Our thanks to Jack Adams!
Everyone knows that the January transfer window is a bit of a hit-and-miss affair. There are bargains and deals to be had, but they are few and so to get something decent into a squad you need to act fast, act professionally and be decisive. Such efficiencies are the visible mark of the quality of management at any club.
When Manchester City, Chelsea, Liverpool, and Man United want a player, they go out and get a player. If a Japanese centre-back is £20 million, a club puts the money down on the table and walks away with the player. If they need a striker, they go and get a striker. They don’t widen their pitch so they can add more midfielders to the starting line-up. Professional clubs of serious intent are decisive.
There is a lot to question about Manchester United, but they always go out and buy players. The management may be questionable but at Old Trafford, they know they have to produce a football team. That is why, even with a ship shot full of holes and a squad that looks mismatched, you still can’t write off the Red Devils. Loathe them as much as you like, no please, fill your boots and loathe them, they are always a football team, they are always a threat, and they attract true talent.
Being a professional football club, becoming a successful football team, and playing a game that thrills and entertains is the hallmark of good ownership. Outside the top four, and yes, I believe we should get away from this idea of a top-six, some very interesting clubs are emerging as serious.
Aston Villa immediately springs to mind. They decisively obtained Stephen Gerrard, a man who won the Champions League on his own, in order to put a serial winner at the helm. They are buying players and gathering together a serious-looking squad. Players look at Villa as a place to go, they can see a club that is going to be playing good football and scratching their way up the table battle by battle.
West Ham, god help all of us, appear to be getting it right. You could be forgiven for thinking that Sullivan and Gold are a comedy act duo from the Victorian music hall tradition but they have managed to knock the Irons into some sort of credible shape.
Leicester appears to have owners who love their club, want to do everything possible to make the team competitive. As the benchmark for minnow status, Leicester is a club that hasn’t just punched above its weight but hammered its way onto the top table. They even snatched a league title from the grasp of a much less serious club.
Of course, we can also look at Wolves and hold our breath to see what transpires at Newcastle over the coming seasons, but there is only one club in the whole league where there is no uncertainty. Daniel Levy’s record has been consistent, his approach to transfer windows has been reliably predictable, nobody gets over-excited because everyone knows nothing is going to happen.
Even if something does happen, nine times out of ten the decision-making process behind it turns out to be dreadfully poor. Yes, Daniel has a 99% success rate at standing still and not making any moves that could disturb the thick atmosphere of choking fog around THFC.
The only serious intent at our club lies with the fans, and they do not have the power to turn intention into fact. All we can achieve is to dare and are impotent in the field of actually doing. Every transfer window highlights that THFC is not a serious football club. Every season confirms that Spurs are not a threat to anyone and nothing to be concerned about.
The likes of Liverpool, City, Utd, and Chelsea have always planned the season with the understanding that Ferguson was right, “It’s only Tottenham.”
We all hate that incisive analysis of our dreams. We hate it all the more because in our hearts we know that it is right. Every transfer window tells us that even if we shut our eyes and hold our hands over our ears, we know we are not a serious football club.
It’s not that we fans don’t have serious intent, it’s just that the owners don’t even know what that term means in relation to managing a football club.
I am not sure I agree with you Marbella Spur! I don’t think Levy holds Spurs fans in contempt! I do not believe he ever gives us a moment’s thought, he does not even disturb his considerations with thoughts about customers or any assessment of their value other than in the sales ledger. If he actually took the time to hold us in contempt then that would be something at least; to resent someone you have to first acknowledge the importance of their existence! Levy doesn’t even do that. Otherwise, everything you have said is spot on in my book, especially the bit about well-written articles!!! Best wishes from someone who is also suffering from a deep sense of detachment!
I too have supported for about 50 years and find myself these days observing casually from a distance as if vaguely following a long running but somewhat tired soap opera.
The thing that baffles a lot of fans is that so much of ENIC’s behaviour seems self defeating.
Just when they are on the verge of success they refuse to invest. Or the investment in players is scatter gun three or four duds for every good one.
A little bit of investment properly done to get Champions League football, and win trophies, grow the club’s reputation, grow the finances, expand the fan base worldwide and create more revenue to reinvest in the team.
It’s basically what Liverpool have done. How many flops do Liverpool buy compared to Spurs? Very few.
Then again Liverpool learned the hard way that success can’t be taken for granted and are run by people who know their business.
I’m with you. Someone said to me in this blog a while ago that I bring Levy nd co into most if not all my comments. Not strictly true and an exaggeration on his part. But ! Had the person making that comment noticed this blog is, in general terms about the mid handling of our club by ENIC the owners but in particular the micro management by Levy.
I, like many in this blog have banged the drum that neither of the above are a force for good for our football club. They, like the politicians who govern our country, are self serving and whose only interest is what they get out of the deal. It’s what’s best for them, not the club or it’s supporters. I’m de sensitised to it now. My only hope is that at some point before I die I at least see us play with pomp we played in days gone by. That we can win domestically trophy’s and dare I say it a European one too. We’ve done it before in my lifetime. I’d like to think we could do it again. I’m old enough, cynical enough and far too long in the tooth to know it won’t happen with this chairman and owner. If there is a footballing god of sorts. A new owner, one who want to win stuff will appear on the horizon soon and make blogs like this a thing of the past. A blog where we celebrate being a top class football club with top class owners.
No offence meant there H. But I’m sure you’d rather extoll the virtues of the above over that insidious bald chairman of ours.
Totally agree. Like you I have been supporting this club for over 50 years, I remember the first time I saw spurs i was 9 years old. my brother took me to white Hart Lane to watch the uefa cup final spurs vs wolves (back than it was home and away) I was hooked the atmosphere was amazing. One thing I loved about spurs was we always attracted great players. I was over the moon when we bought Ardiles…Klinsmann…Ginola…Lineker….Gascoigne etc..we bought players that I knew immediately. These days we buy players that most of us have never heard of. Well…..my point is this team just doesn’t excite me anymore. I use to look forward to the weekend to watch my fav team…these days I hardly know who we are playing next Saturday or is it Sunday….thank you levy for truly f****ing up my one and only love.
That’s exactly how I feel after 51 years of support. Detached. I had more Faith and Pride after Relegation and not wanting to sound smart, I said that THFC will never be a Serious Football Club with ENIC, Levy and Co at the helm. I said this on this very Blog around 10 yesrs back. It would be great if Harry had it on record. Most on here are of the same mindset.
Ding ding ding
Winner winner chicken binner.
Keep spending your money
I wonder of our difficulties offloading deadwood are partly due to the fact that it’s not that clubs don’t want the players, but they just don’t want to deal with Levy and the protracted headache he induces.
Despite a plethora of well written articles, particularly today, including this one, I have arrived at the sad conclusion that nothing will ever change with Levy in charge unless we are faced with relegation and slumping crowd attendances. Levy will never alter his well publicised MO. He holds the supporters in complete contempt along with the traditions of a once great club which played exceptional football and actually won trophies, years before Levy began his insidious rule. Unfortunately, the majority of fans seem indifferent to the club’s deficiencies and it is only a few hard headed and pragmatic fans on this site who really seem to care. Unless there are really widespread demos in the stadium and a high level of abuse aimed directly at Levy, nothing will change. I have resigned myself to this sad state of affairs and will still continue to watch all the games I can but in a very detached manner.
There’s owning a football club and investing in it to be successful on and off the pitch.
Then there’s owning a football club and only investing in its infrastructure and real
estate to further your business portfolio.
For the hard of hearing, we’re the latter.
I’m sure Danny boy’s mobile number is blocked by most of the chairman in the world.
Every story I’ve ever read about dealing with him says he is a nightmare.
As we all knows there lies the problem, just once I would love us to follow the Liverpools citys uniteds and chelseas when it comes to buying a player.