There was a scene in the Spurs All or Nothing documentary where Donna Marie Cullen, Daniel Levy, and the man himself Steve Hitchen were gathered, and the point was made that the club have actually spent significant sums on players, and how little commentary there was on this.
My complaints against ENIC are more nuanced than simply wanting the board to splurge cash like an unhinged lottery winner. For me, it’s always been a question of spending on the right players and at the right time. Again, leaving Mauricio Pochettino swinging in the transfer breeze for over 500 days was contemptible behaviour; but beyond this, we have the frankly haphazard manner in which money is spent when it is eventually prized from the coffers.
Whilst I fully appreciate that not every transfer pans out to be a historic success, how is it that Tottenham’s ability to pick a winner is so very poor?
Look at the graphic above and provide us all with a compelling argument that supports the notion that ‘one out of ten’ isn’t bad. Kindly bear in mind that emotional nonsense isn’t welcome here. This is OUR money we’re talking about. A passing fondness for Erik Lamela’s rabona will be in the mists of time, only mildly more significant than David Bentley’s ball into a waste skip routine. Moussa Sissoko was referred to as a ‘GOAT’ out of charity.
It is a testament to the chaotic manner with which ENIC has operated in the markets that one of the best players to have found himself in a Tottenham shirt in recent years was the not-so-Magnificent Seven’s 8th man, Heung Min Son.
The rest of the list is a hall of shame, nice guys that didn’t work, and the extraordinary cherry on the past it’s best before date cake is Tanguy Ndombele, about whom it appears that no due diligence was undertaken as all the problems encountered with him at Spurs had surfaced long before he arrived in N17.
Now Richarlison is the next one set to grace us with his presence, a player Everton broke the bank for 4 seasons ago, who has failed to perform sufficiently for them. In his entire career, the now 25-year-old has never been a prolific striker, no matter how some might seek to skew the stats.
We are told that all the Brazilian needs is to be in the right team, with the right coach. I can’t argue against Spurs being a superior side, or Conte being a superior coach. Yet I remain beyond sceptical as to the valuation.
I genuinely hope this guy does the business in the Lilywhite, like all of us, I’m desperate for meaningful success, tangible success. but the evidence is stacked up against the likelihood of that outcome.
Not record but close to our top dollar for a player at the time. 15mil?
Berbatov
They’ve been getting it wrong for 23 years, it’s not really ‘sometimes’ is it….
If Richarlisom scores 2 more goals than last season for Everton he will have had more goals than Mahrez.it will be difficult to get the entire front 3 banging in over 20 goals each. Remember that goals are shared between the front 3
Andy Robertson hull city is one I can only think of in the last decade lol
Thanks Easty! Cautiously optimistic is my current sentiment.
Ronnie Rosenthal, Micky Hazard (from Swindon), and who can forget Andy Booth.
What a trio.
How much is Winks being touted for?
Is it 20 million?
I see a pattern emerging………
Is it me or is there the slightest chance that this 60 million for Richarlison is somehow linked to the deal Everton struck for Dele that could rise to 40 million?
Two under achieving players who had previously shown potential and sustained periods of form but had both lost their way, to varying degrees, at their respective clubs?
Is this essentially a swap deal of sorts; brokered in January but the Richarlison to Spurs can was kicked down the road until the summer?
To Everton’s credit they avoided Winks in favour of some cash on top to sweeten it a little more.
We’ve paid 20 million for Richarlison, generated expectation and hyperbole, and given Everton Dele.
Say it isn’t so.
Good stuff Marbs.
Great summation Largey.
Cheers Paul. Levy will of course take a trophy but if it’s his aim, are we suggesting that he’s just been ‘unlucky’ for 22 years?
When was the last time our record signing turned out to be our best player? Arguably Paul Gascoigne in 1988. It certainly wasn’t Darren Bent, or Rebrov, or Paulinho, or Soldado, or Sanchez, or N’belly. The list isn’t quite endless, it just feels like it is. The 1980s was the last time our club’s due diligencers knew what they were doing in that regard.
A truly shocking state of affairs.
My hope, given that I don’t like Mr Tumble’s stroppy character, is that he turns out, under Conte, to be able to do for us what the ever charming and easy to warm to Diego Costa did for chelski (can’t really call them that any more can I); being an aggressive, bullying, moaning, drama queen who knew how to disrupt a well-organised defence. If our version turns out to be nearly as useful, it’ll be – can’t believe I’m saying this – 60 million well spent.
Great comment. I do hope it isn’t still groundhog day but this season will reveal if it’s part of the cycle.
This comment fills some gaps for me. It also fits what I have seen over the years. It looks like this season might be a good one and that Mr Levy has learned some important lessons on running a football club. Lets hope it continues from here & doesn’t implode. I don’t think it works but (for sure) am still baffled by the transfer decisions of previous years. I almost have to pinch myself that we got Conte and he’s still with us and that he & the DoF have been allowed to work without apparent interference.
The Koolio transfer has been booted down a year I’m pretty sure because of finances. We won’t have to declare him this year so this will probably release more funds to spend right now.. We will still be buying him.. The lad loves it here.
Lol.. Apart from Sonny, and it was unfortunate that Coco picked up so many injuries, that list is terrible…Inflation and money in the game means they’re all in recent years and shows how shocking we’ve been. Our scouts and transfer system needed to be sorted out years ago.. It was a slow but steady decline ever since Mitchell left.. Maureen steadied the ship for a year or two.
I’m well happy with business so far this summer though. Our churn is well and truly under way and there is still over a month left.. I predicted 6 or 7 or more to come in.. 5 or 6 or more to move on.. Looking about right at this stage..
Not a fan of the new 5 sub rule… They have to keep messing with the rules don’t they.
You’re an Everton fan ain’t u.?
Everton got in top 4 year after Rooney left. That ain’t free fall.
Bellingham was another one. That’s a statement.
in the cost of buying footballers its not alot only 5 million euros more,
Better to have the cash to spend on other players this window first.
Levy is the accountant as well, so it depends on repayment structure of the deal as well, is it better to wait for 5 million Euros?
Though a lot of dross we moved on have blossomed abroad ha ha ha
you mean like
Trippier
Parker
Roy Keane went down with forest is probably the best lol
It will cost more to exercise the option next season if I have understood it correctly. Unlike Levy to waste money like this.
The other thing about Richarlison is that apparently Everton needed to come up with some money before July 1 to avoid FFP sanctions so the overpay for Richarlison might be mitigated somewhat in a future transaction, like if we were able to foist Winky on them for 15-20m or in exchange for a useful player like Gordon.
Nice try. Now go back and do as you were told.
Not on value but upon being players plucked from clubs in free fall.
Unless he regresses I can’t think of any reason why we won’t buy Kulu when it needs to get done. Lingard on a free would be great business but I think he really wants to go back to West Ham god bless him.
The stat’s aren’t great but what are stat’s without context?
As far as I’m concerned there is one man I want to be entrusted with deciding who is worth buying and that is Conte. If conte wanted Richarlison then in conte I trust
Not sure why Kulu hasn’t been signed on a permanent deal yet but no I don’t agree. He’s proven far too valuable and at 22 has his best years ahead.
What, nothing in the loan has change for performances or buy/not buy clause. It has been dissected by Romano who I trust, we would only be wasting capital to consummate an all out purchase now. He is not the same as Romero options becoming due, but get I it. Levy, Levy Levy some dark room conspiracy going.
Just a thought but as we haven’t exercised the option to buy Kulu which I understand will cost us more next season, why haven’t we done so? Is it at all possible that Levy has bought Richarlison to effectively replace Kulu if the option is not compulsory? On another question, I see that some sites are linking us with Lingard, particularly as we need to increase our home grown contingent. He’s 29 and a free.
to you as well
Or not spending at all😂😂
Also, one thing we can all agree on is that the banter here is the best. Happy 4th of July weekend comrades!
Yes- Conte extending his deal would be a huge positive. Anyway, love Kulu!
I defer to your experience. I’m happy that the football team seems to be heading in the right direction but yeah, not a fan of corporations acting with impunity, gentrification & breaking down of communities. If I lived in the area I would find it a difficult to accept. I don’t know much about ENIC but we see similar faceless profiteering, rent seeking all over the world. People have the power to effect change but not many will when they are making money.
Premier league goals and assists, both joined similar times.
it is more if we are working to something as a club, recruitment may seem a little off, but like saying someone was a Juve cast off.
Personally the club needs to follow a style of play at all levels and get Conte on a longer deal.
I get the sentiment but putting these particular signings up against the expectations of justifying the stadium is a stretch. I don’t know what the achieves. Anyway, good chat 🙂
We were gazumped for the Liverpool lad which shows the position we’re in – willing to pay the salary and fee but they had the full package at that time.
Bastoni, even with the backing of his club, wouldn’t shift – he doesn’t fancy the club, league or even the country maybe.
Martinez we’re trying similar to City with Haaalnd, been sounding him out for seasons now, City waited two for Haaland, even the mighty City were kept waiting, Same with Liverpool with Bellingham. If we drop out of the CL qualification we might miss out on Martinez in a future window but we are definitely trying for him and apparently we either readied a bid or verbally presented an offer to Inter.
Chelsea have tried the same gazumping trick as Liverpool only now with Richarlison but Chelsea aren’t quite such a bigger draw and we have been working with Everton all window and saw it coming.
Romero was the best defender in Italy that year, not a bad attempt at signing a top class player. I fully expected Bissouma to go to Liverpool so again a very strong signing.
What I will say is I’d like to see us sign a big player after the six deal we’ve seemingly tied up already, so the window isn’t perfect by any means. There’s an element of frustration still but I’m looking at the business of other clubs in the league and we’re doing well.
And we have for once acted quite quickly, instead of the ridiculous brinkmanship from Dr Evil..
They might even get a chance to play together before the start of the season how about that..
Do you realise what you posted could get you a custodial sentence, on top of huge financial order against you?
It’s not even specifically this summer. I’ve commented on many targets in the past that have gone to other clubs and succeeded. I don’t watch football anymore but I know Fraser Forster, past it perisic and richarlison isn’t a fair exchange for the soul of a football club.
I hear you mate. People have been fuming for so long they find it hard to accept that things might be changing. I hope you have a good season & a lot of us, happy-clappers apparently are happy that Richarlison has come to spurs.
As an unabashed Levy basher, I’m naturally skeptical of every transaction. But we all have to admit that something changed in the last year. Never in a million years did I ever think Conte would sign to coach at Spurs. If he sat out the whole year he could’ve had his pick of jobs – PSG, Juve, maybe even Barca. And yet he chose Spurs. He’s not an idiot, clearly he was promised signings and money to spend for his choice players. So far Levy appears to have delivered. I still think this is part of ENIC’s endgame ploy whereby they open the alleged “war chest” to establish market valuation thereby avoiding massive taxes on a club sale, but whatever the motivation, Levy is spending money on proven players. Prem players.
Is Richarlison the right signing? Of the 4 rumoured Brazilians on the move, I’d rank them best to worst: Rafinha, Richarlison, Paqueta, Jesus. But as for fit, Rafinha is more a winger/CAM and Richarlison is a better fit as a forward/backup striker in Conte’s system, where he can start up front with Harry and Sonny, and back the 2 up as well. He’s basically another Sonny. I don’t have a problem with that. Jesus is similar, more of a striker, but has trouble finishing as we’ve seen many many times at City. Paqueta is more of a CAM with no prem experience.
Is the price right for Richarlison? Probably an overpay, but that’s balanced with Bissouma’s underpay. Net net 80m for the pair I’d say is fair business.
The last time we signed a proven prem player not including Joe Hart – PEH – has worked out pretty well. And Romero, Kulu and Bentancur have each proven to be good signings. Conte too. So, let’s see what happens but I am encouraged by recent business, although I still wouldn’t trust Levy to walk my dog across the street to paraphrase a great American athlete’s sentiment once.
You sound aggravated we can’t be PSG within the Premier League when even City struggle to be that
How about those 2 centre half’s clough got in 1978??
Will you admit that you are wrong when spurs end up having a successful season?
I have been so frustrated over recent years and on top of the lack of investment in the squad at a crucial time, we have let key players go and brought in expensive flimflam.
But if you can’t see change or progress in what’s been happening since Conte’s arrival, you need to pop some rose tinted glasses on & rest your eyes for a bit.
Richarlison is a fighter who happens to also be a very good footballer. Lets stop whining about stats, numbers etc.. and just give it a season to see what these very professional coaches, managers, scouts, sports psych, physios etc etc can put together on the pitch. By all means whinge, but give it until at least until March next year, to see if there’s new life or if it still is all about ENIC & the devil.
It means attainable. As in, teams have purchased players already this window…who’s done the smart business you think we’re lagging behind on
Buying players without a manager in place was insanity
Realistic. That means , not top quality then.
Maybe world class isn’t the right term. But top players that the stadium was supposed to bring. Also Haarland was know for a while, it was clear even after a few months at Dortmund he was extraordinary. So it’s not an impossible notion. Makes me wonder why these players are refusing if that’s the case…. stadium… facilities….CL football isn’t an excuse anymore….that leaves one thing….or one chairman.
Grealish was equally as much of a playboy and always crashing his motor, so what?
We bemoan a lack of leaders and experience…and then fans poo poo a signing like Perisic? Again, don’t get it.
Which Premier League signings are you envious of so far within the window? Other than Haaland for reasons previously discussed! Who should we be following as a realistic example?
And bissouma sounds like a doozy. Banned from driving in UK for repeated speeding and was only cleared of sexual assault in a club after the big move to ENIC FC….wonder who made that go away?
They don’t have some of the dross we have round them.
Not getting Haaland is a terrible example to use as evidence of a lack of ambition or foresight is my point.
We used to sell our world class players – now we’re refusing to, which is a massive step to begin with. I believe we’re attemptin to go to the net step – buying world class players, potentially world class or those close to world class.
We attempted to sign Martinez and Bastoni, they refused. It’s not as simple as you are making it sound.
Who were the five last truly world class signings to a PL club? So few I wouldn’t be surprised if Pogba to United is still on that list. Think you’ll find they are quite rare, usually it’s close to world class or potentially world class like nearly every Liverpool signing. The PL clubs don’t buy Neymar, City getting Haaland is the exception that proves the rule.
Welcome to sanity. Nobody in This forum is an ENIC or Levy fan. Anything negative about these charlatans is positively encouraged. You’re on sticky ground if you are a fan.
No, I never said that.
But here’s a job for you.
Name me 3 players plucked from Premier League bargain bins that have blossomed.
No chit-chat.
No, yeah but…
Just the 3 names.
I agree January was decent but Kulu better than Diaz? That’s hard to make a case for, as much as I would love it to be true. Kulu is a good signing though and improved us greatly over Berg/Moura/etc
I said previously, our forays into Brazilian players rarely ends well. This latest signing doesn’t suggest any different. He left Watford with great expectations for Everton. It didn’t come. He’s not even managed to be their stand out player in a mediocre squad.
The point about our missed transfer windows will forever be valid. We won’t ever recover from that IMO. Levy shoulders the majority of the blame but he’s magic you know was complicit. He said he was berry happy with his lot.
As a long standing Spurs fan 50 + years.I’ve not been excited about a transfer window in 20+ years. Thanks Daniel 👍
Yeah I thought he was 21mil or something ,, gutted…
Perisic is 97
I’m not upset. It’s an example of quality that a team with the fountain of narratives about competing should be going for….if they were not just empty pr.
Thats exactly the problem. Dream on. ENIC have trained the fan base to think like that. Anything of real world class merit is dream material.
That’s like stating raphinha and kalvin phillips aren’t good players because Leeds were nearly relegated.
The signings are good decent players, and the coach knows his job. BUT, with ENIC/Levy in-charge? I know most of you do not want to hear negative talk right now. The team will win 3/4 games & then it’s back to square one. No momentum to push on. It has to be said that the problems of Spurs are structural. The team qualifies but never wins anything. Therefore, the culture of winning doesn’t take root. Why? Because of the leadership.
the only similarity in the players or nature of the deal is the potential fee? we can’t ever sign another record signing out of principle?
I don’t quite get the relevance. Are you saying you can’t have good players in 5h1t teams?
You are upset because we didn’t get Haaland? Us and the other twenty clubs who missed out. His dad and City had that wrapped up for about two seasons, dream on.
Back on earth, this is a good window as were the previous signings of Bentancur, Kulu and Romero in the last two windows. The hit rate is improving, have to acknowledge that at least?
Maybe. Like for slightly less bad like.
If you believe Perisic and Bissouma are ‘shat’ then I give up!
Successful in filling their bank accounts.
Richarlison is for the Conte plan B, I see more a Martinez style player and Kane plays a full on 9 role (as per Lukaku).
The recruitment historically been poor but January was a little different. kulusevski you could argue was better than Diaz.
Its about getting the side better. Our recruitment so far are improvements on what they replace.
We have seen him play, for several seasons
Yes, different game out there and Brazil spend most of their time playing Peru, Ecuador and Bolivia.
Okay, time for you to set up your own platform, not giving this gibberish any more of my server.
With what’s been done to the club under the pretences that have been wheeled out, with the set up and all the bullsh%t “compete” narratives, if a striker is what Levy was going for then the only name which would have made me take them seriously as really changing would have been Haarland.
Unrealistic? Why the stadium and all the trumpets then?
Its all cock and bull.
There’s an even longer list of flops that weren’t even mentioned, N’Koudou, N’jie and on and on.
Give it up, son. Next, you’ll be telling us rain ‘isn’t that wet, once you think about it’…
And both improved the Spurs squad at the time of their purchase. They may not have set the world alight but they certainly were not like some of the duds on our Top Ten list
No sensationalism whatsoever, only the voices in your head are heralding Richarlison as a great striker.
Pamela and Sissoko were what? 😂😂😂😂😂 You should stop there…..
Lamela and Sissoko successful. Successful in what sense!
Yup.
But I struggle to see they are not better than the ones they replace.
As close to a risk free signing would be to purchase any player in the PL who’s been in the club’s top three performers for two or three consecutive seasons.
Bissouma and Richarlison definitely qualify, as did maybe Hojbjerg I’d imagine.
Not totally without risk as Doherty maybe proves (not sure he was quite top three player consistent at Wolves) and other moves like United signing Alexis Sanchez etc
Still, I’d say about as risk free a strategy as you get and I have no problem with these two signings. They may not work out but they’re logical and aggressively competitive in the market against our rivals.
Paulinho was good enough for Brazil. And Moura.
I would rather we overpaid for this proven Premier League talent than waste the same amount on two French Ligue punts.
There are not many strikers who would bet on themselves to get in ahead of our front three but this boy obviously has belief in his own ability. He an upgrade on Moura and should mean the end of Bergy.
if he’s good enough for Brazil who are we to complain.
Bring on the new season – it can’t come soon enough for me.
Very impressed with the transfer business so far and if it finished like this I’d still be happy.
Yes I’d like us to get rid of a few but at least with Conte at the wheel I don’t think the wage thieves will be tolerated and they can train on their own. Levy will soon get fed up with their wages and will take any offers he can get.
The only way I can make any sense of Richarlison is that he is a replacement for Harry Kane.
At the end of the season Harry will have one year left on his contract and unless he signs an extension he’ll almost certainly be sold.
Groundhog. It’s a couple of years ago again with the Ndombele deal.
A common thread among those are that they were big signings from other leagues (apart from Sissoko). Bringing in well established players from other leagues is clearly, evidently risky. The difference with Richarlison is that he has a lot of Premier League experience. He has also done quite well in a poor team unlike, say, Jesus who has done quite well in a magnificent team. Therefore, all things considered, he is less risky and more likely to do well than any of these others.
I’d also wager that Conte intends to fully exploit his capability to wind up the opposition (as we did so well in the NLD) as a tactical advantage.
We only have £150m. It’s not much considered how much we need. We need a versatile, ready to go forward with PL experience. I’m not sure who else would fit the bill for the price without it being a big risk. This seems like reasonable business to me. A risk, yes, but a considered one.
Anderton Mk1 was a very good player with an end product – ask Teddy
Happy Clappers….Feel free to see ENIC for what it is
What a load of unmitigated nonsense, I’m not shoving my views through your letter box as you sleep.
Man up and admit you have no self-control and are incapable of not clicking on my work.
Dearie me.
It seems you don’t read what I write or watch my videos.
Good health 🍻
I stopped reading when sissoko and lamela were mooted as successes. thanks for putting a smile on my face
So you weren’t nearly relegated? Apologies, Scott, I must’ve had the league table upside down 🤔
It’s cunning stuff. ENIC have convinced a large percentage of the fan base that they are “different” and the coffers are empty, they can easily chuck 60/80 mill every few years for a mercy flirt. That’s what they’ve done. There’s no ambition and there never will be otherwise Poch would’ve been backed.
They’re focus remains off the pitch and with alternative income like NFL/events. A perpetual tight rope act of PR and misdirection so fans will be always thinking they are on the cusp of something big…just enough to keep the punters from doing a runner…
The incomings have been shat.
***Everton fan here*** (this article was linked on BBC Sport website)
Oh my god, the levels of disrespect in this article are quite frightening. Brazil’s Number 9. Our best player. Only 25 years old. We sold him too cheaply and should have held out for more….
It’s tactical fan appeasement. Heard Shill Jim White open his show with “do Tottenham fans owe Mr Levy an apology?” He actually said ” 60 million…oOoOO, it’s alot of money isn’t it?”. Effin embarrassing.
Its alot of money for that player yes, but not in the scheme of things.
A club turned into a corporate monster with no resemblance to what we loved, 1 league cup in 20 plus years, countless destroyed local businesses and lost homes from the continued gentrification of the area around the new eye sore……so No. No apology off the back of an average player the team doesn’t even need.