The Football.....

[Red17]

Crystal Palace place in Europe next season looks under threat, but not sure Notts Forest need to be getting involved
https://www.skysports.com/football/... their concerns,of multi-club ownership rules.

 

[AndyRM]

I disagree. Levy runs Spurs as a profitable business, which is not the norm for a football club. On top of that Tottenham are one of the clubs who as near as it gets to permanent fixtures in the PL, guaranteeing their fans top class football every week despite their poor league position this year, and they play in European competitions more often than most clubs can even dream about - resulting in a trophy this year and they have one of the best stadiums in Europe. Only one club can win the league and only four (Now five) can get into the Champions League - it is arrogance in the extreme to think your club is entitled to be there.

Of course they could always spunk gazillions up the wall on a futile attempt to win the league and end up with a stadium falling to that's bits and a load of non-performing superstars, like some other club I could mention. Or like Leeds who spent decades among the also rans after getting it all wrong.

Football fans should be careful what they wish for, because it goes wrong far more often than it succeeds.

I don't disagree with any of that, but rightly or wrongly he's perceived as the problem.

 

[No Ta Doctor]

I don't disagree with any of that, but rightly or wrongly he's perceived as the problem.

The fundamental issue for Spurs is their Spursiness.

They like to think of themselves as a Big Club despite not having won the league since 1961 and being a "cup team" with a pretty mediocre record in the cups. 1961 is closer to the start of the second Boer war, Bayer inventing aspirin, Queen Victoria's diamond jubilee and the discovery of the electron than it is to today. If you were legally allowed to got to the pub and have a drink to celebrate their title you'd be in your eighties or older now.

On top of that, while Levy has been quite shrewd in extracting huge amounts for selling players he's never really given a manager time to properly develop a team, it's all short to mid termism. The new stadium is a big step for them, though the capacity does smack a bit of trying to one-up Arsenal (it's about 2k bigger). But while their fans eat their own and Levy caters to them they'll never make genuine progress.



Full transparency: I'm an Arsenal fan that grew up within hearing distance of Highbury

 

[midlandsgrimpeur]

Spurs biggest issue is that they are run as a business, not a football club and Levy is pretty successful at this. Unfortunately (if you are a Spurs fan) he has no interest in spending big to get a squad that can challenge for the PL. From a business perspective Levy is great, from a football perspective he is the problem.

 

[Vapin' Joe]

Spurs biggest issue is that they are run as a business, not a football club and Levy is pretty successful at this. Unfortunately (if you are a Spurs fan) he has no interest in spending big to get a squad that can challenge for the PL. From a business perspective Levy is great, from a football perspective he is the problem.

As many clubs have found out spending big leads to nothing more than a massive debt, far more often than it brings success.

 

[midlandsgrimpeur]

As many clubs have found out spending big leads to nothing more than a massive debt, far more often than it brings success.

Very true, but without it you have little chance, Leicester very much being a one off. I actually agree with Levy's approach as it's sustainable, but I imagine your average Spurs fan does not.

 

[Beebo]

England looking very poor.
But the season is over and I guess the players just couldn’t be bothered.
Not good enough.

 

[No Ta Doctor]

Very true, but without it you have little chance, Leicester very much being a one off. I actually agree with Levy's approach as it's sustainable, but I imagine your average Spurs fan does not.

Arsenal are also run as a business and are far more successful. (Arsenal fans also moan about the owners not bankrolling expensive signings, but I'm glad they don't)

 

[midlandsgrimpeur]

Arsenal are also run as a business and are far more successful. (Arsenal fans also moan about the owners not bankrolling expensive signings, but I'm glad they don't)

True, Arsenal probably straddle the line between commercial success and being title contenders better than any club at present yet still fall short. I suspect they are 2-3 players short a PL title, but like you say, unlikely to bankroll them.

 

[midlandsgrimpeur]

England looking very poor.
But the season is over and I guess the players just couldn’t be bothered.
Not good enough.

Southgate understood that England Manager was equally about changing the culture and creating an actual team rather than the best 11 players. It isn't Tuchels fault, no foreign manager is ever really likely to grasp what a poisoned chalice the England job is. It has never really been about tactics, but about managing the players mindset and trying to stop them being terrified of the ridiculous expectations of the press and England fans. I suspect the WC is going to be a disaster a la 2010.

 

[laurentian]

Absolutely!

Southgate was, for many other reasons other than his unequivocal success on the pitch, the best England manager in my lifetime. I worried at the time that he may still be when I pop my clogs.

 

[PaulSB]

Spotted in today's Caffè stop. It's true.

 

[Joey Shabadoo]

Spotted in today's Caffè stop. It's true.

View attachment 775981

Surprised it isn't broken from when he fell over walking back to the table.

 

[Vapin' Joe]

Very true, but without it you have little chance, Leicester very much being a one off. I actually agree with Levy's approach as it's sustainable, but I imagine your average Spurs fan does not.

The average fan would be jumping for joy if their club borrowed a billion quid to fund new players, then they'd blame the owners lack of financial sense when it went bust.

Most fans live in a dream world.