Highest Profit ever from an English Football Club

Francis Gibbs said:

again your not by accident or design choosing to understand the points being made ....
firstly why would we finish 4th, 5th on a number occasions and then settle for 6th and say that's our given position ...... its not like we have done this once we have done it consistently in the last 6 years. once done consistently it becomes your benchmark irrespective of within reason where your finances are which is why your Bradford example is ridiculous ...... we are in the top 6 for turnovers in the top division so we are part of a financial elite in our own right and not leagues behind like Bradford.
Secondly I didn't suggest finances are not a major factor they are but they are not the sole factor in determining the end position of the club otherwise why would anybody bother to turn up and play across all leagues on Saturdays .... Benchmarks are set by what you achieve on the pitch not IN the board room and 6th place is not that.

Taking our last 6 years leagues positions, since we first qualified for CL football, our average finish is 5th ........ how in the world does that translate to 6th place being our footballing benchmark?

2014-15 6 (assume)
2013–14 6
2012–13 5
2011–12 4
2010–11 5
2009–10 4

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jambreck said:

Not at all. Rather, it's you who seems to have an artificially limited view as to what constitutes a football decision.

Overarching transfer strategy is a football decision.
Massive investment in world class training facilities is a football decision.
Prioritising the academy is a football decision.

You can't pick and choose what is or isn't a football decision purely to suit your argument. Ultimately, as chairman of the club, Levy has responsibility for the club's on field results. And regardless that there have been many mistakes made and backward steps during Levy's time at the club, there can be no denying that, overall, the club's on field performance has improved during that period.

Sorry, fella, you might not have intended it thus but claiming that Levy "hasn't got a clue about football" simply smacks of prejudice on your part. It inherently makes the assumption that you know more and better than him - simply because he is a businessman (and not a fan) first and foremost, apparently. And I think that that's more than a little unfair. The man has worked within football for more than fifteen years. He was a season ticket holder for years before that. He attends every game, pretty much, home and away. He speaks to players, coaches, agents and fans weekly, if not daily. It therefore seems absurd to me to suggest that he hasn't got a clue about the game.

You have every right to disagree with his managerial appointments; and sackings; his transfer strategy; his preferred management structure etc. But that doesn't necessarily make you right. Nor do his mistakes necessarily betray an ignorance about the game. Rather, I would suggest, they simply show that it is incredibly difficult for any chairman to get it right. After all, if it was so easy, every chairman would be following the same formula and each club would be as good as the next.

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Hoddle&Waddle said:

You just proved my point. Not sure how you come to the conclusion that Levy has prioritised the academy either when you consider we recently spent £100m on first team players, I'd say that has been Pochettino. Decisions that directly effect the present situation of our football team is where I'm saying Levy falls down.

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Mullers said:

I suspect that the price would be set too high and the consortium will look for better value elsewhere, perhaps Aston Villa or West ham or they might just go with an even lower team like Stoke.

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Hoddle&Waddle said:

That 'Turnip' is the best manager we've had since Burkinshaw or possibly even the great man himself. You need to get over yourself and understand that it is not a crime to want the England job. Just like it wasnt a crime for Bale to want to join Real Madrid,or is he a turnip as well?

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Hoddle&Waddle said:

That 'Turnip' is the best manager we've had since Burkinshaw or possibly even the great man himself.

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Chris12 said:

Levy has prioritised the development of the academy hence why it's one of the best in the country now. Pochettino has some to do with using the academy players, but Levy (and co.) were the ones you implemented it and got it to where it is now.

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talkshowhost86 said:

Completely agree on stability, but that requires everyone, fans included, to be realistic about our ambitions.

As for more players and more staff, isn't that flying in the face of stability? Also, whilst we need to bring in the right people, again we need to be realistic about what we can afford. I'm hoping that's what we're doing with the appointment of Mitchell and the stronger faith being shown in some of the younger players.

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225 said:

Lol, I need to get over myself? You're coming across very weird based on your reaction to all this.


Redknapp was being a turnip because he was trying to recruit Brendan Rodgers to be assistant manager for a job he hadn't even been offered. He went from smug to desperate in a matter of weeks.

It's not a crime to want the England job, but it's criminal for him to neglect his duties to his current employer, who had given him a wealth of support over his tax-dodging, only to demand a new contract after he'd cocked the season right up. Bale didn't jeopardise the club at an important part of the season.


Also -



What the fuck is that? Burkinshaw won 2 FA Cups and a UEFA cup. Venables finished higher than Redknapp ever did (3rd in '90) and won an FA Cup. George Graham and Juande Ramos both won cups.

Best manager since Burkinshaw? That's an embarrassing thing to say.

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Hoddle&Waddle said:

Whats more embarassing is that you actually think Ramos and George Graham did a better job than Redknapp. LOL

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225 said:

Classic "let's twist your words to hide my stupid statement post".

If only Keith Burkinshaw had concentrated on finishing 4th insteading of winning cups, he might actually have been a good manager. Sigh....

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Hoddle&Waddle said:

Prioritized over what though? Investing in the youth structure is something most Clubs do, we just happen to have had a good crop come through combined with some decent coaching. If anything the former 'Head of Development' should take the credit, oh thats right, hired by 'The Turnip' in 2008.

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Chris12 said:

Prioritised over spending that money on youth development and instead could've blown it on player wages and astronimical fees. Yes the summer of 2013 he spent a lot, but we lost a major player and needed to reinvest and would've been naive to have saved it and fully trusted the youth. In hindsight that might be great, but at the time would've been silly and definitely uproar from fans.

If you mean Tim Sherwood, he deserves some credit yes, but he wasn't Head of Development until 2012, when out reconstruction of the academy was already under-way and showing decent signs.

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mill said:

He was never head of youth development

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Chris12 said:

Technical Director - my bad. If anything helps back up my point more. But he did look over the youngsters for a bit did he not?

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225 said:

I've never really seen this. Same as the "itchy trigger finger" crap.

Sherwood was nothing but short term - despite his demand for a contract that everyone knew outlasted his term.
AVB walked (something he's eluded to) after turning into a bit of a melt. The real-life equivalent of rage-quitting a game.
Redknapp took the piss out of the club
Ramos had us at the bottom of the table.
Jol was perhaps the only real example of a strange decision, but we won a trophy because of it.
Santini went AWOL
Hoddle was similar to Ramos in that respect
Graham was more down to Buchler

I don't think there's much evidence that he's sacked a manager for not meeting unrealistic targets. Hoddle and Ramos could have gotten us relegated (yes, maybe under extenuating circumstances), but in theory we have seen an improvement with each change, it just takes a little patience to cash in on it.

This is something I've always believed too and assumed I was in a tiny minority. The problem with Levy isn't about him sacking managers - he was clearly correct to sack Ramos when he did, for instance - but about their appointment in the first place and his whole due-diligence process.

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225 said:

Classic "let's twist your words to hide my stupid statement post".

If only Keith Burkinshaw had concentrated on finishing 4th insteading of winning cups, he might actually have been a good manager. Sigh....

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Hoddle&Waddle said:

You just proved my point. Not sure how you come to the conclusion that Levy has prioritised the academy either when you consider we recently spent £100m on first team players, I'd say that has been Pochettino.

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Decisions that directly effect the present situation of our football team is where I'm saying Levy falls down.

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Hoddle&Waddle said:

Prioritized over what though? Investing in the youth structure is something most Clubs do, we just happen to have had a good crop come through combined with some decent coaching. If anything the former 'Head of Development' should take the credit, oh thats right, hired by 'The Turnip' in 2008.

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Francis Gibbs said:

it is, if you use that as investment in your core product which will then exponentially increase future profits

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Spurger King said:

What a miserable, inferior little team we'd be if every Spurs supporter was content to watch us being nothing more than the 'best of the rest' every season. You can say my expectations are unrealistic. I'll just say your expectations aren't high enough.

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