Money talk understandably dominates most discussions about Tottenham Hotspur Football Club. Certain clubs have recurring themes, be it West Bromwich with the whole “Boing Boing” shtick due to their constant promotion relegation cycle, or Chelsea for their notable services to racism.
I would go as far as saying that most fans understand that football in the 21st century is no worse than any other professional sport, and people that enjoy Formula One don’t tend to moan about the telephone numbers spent on the cars and drivers.
Horse racing aficionados are almost never overheard bemoaning the lavish lifestyles enjoyed by the Grade A nags. So professional sports fans, generally speaking, don’t tend to be heavily infiltrated by Marxists, wishing that their whole sport were nationalized.
Yet when it comes to Tottenham, it has to be said, a good number of fans remain hesitant about spending money on players and player salaries, for fear of profligacy creeping in. The phrase “do a Leeds” did not enter the footballing parlance by accident. Of course, this particular idiom is all the more intriguing, because nobody else has truly done a Leeds. The odds of anyone ever repeating the stupidity of that model must be tiny. There’s a reason humans gave up trying to eat raw chicken meat, folks!
In fact, in the international bestseller, “Soccernomics” (Simon Kuper & Stefan Szymanski – Harper and Collins, 2009) chapter 4 is actually entitled, Safer Than The Bank of England: Why Football Clubs virtually Never Disappear.
This week, Football Insider have claimed that Spurs are about to release their latest financials, which will only serve to underline what a sensational moneymaker THFC is for ENIC.
On the pitch, Tottenham have been the perennial bridesmaids. Challenging, or “competing” as Mauricio Pochettino referred to it, whilst an inherently positive pursuit, can be fatiguing for all concerned in a professional sport where winning is the metric. No better evidence was the sorry form from Spurs after losing the Champions League final, after 5 and half years at the helm, results suggested that the Argentine had finally run out of steam.
Suddenly, Daniel Levy broke from an established pattern of appointing up-and-coming coaches and installed a box office gaffer in the form of José Mourinho. This master of dark arts would cost the club TWICE as much as the handsomely remunerated Poch.
Now, even Mourinho is struggling. Admittedly, not quite to the same extent that his predecessor was, but the current Tottenham squad clearly lacks balance. José’s lament over strikers a tad disingenuous, and is perhaps a semi-subliminal cry for a broader help. Eric Dier hasn’t worked out. Tanguy Ndombele appears to be losing the battle to stay fit, Premier League fit.
In professional sports, money buys the best players. Money buys the best horses. Money buys the best race cars. ENIC money has bought bricks and mortar. Commercially advantageous bricks and mortar, but bricks and mortar nevertheless.
ENIC have made an indisputable choice thus far, one that has been against risking money on player investment, over a choice that champions investment on the club’s infrastructure.
So riddle me this dear reader. Are ENIC …and glory on the tufty old green stuff, mutually exclusive things? Kindly bear in mind that we are fast approaching these owners’ 20th year in post and Spurs have won just one domestic trophy.
Just how long is one supposed to wait? Because I know the length of a piece of string. It’s twice the length of one end to its middle. Knowing how long a Spurs fan is supposed to hang on, is far less obvious.
Dear reader, make your case.
Agree with that too. Leopards never change their spots.
Anyone backing Levy to change and depart from what he’s been doing for 20 years is either in denial or a thicko…
Agree with all of that.
Our only hope of genuine ambition on the pitch is for ENIC to sell to owners that will take it on.
It’s clear Levy doesn’t have either the stomach or the ambition to oversee a creative and progressive on-pitch project.
We were there, about two seasons ago we were in that position and Levy went the route of no signings and letting the whole thing stagnate.
We need no further evidence of where he’s at in that respect.
ENIC OUT.
Interesting. Does Fulham’s manager have a face that ‘fits’?
Glory to ENIC is 95% a healthy bottom line, 5% football success – if that.
Levy and Lewis are just waiting for that £2 billion+ offer. Then you won’t see their a***s for dust.
Levy would probably rather just sell him to the highest bidder, he’d effectively ‘sack’ Kane and rake in 100m in the process. Levy cares not about these things, sadly.
As long as he’s financially compensated anyway…
Harry kane is the man to force levys hand. Sign some world class players, or I am off to a top club to win everything… Maureen won’t change levy, he will just moan alot, fall out and get sacked… Kane is precious on the other hand, if anyone will force levys hand then it will be one of our own.
I should have added this. I don’t see them changing either as levy and Lewis get what they want already. If anything I think their goal is to be be neglectful so there is something for an oil sheik to do.
Write the anthem, share copywrite with H H and away we go. This could be the kryptonite Harry has been searching for to sink Enic.
The problem with your line of thinking is that Enic do not have to change, they are making money by virtually asset stripping the football club. Joe and Daniel have no reason to change the way they operate.
It’s called expectation management. Keep the fans expectations at levels you’re happy spending to provide.
Too much expectation costs more for the owners, it’s as simple as that.
Wise up, mugs…
Way after im dead im sure of it….
Keep hanging on, hoping for the big prizes around the corner that never materialise.
We have had periods under ENIC where we’ve gotten close to being ready to kick on. Under Jol, (briefly Ramos), Arry, then Poch.
All of these managers had built to a point where the team could have become challengers with some smart moves in the transfer market. But every time these teams were dismantled by Levy’s policies.
How long do we have to wait, nobody knows and anyone who’s convinced they know are ignorant of the reality of Spurs under ENIC. How long do they need to show their ambition? 20, 30, 40 years?
He got Jose in Bc he is a film star and Spurs are being filmed at the moment.
Whilst they’re coining it in with little to no investment in the main ingredient there’s no
reason to think anything will change……
More of the same …………. sadly
Jose was the quintessential Levy appointment for 15 mil a year he got a top manager AND someone who can park a bus. That has to be value for money.
If levy looked at the trajectory of Mourinho’s career over the past decade and believed he was the man to vault spurs above Klopp and Guardiola then I fear the club is being run by the wrong person. Or, rather, it confirms my fear.
So, a yes from me.
ENIC are allergic to Glory. Spurs teams on the cusp of achieving something tangible mysteriously fall victim to negative churn the following season. One legitimate trophy in 20 years speaks volumes – a smoking gun if you will – at ENIC’s reluctance to take the next step into greatness because of the perceived cost of doing so would reduce the bottom line. The Bale money was an aberration, a lucky one for Levy, but ultimately came to nothing through scatter-gun purchases. Not so much moneyball as ball sack and Levy never recouped the money when he off-loaded them. So once bitten, twice shy. We need a new anthem to Levy on the terraces – Allergic to Glory, to the tune of Lady Gaga’s Edge of Glory.
We can’t even manage a “even failure will have in it an echo of glory”
If Jose wins something it will be inspite of Jose too!!
ENIC and success is not mutually exclusive…BUT requires ENIC to actually change. Levy now cant possibly have any more excuses…”when we reach the CL”…”When we have built training facility”…”when we build the staduim”…I guess next will be when its sponsored…Honestly though, ENIC in its current guise will never give more than a top 4 and a lucky run.
Indefinitely?
Infinity?
Jose will try to win the league next year. Poch tried to win the league but ultimately failed. This has raised my expectation when all evidence suggests its fantasy to expect that as we cant even go on a cup run.
My Leeds supporting mate thinks Im mad for thinking we should win anything let alone the league.
So without really saying anything coherent or building to any great conclusion we should be expecting to win cups and the league but as this blog does a great job in pointing out- Enic are not bothered about success.
If Jose wins something it is because of him not enic.