Home » Harry Hotspur explains Tottenham transfer frustration and problems in signing striker for Mourinho

Harry Hotspur explains Tottenham transfer frustration and problems in signing striker for Mourinho

By The Boy -

As I patiently wait, along with the rest of the fanbase that currently funds Tottenham Hotspur Football Club, for the next episodes of Amazon’s All or Nothing documentary series, Football London have quotes from our illustrious leader, on the complexities of the transfer markets.

The hurdles that Daniel Levy has always faced, since the Investment company ENIC came into our lives some two decades ago, have largely been of their own making. Indeed, one could easily suggest that ‘Audere et Facere‘ shouldn’t have been replaced with a translation, but with the phrase, ‘Better Safe Than Sorry’.

Hesitancy to spend is not up for debate, THFC’s net spend has always been abysmally low when compared to other sides in the division, and routinely only bumped up when the equally routine of selling our best players created room for greater purchasing power.

The fear of doing a Leeds was a specious device, as only Leeds have behaved with such fiscal recklessness, that it makes no sense at all to cite an example which is so utterly atypical. One may go full on crazy and start warning folk of the dangers of doing a Ranulph Fiennes. The chances of anyone else having to take a Black and Decker to their own frostbitten fingertips are equally beyond remote.

It was only when the idea of scaling up the ENIC business model landed, did it become acceptable for Daniel Levy top sign off checks like a drunken lottery winner. Now, many years on, and White Hart Lane is demolished, and the supersonic ‘Tottenham Hotspur Stadium’ looms in its stead.

Few predicted the Coronavirus pandemic, however it must go on record that a modest tennis club in Wimbledon was the only business cited as having taken out the necessary insurance – back in 2005 when the SARS business went rogue!

12 years of premiums from an operation that only plays for a few weeks in the summer – and yet Tottenham’s biggest commercial partner, AIA is an insurance firm, and Levy didn’t have himself covered on a billion pound stadium.

Back to the quote from Daniel and I suggest to you that the salient line is ‘we have a budget’. The devil is always in the detail.

When ENIC decided to press ahead with the brave new world, £340million was magicked up and thrown into the project, “on the acquisition of land, the planning process (including a compulsory purchase order and legal challenges),” said a club statement at the time. So there’s your budget. Several budgets, in fact.

Yes, negotiating the transfer markets is a tough business, and no, the conditions are not always aligned to get every player you want. However, I put it to you that Levy’s aims and objectives for Tottenham are very different from say those of Fenway Sports are, for Liverpool. Liverpool Football Club, that is not run by Bond villains, but is operated as it ought to be, with the unflinching primary focus being the football team.

Spurs have needed another striker for Harry Kane, essentially since before Kane became the sole striker. Instead, we’ve had this dreadfully unsatisfying mess featuring Soldado, Lorrente and Janssen.

Buy cheap, buy twice, better safe than sorry, find the lady, press hard seven copies. Perhaps the best alternative motto for us was best devised by Hunter Davies.

“Oh dear, it’s f*cked,” is what I’ve always taken it to mean. I do have O-level Latin.

…for The New Statesman

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ministers cat
ministers cat
3 years ago

I loved the bit in the docu. where Levy goes in to see the boss and the boss just carries on writing.Pochettino would have been standing to attention “of course Sr. Boss Hombre I am berry berry huppy and so is my playa”.
Loved Poch/Had to go/New man is box office – Levy is Woolworths.

England Mike
England Mike
3 years ago

His comments about fans not comprehending the transfer system just smacks of his contempt for those who question his dealings in the market.

Leslie Crawford
Leslie Crawford
3 years ago
Reply to  Eddie

I know Jamel Lewis from watching NI he isn’t currently good enough. He along with Max Aarons were young and naive in their first season in the PL being part of the worst defence letting in 75 goals,we can only spend money on players who will improve us this season another £10m would get you the best left back in la liga last season Reguilon. He also won the Europa league and was included in team off the tournament. Jamel will benifit with more experience,but we can’t afford for him to learn on the job at Spurs. Selling Foyth,Rose & CarterVickers would pay for Reguilon.

Tappaspur
Tappaspur
3 years ago

I rode the levy bad, how many ever years, really really well (bit of a bad spell with Arry (saha nelson) but yeah rode it out firm. I’m really ready and feel really worthy of the glory that José is about to bring

James McKevitt
James McKevitt
3 years ago

No problems selling players though.

MrChickenHead
MrChickenHead
3 years ago

Nunez

Jonathan Hurst
Jonathan Hurst
3 years ago

This is simple levy there are 2 types of buyers,

1) The guy who sees the price and goes above and beyond with an offer they know will be accepted and completed a relatively simple purchase.

2) the guy that sees the price and instantly thinks he can get it cheaper, he goes in with an insulting offer hoping their response at least lowers the price a bit, this guy spends a decade to but a chocolate bar because he only wants to spend 20p

Levy is number 2 and that is the only reason it is complicated!

MrChickenHead
MrChickenHead
3 years ago

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TOTTENHAM HOTSPURS!!!!

Freddy too, hope you make my sons and grandkids to be, proud.

Lilywhite without the II
Lilywhite without the II
3 years ago

If its all too much for you Levy, feel free to step a side…

Lilywhite without the II
Lilywhite without the II
3 years ago

Maybe someone should say to him “people just don’t understand how physically hard it is to get a building project completed on time and on budget”

Lilywhite without the II
Lilywhite without the II
3 years ago

Buy high sell high, no….sell low, buy high, hang on….buy low, sell low….oh my god, Levy’s right…this is all too complicated for me, I just cant comprehend it..

mikey hughes
mikey hughes
3 years ago

Being also a Leeds Utd fan (a breath of fresh air compared to this shamefully run club) I recognise this statement from the little bald time waster for being the complete and utter claptrap that it is. All the other clubs (the entire league) above us in the net spend table seem to be able to buy players without any problems. Levy is incapable of getting a transfer done 99% of the time because he simply can’t bring himself to part with the money. He has a mental problem inasmuch as he is tight beyond comprehension.
His idea of a transfer is to pay a fraction of the actual players worth whilst charging double the value of the worth of the player he might be concurrently selling. Anybody with any common-sense (which admittedly rules out many Spurs fans whom are nothing more than scarf waving sheep), can see that this just doesn’t work any more. He might have got away with it for a few years but now most of the world is wise to the little shyster.
I remember the sheep making excuses for Levy 10 years ago; “unless we are in the CL top players won’t want to join” then it was “we can’t afford them because of the new stadium”, now it’s seems that covid 19 has hit Spurs alone so bad that not only did Levy attempt to furlough the staff, but he also says he has no money. Pull the other one you useless little tosspot, some of us have brains and can see through your excuses.
For those of a thick disposition it’s Levy and ENIC making a fortune out of gullible Spurs fans whilst at the same time holding the club back with a gross lack of investment on the pitch.

Spurs est1882
Spurs est1882
3 years ago

I can’t get how our rivals seem to be buying quite well for pretty decent prices and we are not. Top 4 is moving further away before a ball is even kicked. Jose will have to earn his corn, sadly I feel his priority will be a pot, likely a domestic one.

Eddie
Eddie
3 years ago

The Mail has the Toon agreeing 13.5M for Jamal Lewis.Another one missed.
Double whammy is Rose won’t be going back there.A book of luncheon vouchers for Cantwell anybody?

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