If you watch Poch’s press conference I think that his thinly veiled diatribe is highly revealing.
He is happy to acknowledge that the current project has been successfully concluded, however he is at pains to point out that Spurs are now a ‘big club’ and that the quality of the stadium and training ground demand that the club start to think and act in a way befitting of the stature they have created for themselves. Very hard to disagree with that assessment.
So the question now is this. The chronic under-investment in the squad, as exemplified by the recent on-field implosion, is all too painfully evident.
The lack of competition for places has bred complacency and I absolutely concur that this team has gone as far as it is going to go in terms of ‘achievement’, with its current personnel. It needs radical surgery, which is going to cost money, a lot of money.
How much is Levy and more importantly Lewis willing to back Poch to achieve his vision of the future?
Re-investing the money from the almost inevitable sale of Christian Eriksen and more regrettably Toby Aldeweireld, is not going to cut it. Even if that generated 100,000 million pounds plus, as it would, it needs another 150,000 million on top of that to really shape a dynamic, and revitalised new squad for the future.
Four world class young players, in positions of need, would send out a huge message to our rivals, would back Poch to the hilt and would totally energise the fan base and build on the positivity and good will created by the new stadium.
That is what should happen. Will it? I highly doubt it. My gut feeling is that Lewis and Levy will try and do just enough to keep Poch on board, maintain our Champions League status and spend as little as possible above the monies garnered from player sales to do that.
It is a business model which in its essence prioritises return on investment over winning and highly regrettably I don’t see it changing.