nothing .
I think he has come across slightly better than many people expected, but also displaying some of the frustrating characteristics that most perceived before hand and particularly when it comes to transfers
What has struck me is that he seems very hands on. Always at the training ground always mingling with the players and the coaches etc, constantly in conversation with staff etc.
When you take this approach he has and consider the enormity of the stadium design and build, you can see how that would have been all consuming for someone like Levy. His attention to detail alongside his propensity to interfere on every aspect of that build would have occupied his mind all day.
While the finances of the club would have been restricted during that time I think it is as much the case that our transfer dealings were affected by Levy having too much on his plate.
Looking back a summer with no transfers is almost understandable when you consider the complexity of getting players in. For every position they probably need to sound out 3 or 4 options, may be more. Buying players is not simple unless money is no problem. Spurs will have had a budget for several positions and had, for example, several LB targets. They need sounding out - will the club sell? will the player come? can the fee be afforded? can the wages be afforded? If we get this player how it affects the budget for other positions? Do we spend more on our first choice in position A, meaning we have to go 3rd choice in position B, or vice versa? All of this while not actually being in control of when a player might make his mind up. They might jump at the chance or they might want to see what other offers they get. Plus there is also the need to sell some players to make room and possibly change the budget to buy. Its a massive and very difficult balancing act made harder by the way Levy approaches negotiations.
I agree with Levy that most fans do not understand the complexity of individual transfers but also the complexity of getting in several players within a fixed budget.
It would be interesting to hear Levy's view on how well he balanced the running of the club, and esp. transfers, with the new build because it looks like things really suffered - The squad quality, the morale, the morale of the manager, the results
Now, however, we have seen 2 post-new stadium summer windows when the focus can be soley on our transfers. We have seen additions of:
NDombele £54m
Sessegnon £25m
Lo Celso £35m
Bergwijn £27m
Fernandes loan
Clarke £10m
Doherty £13m
PEH £15m
and possibly
Bale loan
Reguilon £28m
Money is being spent. Dealings have not always been last minute. We have targeted the areas of the team that need improving and if we also manage to get a decent back up striker in, we really will have one of our strongest squads in a long long time.
The man has his faults. Some decisions in the past have really cost us and transfer windows are so frustrating usually. But the stadium is a massive cash generating machine. Our revenues now exceed Arsenal and Chelsea and this will help us compete - Amazon, Jose, Bale. All these things raise our profile and this is no bad thing. The signs are Levy is more prepared to loosen those purse strings, even in these difficult times, really good deals are getting done. I think the man deserves a bit of credit.
Some Credit to Levy
posted on 17/9/20
comment by sandy (U20567)
posted 14 minutes ago
Devonshire
Great positive article mate. Top, top article. Looking at the bigger picture, instead of the all the knee jerk nonsense about Levy and Mourinho, the players and the club in general. And if not for Jose factor and Levy pushing the boat out, I doubt Bale would even consider coming back.
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Welcome back Sandy... Hope you're well
posted on 17/9/20
Sandy
posted on 17/9/20
comment by morespurs (U15748)
posted 6 minutes ago
comment by sandy (U20567)
posted 7 minutes ago
Devonshire
Great positive article mate. Top, top article. Looking at the bigger picture, instead of the all the knee jerk nonsense about Levy and Mourinho, the players and the club in general. And if not for Jose factor and Levy pushing the boat out, I doubt Bale would even consider coming back.
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Where have been hiding Sandy you senile fool?
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Not been hiding, just not posting much because of all the negativity. The way some of our supporters are behaving, throwing their toys out of the pram because Jose and Daniel Levy are not spending £200 grand every week on a new player is frankly embarrassing.
Not really sure what they want the club to do, were they happy with the old 36,000 capacity stadium? The club have invested in the stadium and new players. But apparently that is still not good enough for some. I just don`t get the constant moaning all the time. Even on this article, one poster is saying the damage has been done. What because Spurs hired one of the biggest names in world football, and are now about to resign a Spurs legend. WTF is their to all moan about. Hardly like anybody, other than my age, has seen trophies flooding through the doors over the past 30/40 years. So lots are acting like spoilt little children wanting everything at once, and not prepared for a bit of patience with the new manager.
posted on 17/9/20
Very fair post Devonshire, He's far from perfect but he certainly has a tough job on his hands.
There's not much point beating him for the inactivity of a couple of years ago. He knows & accepts the fact that he got lucky with Poch and I'm sure he looks back now with regrets and about how he backed him, but whats done is done.
The stadium is what it is and his timing with Covid is simply terrible bad luck. With that said if he can get these deals done and properly support Jose despite the financial impact of covid then he should be applauded.
Maybe with the stadium now done he can refocus his attention to properly backing the team and can now accept that nobody stands still for long at this level.
Hopefully an adjustment in his attitude to selling players can help us recoup some money, lose some of the deadweight and make the need for mega deals like Bale the exception rather than the norm.
Having done so little to commit to to the footballing side of things in the past few years I'm pleased to see him take a calculated risk given our current situation requires
posted on 17/9/20
Spurs fans,quick question because i've seen this mentioned a few times....what makes or has made Gareth Bale a Spurs 'legend'?
posted on 17/9/20
comment by Everywhere you go always take Lamela with you. (U7905)
posted 35 minutes ago
Thought he came across awfully in the documentary. Didn't have a clue when talking about football, his main observation was player's running fast. Seemed in awe of Jose, who didn't seem to have any interest in talking to him. His Ndombele chat was David Brentesque.
However, on the transfer front, since the stadium opened he has definitely invested a lot more in the squad. Unfortunately the damage has been done, and hiring Jose has set us back even further.
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this,
i dont hate levy and some of the hate towards him is far too much but in that documentary he was embarrassing,
posted on 17/9/20
comment by sandy (U20567)
posted 11 minutes ago
comment by morespurs (U15748)
posted 6 minutes ago
comment by sandy (U20567)
posted 7 minutes ago
Devonshire
Great positive article mate. Top, top article. Looking at the bigger picture, instead of the all the knee jerk nonsense about Levy and Mourinho, the players and the club in general. And if not for Jose factor and Levy pushing the boat out, I doubt Bale would even consider coming back.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Where have been hiding Sandy you senile fool?
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Not been hiding, just not posting much because of all the negativity. The way some of our supporters are behaving, throwing their toys out of the pram because Jose and Daniel Levy are not spending £200 grand every week on a new player is frankly embarrassing.
Not really sure what they want the club to do, were they happy with the old 36,000 capacity stadium? The club have invested in the stadium and new players. But apparently that is still not good enough for some. I just don`t get the constant moaning all the time. Even on this article, one poster is saying the damage has been done. What because Spurs hired one of the biggest names in world football, and are now about to resign a Spurs legend. WTF is their to all moan about. Hardly like anybody, other than my age, has seen trophies flooding through the doors over the past 30/40 years. So lots are acting like spoilt little children wanting everything at once, and not prepared for a bit of patience with the new manager.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Hi Sandy, can you do an article of your thought for the season, the opening game, the transfer business and thoughts on the squad please
posted on 17/9/20
comment by AFCISMYTEAM (U14931)
posted 12 minutes ago
Spurs fans,quick question because i've seen this mentioned a few times....what makes or has made Gareth Bale a Spurs 'legend'?
----------------------------------------------------------------------
He was brilliant for Spurs his last two seasons. Gave the supporters a lot of enjoyment. Football is not just about trophies. Tom Finney and Stan Matthews were both legends at their clubs, won next to nothing between them. Plenty of players that are absolutely rubbish can hoover up medals if they are at the right club in modern day football. You could sit on the bench for teams like City, Real Madrid, Barcelona, Bayern, PSG etc. last decade and have oodles of medals just for having five minute cameos, every couple of matches or so.
posted on 17/9/20
comment by sandy (U20567)
posted 22 minutes ago
comment by morespurs (U15748)
posted 6 minutes ago
comment by sandy (U20567)
posted 7 minutes ago
Devonshire
Great positive article mate. Top, top article. Looking at the bigger picture, instead of the all the knee jerk nonsense about Levy and Mourinho, the players and the club in general. And if not for Jose factor and Levy pushing the boat out, I doubt Bale would even consider coming back.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Where have been hiding Sandy you senile fool?
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Not been hiding, just not posting much because of all the negativity. The way some of our supporters are behaving, throwing their toys out of the pram because Jose and Daniel Levy are not spending £200 grand every week on a new player is frankly embarrassing.
Not really sure what they want the club to do, were they happy with the old 36,000 capacity stadium? The club have invested in the stadium and new players. But apparently that is still not good enough for some. I just don`t get the constant moaning all the time. Even on this article, one poster is saying the damage has been done. What because Spurs hired one of the biggest names in world football, and are now about to resign a Spurs legend. WTF is their to all moan about. Hardly like anybody, other than my age, has seen trophies flooding through the doors over the past 30/40 years. So lots are acting like spoilt little children wanting everything at once, and not prepared for a bit of patience with the new manager.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
I know what you mean mate! You know I was joking calling "senile"
I also hid for few days a I was getting depressed with the outlook and the general level of doom mongering that was here, specially from couple of posters in here.
Good to have you back mate!
Mr Jose has done us proud right now and kudos to you Sandy for telling us to be patient with him
COYS!
PS: Have you ever kissed a bald head? Levy might get one from me soon
posted on 17/9/20
As someone who regularly defends Levy I would say he came across as a bit of a slimy weasel on the show