Daniel Levy/Joe Lewis

Bodie Doyle

Ormus wrote: »

Bodie Doyle wrote: »

Of course Levy is a businessman. He is our chairman! It'd be kinda frightening if business wasn't his thing. Luckily, his main business objective is to improve Spurs on and off the pitch, and he has done that brilliantly.

really? Off the pitch I agree, financially sound, new training facilities, stadium plans etc. It all looks good for the future.
On the pitch, well if he didn't change managers every year or then decide to get rid of our most successful on in decades ( purely because Harry was negotiating his contract and wanted more money himself and Levy would not allow it - nothing to do with the lack of Champions league football - this was all done last Feb) that might be a start.
Stop selling our top players would help also. Anyone else sick of being a feeder club for Man utd? I think Levy is happy enough just being in the top half of the table.

Ormus

Bodie Doyle wrote: »

Ormus wrote: »

really? Off the pitch I agree, financially sound, new training facilities, stadium plans etc. It all looks good for the future.
On the pitch, well if he didn't change managers every year or then decide to get rid of our most successful on in decades ( purely because Harry was negotiating his contract and wanted more money himself and Levy would not allow it - nothing to do with the lack of Champions league football - this was all done last Feb) that might be a start.
Stop selling our top players would help also. Anyone else sick of being a feeder club for Man utd? I think Levy is happy enough just being in the top half of the table.

You haven't noticed the improvement in Spurs as a football team? Short memory.

I don't know where to start. In the 3 seasons before he arrived we finished 11th, 10th and 12th. In the last 3 seasons we've finished 4th, 5th and 4th.

Before he arrived we hadn't finished in the top 5 in 10 seasons. Since he arrived we've finished top 5 in 5 out of 11 seasons.

Before he arrived we had qualified for Europe once in 10 seasons. Since he arrived we've qualified 5 times.

Bodie Doyle

Ormus wrote: »

Bodie Doyle wrote: »

You haven't noticed the improvement in Spurs as a football team? Short memory.

I don't know where to start. In the 3 seasons before he arrived we finished 11th, 10th and 12th. In the last 3 seasons we've finished 4th, 5th and 4th.

Before he arrived we hadn't finished in the top 5 in 10 seasons. Since he arrived we've finished top 5 in 5 out of 11 seasons.

Before he arrived we had qualified for Europe once in 10 seasons. Since he arrived we've qualified 5 times.

"He arrived" Are you talking about Levy?
Do you support Daniel Levy fc? So it was the players fault for not finishing in the top 3 last season but the success over the last 11 years was due to Levy.
He has done a good job but he is not the messiah just because we have a healthy balance sheet. Look at the mistakes he has made. If we are a serious top 5 club then why do we change managers so often. It must be down to whoever picks them - yup Levy. It will be interesting to see what happens if Avb gets off to a bad start. Will it emerge that AVB was not our first choice, not even our second choice but someone who was willing to take a pay cut ( which happens to suit Levy ).

Ormus

Bodie Doyle wrote: »

Ormus wrote: »

"He arrived" Are you talking about Levy?
Do you support Daniel Levy fc? So it was the players fault for not finishing in the top 3 last season but the success over the last 11 years was due to Levy.
He has done a good job but he is not the messiah just because we have a healthy balance sheet. Look at the mistakes he has made. If we are a serious top 5 club then why do we change managers so often. It must be down to whoever picks them - yup Levy. It will be interesting to see what happens if Avb gets off to a bad start. Will it emerge that AVB was not our first choice, not even our second choice but someone who was willing to take a pay cut ( which happens to suit Levy ).

Of course I'm talking about Levy, have you forgotten what this thread is about?

You said you hadn't noticed an improvement in our football since he took over (Daniel Levy that is). I showed you what a huge improvement there has been.

I could point out to you that Chelsea, Liverpool and Man City have changed managers more often than us in the last few seasons, but I'm coming to the realisation that you will probably just ignore that and come up with some other half baked criticism.

Bodie Doyle

Ormus wrote: »

Bodie Doyle wrote: »

Of course I'm talking about Levy, have you forgotten what this thread is about?

You said you hadn't noticed an improvement in our football since he took over (Daniel Levy that is). I showed you what a huge improvement there has been.

I could point out to you that Chelsea, Liverpool and Man City have changed managers more often than us in the last few seasons, but I'm coming to the realisation that you will probably just ignore that and come up with some other half baked criticism.

Tut tut Ormus. No need to get personal.
Good luck to you being happy just below the elite.

Ormus

Bodie Doyle wrote: »

Ormus wrote: »

Tut tut Ormus. No need to get personal.
Good luck to you being happy just below the elite.

Where did I get personal?

Where did I say I was happy being just below the elite?

Leinstersqspur

Dublin Spur wrote: »

The thing is though, Modric is underpaid at Spurs based on what players of his ability earn.
Spurs should pay him the market rate for a player of his ability, if I were him I'd be looking to move away.
If Spurs won't pay the market rate, we will keep losing our best players and we will never be a force in the game.

The net result of all of this is that you end up with a tidy fanancially secure club that will never compete for the big prizes, we will just exist somewhere in the top half of the table. Not a very exciting image is it ?

I'd rather be a tidy financially secure club than Leeds!

Leinstersqspur

Bodie Doyle wrote: »

Stop selling our top players would help also. Anyone else sick of being a feeder club for Man utd? I think Levy is happy enough just being in the top half of the table.

Were you not around last summer? The Modric situation was the first time that we haven't sold out best player. Levy (through the demand of shareholders or his love for the club, most likely the former) is trying to make Tottenham a club that no longer sells its best players to its direct rivals hence why Modric will only be sold to Madrid.

Ormus

Leinstersqspur wrote: »

Were you not around last summer? The Modric situation was the first time that we haven't sold out best player. Levy (through the demand of shareholders or his love for the club, most likely the former) is trying to make Tottenham a club that no longer sells its best players to its direct rivals hence why Modric will only be sold to Madrid.

Agreed, but under Levy we have never voluntarily sold our best players. We have never looked to sell them.

We have let players go who wanted to leave and were unlikely to give their best for the club.

BERBA

Dublin Spur wrote: »

The thing is though, Modric is underpaid at Spurs based on what players of his ability earn.
Spurs should pay him the market rate for a player of his ability, if I were him I'd be looking to move away.
If Spurs won't pay the market rate, we will keep losing our best players and we will never be a force in the game.

Couldnt disagree with ya more Dub Spur , Modric was happy enough to sign his new 6 year contract year before last on 45k a week. Not Danny Levy fault he now getting greedy. Modric was a silly boy to sign up to that length of time. Levy now is holding him too it unless Real M pay 40m:D

i love levy

Bodie Doyle

Leinstersqspur wrote: »

Were you not around last summer? The Modric situation was the first time that we haven't sold out best player. Levy (through the demand of shareholders or his love for the club, most likely the former) is trying to make Tottenham a club that no longer sells its best players to its direct rivals hence why Modric will only be sold to Madrid.

The funny thing about the Modric transfer is, I actually wanted to sell him for 40m. He is not worth that kind of money. Its the one time that Levy should have had his business head on and realised Chelsea were willing to pay way over the odds. The 40m bracket inclueds players such as Aguero, Crespo, Villa- all matchw winners. Modric is not up to their standard. Its one thing to sell your best players and another to sell them for a ridiculous price. I was hoping we would get rid of sulking ratface and buy an attacking midfielder who scores more than 3 goals per season and even have some change left from 40m.
If we get 30m from Real or PSG we will be lucky. We need to get rid of him now as he has had another strop and refuses to train. Last season he refuses to play v Manu and Harry dropped him from the City game. That transfer saga hugely disrupted the start to our season and i dont want to see a repeat of that again.

jiltloop

Bodie Doyle wrote: »

The funny thing about the Modric transfer is, I actually wanted to sell him for 40m. He is not worth that kind of money. Its the one time that Levy should have had his business head on and realised Chelsea were willing to pay way over the odds. The 40m bracket inclueds players such as Aguero, Crespo, Villa- all matchw winners. Modric is not up to their standard. Its one thing to sell your best players and another to sell them for a ridiculous price. I was hoping we would get rid of sulking ratface and buy an attacking midfielder who scores more than 3 goals per season and even have some change left from 40m.
If we get 30m from Real or PSG we will be lucky. We need to get rid of him now as he has had another strop and refuses to train. Last season he refuses to play v Manu and Harry dropped him from the City game. That transfer saga hugely disrupted the start to our season and i dont want to see a repeat of that again.

I'd have to disagree with you there, I think selling our best players to our main rivals should be absolutely avoided. How can we ever expect to improve or progress at the same rate as the clubs around us if they keep just poaching our best produce.

Ormus

From an impartial Newcastle fan on Football365:

Levy, Please Work For Me
As a Newcastle fan, I have to start by saying I am very impressed with the philosophy taken by Mike Ashley of late (I never thought I would say that!). Getting decent players in, mostly due to Carr's scouting influence, but not paying over the top has stabilised a club that I thought would become upside down very quickly.

However, even more impressive than Mr Ashley is one Mr Daniel Levy. How he manages to keep getting these transfers fees for players worth far less continues to astound me. I keep thinking he has pulled off a fluke, but again and again we read about him selling players for big numbers. I expect to see Modric go for around the £40m quoted and he will be hailed as a negociating genius once again.

Mr Levy - If you happen to read this - I have a PS3, a handful of games, an old coffee table and a sandwich toaster. Can you please sell them for me? They are collectively worth in the region of £250, so I expect you will be able to get at least £4,000.
Dominic (looking forward to next season - it'll be a cracker!) Hills

Dublin Spur

Leinstersqspur wrote: »

I'd rather be a tidy financially secure club than Leeds!

who wouldn't, but the way we are being run will never see us being a force in the game

Under ENIC we will always just exist somewhere between 8th and 4th

Don't get me wrong, that's not awful, but it's not very exciting is it ?

I'd like to see new onwers that would be prepared to invest more than ENIC have.

If ENIC stay I would like them to plough any surplus/profit back into the club.
Can't see it happening though

Ormus

Dublin Spur wrote: »

who wouldn't, but the way we are being run will never see us being a force in the game

Under ENIC we will always just exist somewhere between 8th and 4th

Don't get me wrong, that's not awful, but it's not very exciting is it ?

I'd like to see new onwers that would be prepared to invest more than ENIC have.

If ENIC stay I would like them to plough any surplus/profit back into the club.
Can't see it happening though

If we can get Champions League a couple of seasons in a row, we would be able to increase our wage ceiling on the back of that revenue.

Longer term, if we get a new stadium and pay it off, we will be able to pay bigger wages on the back of our bigger gate receipts.

I don't want us to just buy success, thats not real football. I like the way ENIC have gone about improving the club and the team. It still feels real to me.

Each to their own though. I can see how some people just want us to buy success now. It would be tainted for me though.

Dublin Spur

Ormus wrote: »

If we can get Champions League a couple of seasons in a row, we would be able to increase our wage ceiling on the back of that revenue.

Longer term, if we get a new stadium and pay it off, we will be able to pay bigger wages on the back of our bigger gate receipts.

I don't want us to just buy success, thats not real football. I like the way ENIC have gone about improving the club and the team. It still feels real to me.

Each to their own though. I can see how some people just want us to buy success now. It would be tainted for me though.

I know what you are saying but doesn't the lack of investment after we qualified for the CL in 2010 tell us that ENIC are not prepared to take the measures to ensure long term sucess ?

We never build on the CL qualification (bar VDV for £8mil)

In the summer of 2010 we were finally an attractive option for top players as we had the attratction of CL football, a massive oppertunity missed by the club, a couple of quality signings would have gone a long way to ensure continuted CL football in my opinion.

Instead the club sat on their hands whilst our direct competition invested in the Summer and January windows. It was very disapointing to see

In relation to buying sucess, it seems to be the only way to get it given the way the game has gone,

What fan wouldn't want the see the best players in the world at Spurs, and the glory that would bring, imagine the buzz long suffering Man City fans felt in May, I'd love a taste of that.

You can take the moral high ground and say doing a Man City would be artificial etc, but look at the facts, they are the champions are we are the Europa league,

I'm sure they couldn't give a **** how they did it, the old way of building a sucessful team is gone I'm afraid. They'll be no more Derby Counties or Evertons winning the title again (Unless of course the are lucky enough to land a reckless sheik )

Ormus

Dublin Spur wrote: »

I know what you are saying but doesn't the lack of investment after we qualified for the CL in 2010 tell us that ENIC are not prepared to take the measures to ensure long term sucess ?

We never build on the CL qualification (bar VDV for £8mil)

In the summer of 2010 we were finally an attractive option for top players as we had the attratction of CL football, a massive oppertunity missed by the club, a couple of quality signings would have gone a long way to ensure continuted CL football in my opinion.

Instead the club sat on their hands whilst our direct competition invested in the Summer and January windows. It was very disapointing to see

In relation to buying sucess, it seems to be the only way to get it given the way the game has gone,

What fan wouldn't want the see the best players in the world at Spurs, and the glory that would bring, imagine the buzz long suffering Man City fans felt in May, I'd love a taste of that.

You can take the moral high ground and say doing a Man City would be artificial etc, but look at the facts, they are the champions are we are the Europa league,

I'm sure they couldn't give a **** how they did it, the old way of building a sucessful team is gone I'm afraid. They'll be no more Derby Counties or Evertons winning the title again (Unless of course the are lucky enough to land a reckless sheik )

Yeah I agree that it's a pity we didn't strengthen more that summer. I honestly believe that the club would have spent big if the right deal had come along but it didn't.

Each to their own, I would hate if we had done a Man City. I would stop supporting. We wouldn't be Spurs anymore for me. It would be like winning the Tour de France on a motorbike.

Dublin Spur

Ormus wrote: »

Yeah I agree that it's a pity we didn't strengthen more that summer. I honestly believe that the club would have spent big if the right deal had come along but it didn't.

Each to their own, I would hate if we had done a Man City. I would stop supporting. We wouldn't be Spurs anymore for me. It would be like winning the Tour de France on a motorbike.

it wouldn't because we would still have to beat the likes of Man City, Chelsea and Man Utd. Whats important would be that we would finally be able to compete with them for the best players and trophies, we just can't compete with them on either at the moment.

Having billions wouldn't guarantee Spurs being champions but it would give us a much better chance than the current model.

But, you're right, each to their own, and I can understand your view although I don't share it.

Ormus

Dublin Spur wrote: »

it wouldn't because we would still have to beat the likes of Man City, Chelsea and Man Utd. Whats important would be that we would finally be able to compete with them for the best players and trophies, we just can't compete with them on either at the moment.

Having billions wouldn't guarantee Spurs being champions but it would give us a much better chance than the current model.

But, you're right, each to their own, and I can understand your view although I don't share it.

Well I think having enough billions would guarantee Spurs being champions.

All Man City have done is beat the others at 'Who has the most money'. Football is just the medium they have used to show off their wealth.

Anyway, I don't mean to take this thread too far off topic.

2nd Row Donkey

That was a good back n' forth in the last 4-5 pages if you ask me.
Some excellent points made by all.


I have to admit that I've viewed DL through slightly rose-tinted glasses n the last 12-24 months, mostly because of his stance on Modric last summer.

However, in the overall picture it has to be said that he's moderate success running the club. Hardly any silverware of note and yes the EPL final position for the last few years has been good but before that it was desperate.

Its taken 10 years to get to a squad to is capable of a league challenge (last season) and in a summer that we should be reinforcing the squad with 2-3 key players we seem to be getting weaker overall and the striker situation is farcical.

I dont believe for a minute that HR was told last summer that it was CL football or the sack. Only a few weeks ago Joe Jordan was quoted as saying that he never thought for a minute that he wouldnt be back at WHL after his summer holidays. He never saw it coming and neither did HR because DL made a snap decision, a decision that may set us back 5 years unless AVB has an unbelievable start to the PL between now and xmas...

I remember when the board of Charlton AFC sacked Alan Curbishly 6-7 years ago because they 'were looking for someone to take them in a new direction', that was change for the sake of change - and they claimed that AC 'had taken them as far as he could', well look what happened to Charlton AFC afterwards and they are still recovering.

When DL sacked HR he did NOT have a replacement lined up and he didnt even know who he wanted to replace him either. If AVB was DL's first choice replacement then he would be backing him in the transfer market but instead he is adopting a 'wait and see' approach because he's not 100% convienced that AVB can get over the problems he had at chelsea and just in case it doesnt work out he's not going to splash any major cash.

Ormus

2nd Row Donkey wrote: »

That was a good back n' forth in the last 4-5 pages if you ask me.
Some excellent points made by all.


I have to admit that I've viewed DL through slightly rose-tinted glasses n the last 12-24 months, mostly because of his stance on Modric last summer.

However, in the overall picture it has to be said that he's moderate success running the club. Hardly any silverware of note and yes the EPL final position for the last few years has been good but before that it was desperate.

Its taken 10 years to get to a squad to is capable of a league challenge (last season) and in a summer that we should be reinforcing the squad with 2-3 key players we seem to be getting weaker overall and the striker situation is farcical.

I dont believe for a minute that HR was told last summer that it was CL football or the sack. Only a few weeks ago Joe Jordan was quoted as saying that he never thought for a minute that he wouldnt be back at WHL after his summer holidays. He never saw it coming and neither did HR because DL made a snap decision, a decision that may set us back 5 years unless AVB has an unbelievable start to the PL between now and xmas...

I remember when the board of Charlton AFC sacked Alan Curbishly 6-7 years ago because they 'were looking for someone to take them in a new direction', that was change for the sake of change - and they claimed that AC 'had taken them as far as he could', well look what happened to Charlton AFC afterwards and they are still recovering.

When DL sacked HR he did NOT have a replacement lined up and he didnt even know who he wanted to replace him either. If AVB was DL's first choice replacement then he would be backing him in the transfer market but instead he is adopting a 'wait and see' approach because he's not 100% convienced that AVB can get over the problems he had at chelsea and just in case it doesnt work out he's not going to splash any major cash.

You could say that Tottenham have had only moderate success in Levy's time and that our improvement has been slow, but if you compare to other clubs of similar stature, you see that any real improvement at this level is hard earned. In the last 10 years, Newcastle have been relegated, Villa have become more of a bottom half club, Everton have just about held their own but gone backwards financially.

Spurs have become a well run business and improved our league positions to the point where we are genuine contenders to join the elite top 4. That is a hugely difficult thing to do and personally I am thrilled at the level we have reached after so many years of Spurs being an awful team.

Why do you think he isn't backing AVB in the transfer market? First I've heard of it. Only this morning, AVB has been saying he expects to bring in a striker or 2 very soon.

Dublin Spur

Ormus wrote: »

You could say that Tottenham have had only moderate success in Levy's time and that our improvement has been slow, but if you compare to other clubs of similar stature, you see that any real improvement at this level is hard earned. In the last 10 years, Newcastle have been relegated, Villa have become more of a bottom half club, Everton have just about held their own but gone backwards financially.

Spurs have become a well run business and improved our league positions to the point where we are genuine contenders to join the elite top 4. That is a hugely difficult thing to do and personally I am thrilled at the level we have reached after so many years of Spurs being an awful team.

Why do you think he isn't backing AVB in the transfer market? First I've heard of it. Only this morning, AVB has been saying he expects to bring in a striker or 2 very soon.

Fair enough but I think you're setting the bar quite low if you think our direct competition is Villa and Newcastle (Everton is debatable).

Ormus

Dublin Spur wrote: »

Fair enough but I think you're setting the bar quite low if you think our direct competition is Villa and Newcastle (Everton is debatable).

Well if you can give me some better examples of long time top division clubs who have big grounds/support and have qualified for Europe often, but very rarely the Champions League, I would be very interested to hear.

I think we are ahead of them at the moment and are looking to join the elite Premiership clubs, but that certainly wasn't the case when Levy became chairman.

pleasant Co.

Dublin Spur wrote: »

Ormus wrote: »

You could say that Tottenham have had only moderate success in Levy's time and that our improvement has been slow, but if you compare to other clubs of similar stature, you see that any real improvement at this level is hard earned. In the last 10 years, Newcastle have been relegated, Villa have become more of a bottom half club, Everton have just about held their own but gone backwards financially.

Spurs have become a well run business and improved our league positions to the point where we are genuine contenders to join the elite top 4. That is a hugely difficult thing to do and personally I am thrilled at the level we have reached after so many years of Spurs being an awful team.

Why do you think he isn't backing AVB in the transfer market? First I've heard of it. Only this morning, AVB has been saying he expects to bring in a striker or 2 very soon.

Fair enough but I think you're setting the bar quite low if you think our direct competition is Villa and Newcastle (Everton is debatable).

They were our competition, we've left them behind (and others who wouldve been typically above us over the last decade) and that's the point ormus is making to show just how good of a job levy has done. Its illustrated perfectly by you not seeing them as our competition as we now have bigger targets in our sights and bigger more dominant clubs looking over their shoulder at us.

Dublin Spur

Mactard wrote: »

They were our competition, we've left them behind (and others who wouldve been typically above us over the last decade) and that's the point ormus is making to show just how good of a job levy has done. Its illustrated perfectly by you not seeing them as our competition as we now have bigger targets in our sights and bigger more dominant clubs looking over their shoulder at us.

I think the clubs you mention have been left by the wayside by self inflicted damage, and we nearly suffered the same fate under ENIC in 03, 04 and 08


Given that our direct competition is now at a higher level is a sign of our improvment in recent seasons, but don't you think that it's extra frustrating, that when we finally get into the Champions League and give ourselves the platform to kick on and really establish the club in the elite of europe, the owners chose not make the type of investment in players that would help cement our place in the CL for the long term (and the sucess that would bring)


In 2010 we did the hard part (getting in) and messed up the easy bit (investing/improving).


With ENIC my view is that it's definately a case of won't spend rather than can't spend. I'll never know for sure but their lack of activity since CL qualification points at won't spend IMO

Ormus

Dublin Spur wrote: »

I think the clubs you mention have been left by the wayside by self inflicted damage, and we nearly suffered the same fate under ENIC in 03, 04 and 08


Given that our direct competition is now at a higher level is a sign of our improvment in recent seasons, but don't you think that it's extra frustrating, that when we finally get into the Champions League and give ourselves the platform to kick on and really establish the club in the elite of europe, the owners chose not make the type of investment in players that would help cement our place in the CL for the long term (and the sucess that would bring)


In 2010 we did the hard part (getting in) and messed up the easy bit (investing/improving).


With ENIC my view is that it's definately a case of won't spend rather than can't spend. I'll never know for sure but their lack of activity since CL qualification points at won't spend IMO

I was disappointed that summer that we didn't make one or two signings of players who might have taken us up a level, but I honestly believe that Levy would have been prepared to pay 20m or more if the right player had been willing to join us.

It just didn't happen (except for VdV), but I am glad that we didn't just spunk massive money for the sake of it on some mercenary on 120k a week and then have to pay all our top players the same salary and then we don't qualify for Champions League the following season and have a bloated wage bill and smaller revenue etc etc etc.

I can never understand how Spurs fans think ENIC don't spend enough. Spurs are always ridiculously active in the transfer market. £132,000,000 net in the last 10 years.

Leinstersqspur

Dublin Spur wrote: »

In 2010 we did the hard part (getting in) and messed up the easy bit (investing/improving).


With ENIC my view is that it's definately a case of won't spend rather than can't spend. I'll never know for sure but their lack of activity since CL qualification points at won't spend IMO

We just built a state of the art training facility and intend to soon turn the sod on the new stadium.

Without the new stadium the club won't be able to push on i.e. increased revenues from the 20k+ season ticket waiting listers...

Rome wasn't built in a day.

Hatch99

While I agree Rome wasn't built in a day, it was unbelievably frustrating that we didn't open the chequebook to some degree once we made the CL.
You need to build on such minor success such as making the QF of the CL, not stand still.

Dublin Spur

Ormus wrote: »

I was disappointed that summer that we didn't make one or two signings of players who might have taken us up a level, but I honestly believe that Levy would have been prepared to pay 20m or more if the right player had been willing to join us.

It just didn't happen (except for VdV), but I am glad that we didn't just spunk massive money for the sake of it on some mercenary on 120k a week and then have to pay all our top players the same salary and then we don't qualify for Champions League the following season and have a bloated wage bill and smaller revenue etc etc etc.

I can never understand how Spurs fans think ENIC don't spend enough. Spurs are always ridiculously active in the transfer market. £132,000,000 net in the last 10 years.

There comes a time when clubs need to take a calculated gamble, pushing the boat out a little 2yrs ago was the time to do it and it never happened.

Out of curiosity, would you consider someone like Sergio Agureo to be a mercenery ? If so would you not have liked to see him (for example) join 2 yrs ago ? I know I would and he would have probabaly been the difference between 4th and 5th (we'll never know for sure of course)

We will be fine under ENIC, never in trouble (probabaly), never challenging the best (guaranteed). It's kind of a football no mans land

But at least we're not Leeds eh

Ormus

Dublin Spur wrote: »

There comes a time when clubs need to take a calculated gamble, pushing the boat out a little 2yrs ago was the time to do it and it never happened.

Out of curiosity, would you consider someone like Sergio Agureo to be a mercenery ? If so would you not have liked to see him (for example) join 2 yrs ago ? I know I would and he would have probabaly been the difference between 4th and 5th (we'll never know for sure of course)

We will be fine under ENIC, never in trouble (probabaly), never challenging the best (guaranteed). It's kind of a football no mans land

But at least we're not Leeds eh

I agree that was the time to push the boat out a little and I firmly believe Levy would have smashed our transfer record if the right player came along. It didn't happen and the club decided not to spend money just for the sake of it. We got VdV, which raised the profile of the club and maybe gave us another dimension and some Champions League experience.

We would NEVER have got a player of the calibre of Aguero, I promise you that. Those kind of players want to win trophies and regular Champions League and 150k+ a week. We were Champions League novices.

I don't know how you can suggest that we will never make significant progress and always stay where we are. We have clearly made significant progress in the last few years alone. Apart from the excellent running of the club, the squad we have now is a dream team for someone like me, who supported us all through the dark dark 90s. We have never had it so good in my football supporting lifetime. How can people not see that?