That was in response to this:
making out like we're so bad because we signed Richarlison or overpaid for Johnson is a nonsense
It’s not really inconsistent, though. It’s consistently at a level befitting a team just above the relegation zone. People don’t like to admit that because young players get massively overhyped based on what they could be.
And again, this was a transfer strategy that the club decided on and has put you in the position. You got here due to five years of massively increased spending and declining squad quality. What happens in the future doesn’t really change this.
And this isn’t me saying Spurs couldn’t significantly improve in the future, of course they could. My comments are on where they are and how they got here, it should be obvious to all Spurs fans that this is the case.
You got here due to five years of massively increased spending and declining squad quality. What happens in the future doesn’t really change this.
---
No it doesn't change the facts of the present. Though it does ignore that we finished 5th last season. This season has been a disaster but that's more because of the strategy in the summer to not invest in ready made players to replace the deadwood we shifted, rather to keep the wage bill stupidly low and bet on young players coming good in a year or two. It's not palatable in the short term at all, even with a top manager you'd think we'd have probably gone backwards a bit. But nothing like 14th or whatever we are now
I don't think we're really disagreeing tbh it's just a different perspective. Let's say for a minute we'd done the opposite in summer and instead of Gray Bergvall Odobert we'd signed 3 30 year olds that kept us in the top 6. Better signings yeah, until they're not and you're left with the wage bill and no returns on the fees.
Now there's definitely a case for that, and I'm making a case for that this summer for sure. But one is not objectively better for long term success than the other. See: United's wage bill.
That’s the thing, though. It’s about getting the balance so that you can kick on. Doesn’t have to be child or pensioner, your summer recruitment didn’t give you the platform to kick on after finishing 5th last season.
I know people are complaining about Levy bringing up the financials, but it’s because of his failures with the squad that have led to the decline in performance and financial losses as a result.
Right then I think we do agree. It's a couple of players we're missing and the transfer strategy that's got us here, rather than the players we've signed being bad it's that the ones we didn't sign were really important. Just like Conte getting Lenglet instead of his CB. Poch getting cheapies, Harry with Nelsen and Saha yadda yadda
On wider recruitment strategy, I think a lot of the bigger clubs have fallen into this trap of having to sign potential top players and, or, past it ones because the prime top players are so expensive. But it means they’ve missed signing solid, dependable players in their prime that are often needed to supplement them. It’s been something I’ve hated about our policy in particular.
and the -10% from the manager making it all look worse
it means they’ve missed signing solid, dependable players in their prime that are often needed to supplement them
---
Yep. Brighton signing Milner was a good one. We should've kept Hojbjerg around in hindsight. No world beater but a heck of a lot more useful than Bissouma 90% of the time
Really interesting article, OP
comment by Darren The King Fletcher (U10026)
posted 9 minutes ago
That’s the thing, though. It’s about getting the balance so that you can kick on. Doesn’t have to be child or pensioner, your summer recruitment didn’t give you the platform to kick on after finishing 5th last season.
I know people are complaining about Levy bringing up the financials, but it’s because of his failures with the squad that have led to the decline in performance and financial losses as a result.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
I think you are over simplifying it and at different times it has been different issues. You are also implying we are 14th because that's the level of the players we have bought.
Right now, most are happy with say 70-80% of the squad. It has been rebuilt, that has focussed a lot of potential, but that potential is starting to show, but we are clearly short of some quality in 2 may be 3 positions.
It's what happens next that determines where we go. Add more 18-22 year olds and we don't really move on.
Add 24- 28 year olds and a real difference is made.
We were linked with Guehi and we got Danso. We were linked with Eze and got Odobert. Danso and Odobert are not poor players, but right now they do not move us on to the next level.
It's hard to judge this season due to the injuries. Last season 5th. This season before all the injuries hit we were in the chasing pack. Perhaps still short of where we'd want to be at this stage. But to point to our position and blame it on the quality of the players and not factor in injuries and manager failings is too simple.
The accusation against Levy is that we have not invested to push us on from our typical 4th - 6th position over the last 15 years to the upper level.
Being at that level is not achieved with "not very good players". We have simply not pushed on to add that real quality to the squad at the right time.
I would also add that Poch's final season and the 2 subsequent years, we did make a right mess of addressing the squad, not helpd by covid and 4 managers in 2 years. But we've moved on from that and the rebuild has been much better if a little pedestrian. I think this season will prove to be a glitch as opposed to a confirmation of the quality of the squad we have assembled.
Devon I hope Levy is paying you well for your one man propaganda campaign. It's getting embarrassing. Levy could burn down the stadium and you'd be saying he's made a massive saving on the cost of running the club which would be invested in better players.
If we don’t qualify for Europe next season through winning the Europa. I expect Romero to go for 50-60m. Tel deal won’t be made permanent.
Then you have Werner going back. Richarlison being tipped for a 15m move. Reguilon’s contract ending. Factor in Solomon probably signing for Leeds for 10m. Cashing in on Bissouma before his contract expires.
That’s probably the guts of just over 450k pw saved on wages.
I’d then just expect us to replace Richarlison in the squad with Scarlett. A new young cheap CM. And also sign a 3rd RB to compete with Porro and Spence.
That would be Levy for you.
Devon, do you work in finance?
I’m an accountant and it always interests me when people talk about accounts
comment by palmers_spur (U8896)
posted 8 hours, 38 minutes ago
Devon, do you work in finance?
I’m an accountant and it always interests me when people talk about accounts
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Don't work in finance, but trained in valuation and investment, so have basic knowledge through this, but clearly not at accountancy level
comment by Brother (U20548)
posted 12 hours, 49 minutes ago
Devon I hope Levy is paying you well for your one man propaganda campaign. It's getting embarrassing. Levy could burn down the stadium and you'd be saying he's made a massive saving on the cost of running the club which would be invested in better players.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
yeah, good one
comment by BelfastSpur (U15068)
posted 10 hours, 20 minutes ago
If we don’t qualify for Europe next season through winning the Europa. I expect Romero to go for 50-60m. Tel deal won’t be made permanent.
Then you have Werner going back. Richarlison being tipped for a 15m move. Reguilon’s contract ending. Factor in Solomon probably signing for Leeds for 10m. Cashing in on Bissouma before his contract expires.
That’s probably the guts of just over 450k pw saved on wages.
I’d then just expect us to replace Richarlison in the squad with Scarlett. A new young cheap CM. And also sign a 3rd RB to compete with Porro and Spence.
That would be Levy for you.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
I think that's a little bit negative. In the ideal world we would like a back up LB, new DM, RW and FWD. We have Vuskovic incoming as a 5th CB and he sounds exciting.
Cardosa seems a likely one to replace Biss, whether he's a big upgrade or not, who knows, but he is getting good reviews.
Where we may stick is having BJ and Deki at RW options, and Son Odobert Moore as LW options. Ideally i think we could do with adding another in this area.
We may also rely on Porro Spence Udogie and Davies to cover the FB positions, and we know Gray can do a job.
But if Richi goes then i'd expect a fwd to be the one big outlay, and whether thats Tel, or similar, who can play forward or wide, who knows. But even with no Europe I would be surprised if we relied on Scarlett as back up to Dom.
We also get paid for Hojbjerg this summer as they have a £17m obligation to buy. Expect we'll also get a fee for Gil too.
comment by Luka "The List" Brasi (U22178)
posted 1 day ago
https://x.com/levynomics1882/status/1907169247014306162?t=KuVuX_HsBSqj4_7li8GLag&s=19
Another POV
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Surprised no one else bothered responding to this. Dev, what's your take on all the points in this? By all accounts, no pun intended, we're good to spend on fees and more importantly wages for the best players, but we won't.
Sign in if you want to comment
Spurs financial figures - observations
Page 3 of 3
posted on 2/4/25
That was in response to this:
making out like we're so bad because we signed Richarlison or overpaid for Johnson is a nonsense
It’s not really inconsistent, though. It’s consistently at a level befitting a team just above the relegation zone. People don’t like to admit that because young players get massively overhyped based on what they could be.
And again, this was a transfer strategy that the club decided on and has put you in the position. You got here due to five years of massively increased spending and declining squad quality. What happens in the future doesn’t really change this.
posted on 2/4/25
And this isn’t me saying Spurs couldn’t significantly improve in the future, of course they could. My comments are on where they are and how they got here, it should be obvious to all Spurs fans that this is the case.
posted on 2/4/25
You got here due to five years of massively increased spending and declining squad quality. What happens in the future doesn’t really change this.
---
No it doesn't change the facts of the present. Though it does ignore that we finished 5th last season. This season has been a disaster but that's more because of the strategy in the summer to not invest in ready made players to replace the deadwood we shifted, rather to keep the wage bill stupidly low and bet on young players coming good in a year or two. It's not palatable in the short term at all, even with a top manager you'd think we'd have probably gone backwards a bit. But nothing like 14th or whatever we are now
posted on 2/4/25
I don't think we're really disagreeing tbh it's just a different perspective. Let's say for a minute we'd done the opposite in summer and instead of Gray Bergvall Odobert we'd signed 3 30 year olds that kept us in the top 6. Better signings yeah, until they're not and you're left with the wage bill and no returns on the fees.
Now there's definitely a case for that, and I'm making a case for that this summer for sure. But one is not objectively better for long term success than the other. See: United's wage bill.
posted on 2/4/25
That’s the thing, though. It’s about getting the balance so that you can kick on. Doesn’t have to be child or pensioner, your summer recruitment didn’t give you the platform to kick on after finishing 5th last season.
I know people are complaining about Levy bringing up the financials, but it’s because of his failures with the squad that have led to the decline in performance and financial losses as a result.
posted on 2/4/25
Right then I think we do agree. It's a couple of players we're missing and the transfer strategy that's got us here, rather than the players we've signed being bad it's that the ones we didn't sign were really important. Just like Conte getting Lenglet instead of his CB. Poch getting cheapies, Harry with Nelsen and Saha yadda yadda
posted on 2/4/25
On wider recruitment strategy, I think a lot of the bigger clubs have fallen into this trap of having to sign potential top players and, or, past it ones because the prime top players are so expensive. But it means they’ve missed signing solid, dependable players in their prime that are often needed to supplement them. It’s been something I’ve hated about our policy in particular.
posted on 2/4/25
and the -10% from the manager making it all look worse
posted on 2/4/25
it means they’ve missed signing solid, dependable players in their prime that are often needed to supplement them
---
Yep. Brighton signing Milner was a good one. We should've kept Hojbjerg around in hindsight. No world beater but a heck of a lot more useful than Bissouma 90% of the time
posted on 2/4/25
Really interesting article, OP
posted on 2/4/25
Bales
posted on 2/4/25
comment by Darren The King Fletcher (U10026)
posted 9 minutes ago
That’s the thing, though. It’s about getting the balance so that you can kick on. Doesn’t have to be child or pensioner, your summer recruitment didn’t give you the platform to kick on after finishing 5th last season.
I know people are complaining about Levy bringing up the financials, but it’s because of his failures with the squad that have led to the decline in performance and financial losses as a result.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
I think you are over simplifying it and at different times it has been different issues. You are also implying we are 14th because that's the level of the players we have bought.
Right now, most are happy with say 70-80% of the squad. It has been rebuilt, that has focussed a lot of potential, but that potential is starting to show, but we are clearly short of some quality in 2 may be 3 positions.
It's what happens next that determines where we go. Add more 18-22 year olds and we don't really move on.
Add 24- 28 year olds and a real difference is made.
We were linked with Guehi and we got Danso. We were linked with Eze and got Odobert. Danso and Odobert are not poor players, but right now they do not move us on to the next level.
It's hard to judge this season due to the injuries. Last season 5th. This season before all the injuries hit we were in the chasing pack. Perhaps still short of where we'd want to be at this stage. But to point to our position and blame it on the quality of the players and not factor in injuries and manager failings is too simple.
The accusation against Levy is that we have not invested to push us on from our typical 4th - 6th position over the last 15 years to the upper level.
Being at that level is not achieved with "not very good players". We have simply not pushed on to add that real quality to the squad at the right time.
I would also add that Poch's final season and the 2 subsequent years, we did make a right mess of addressing the squad, not helpd by covid and 4 managers in 2 years. But we've moved on from that and the rebuild has been much better if a little pedestrian. I think this season will prove to be a glitch as opposed to a confirmation of the quality of the squad we have assembled.
posted on 2/4/25
Devon I hope Levy is paying you well for your one man propaganda campaign. It's getting embarrassing. Levy could burn down the stadium and you'd be saying he's made a massive saving on the cost of running the club which would be invested in better players.
posted on 2/4/25
If we don’t qualify for Europe next season through winning the Europa. I expect Romero to go for 50-60m. Tel deal won’t be made permanent.
Then you have Werner going back. Richarlison being tipped for a 15m move. Reguilon’s contract ending. Factor in Solomon probably signing for Leeds for 10m. Cashing in on Bissouma before his contract expires.
That’s probably the guts of just over 450k pw saved on wages.
I’d then just expect us to replace Richarlison in the squad with Scarlett. A new young cheap CM. And also sign a 3rd RB to compete with Porro and Spence.
That would be Levy for you.
posted on 3/4/25
Devon, do you work in finance?
I’m an accountant and it always interests me when people talk about accounts
posted on 3/4/25
comment by palmers_spur (U8896)
posted 8 hours, 38 minutes ago
Devon, do you work in finance?
I’m an accountant and it always interests me when people talk about accounts
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Don't work in finance, but trained in valuation and investment, so have basic knowledge through this, but clearly not at accountancy level
posted on 3/4/25
comment by Brother (U20548)
posted 12 hours, 49 minutes ago
Devon I hope Levy is paying you well for your one man propaganda campaign. It's getting embarrassing. Levy could burn down the stadium and you'd be saying he's made a massive saving on the cost of running the club which would be invested in better players.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
yeah, good one
posted on 3/4/25
comment by BelfastSpur (U15068)
posted 10 hours, 20 minutes ago
If we don’t qualify for Europe next season through winning the Europa. I expect Romero to go for 50-60m. Tel deal won’t be made permanent.
Then you have Werner going back. Richarlison being tipped for a 15m move. Reguilon’s contract ending. Factor in Solomon probably signing for Leeds for 10m. Cashing in on Bissouma before his contract expires.
That’s probably the guts of just over 450k pw saved on wages.
I’d then just expect us to replace Richarlison in the squad with Scarlett. A new young cheap CM. And also sign a 3rd RB to compete with Porro and Spence.
That would be Levy for you.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
I think that's a little bit negative. In the ideal world we would like a back up LB, new DM, RW and FWD. We have Vuskovic incoming as a 5th CB and he sounds exciting.
Cardosa seems a likely one to replace Biss, whether he's a big upgrade or not, who knows, but he is getting good reviews.
Where we may stick is having BJ and Deki at RW options, and Son Odobert Moore as LW options. Ideally i think we could do with adding another in this area.
We may also rely on Porro Spence Udogie and Davies to cover the FB positions, and we know Gray can do a job.
But if Richi goes then i'd expect a fwd to be the one big outlay, and whether thats Tel, or similar, who can play forward or wide, who knows. But even with no Europe I would be surprised if we relied on Scarlett as back up to Dom.
We also get paid for Hojbjerg this summer as they have a £17m obligation to buy. Expect we'll also get a fee for Gil too.
posted on 3/4/25
comment by Luka "The List" Brasi (U22178)
posted 1 day ago
https://x.com/levynomics1882/status/1907169247014306162?t=KuVuX_HsBSqj4_7li8GLag&s=19
Another POV
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Surprised no one else bothered responding to this. Dev, what's your take on all the points in this? By all accounts, no pun intended, we're good to spend on fees and more importantly wages for the best players, but we won't.
Page 3 of 3